Accessibility of food - A multilevel approach comparing a choice based model with perceived accessibility in Mainfranken, Germany

Accessibility is a multifaceted concept. Accessibility of food in particular serves as a critical indicator of quality of life and is therefore influencing daily life in diverse ways. In geographic retail research, empirical methods as well as modeling techniques are of great importance for the analysis and evaluation of accessibility and market areas. Firstly, this paper introduces an econometric choice-based flow and catchment model for assessing the accessibility of grocery stores. Secondly, acknowledging that spatial perceptions of food supply can vary significantly among individuals, the study compares modeled accessibility with perceived accessibility using data from a household survey. A total of 2300 individuals from the Mainfranken region in Germany were surveyed regarding their grocery shopping habits. Three central questions were posed regarding satisfaction with and effort required for food access to evaluate perceived accessibility. The comparison of modeled accessibility with perceived accessibility highlights the complexity of perception, revealing that it is shaped by various factors. For instance, some residents of areas with objectively good accessibility rated their supply situation as poor, while those in less accessible areas often expressed higher satisfaction. This study contributes two key insights: First, it introduces a novel, comprehensive approach to accessibility that considers both the supplier and consumer perspectives based on actual shopping behavior. Second, it demonstrates that perceived accessibility is shaped by individual characteristics and is strongly influenced by lifestyle, personal resilience and daily routines. In particular, highly mobile individuals and population groups exhibit greater resilience and are more willing to travel longer distances to meet their needs.