Omnichannel retailing and territorial recomposition: Four pathways of retail network transformation

The rapid expansion of omnichannel retailing has transformed the relationship between physical and digital retail formats, raising questions about the future role of large-format stores and the territorial organization of retail systems. While previous studies have primarily focused on consumer adoption and channel integration, less attention has been paid to the spatial dynamics of omnichannel development. This paper investigates the evolution of grocery retail networks between 2016 and 2026 through a combined analysis of hypermarkets and click-and-collect (C&C) facilities. Using spatial entropy measures and a territorial typology, we examine whether omnichannel growth leads to the substitution of physical stores, the coexistence of formats, or the emergence of new territorial configurations. The findings reveal that omnichannel retailing does not produce a uniform spatial model. Instead, four distinct territorial pathways emerge: substitution in sparsely populated areas, complementarity in small towns, consolidation in peri-urban territories, and diversification in metropolitan areas. At the same time, entropy measures indicate a gradual convergence in territorial coverage across formats, suggesting increasing spatial homogenization at the system level. These results challenge narratives predicting the decline of physical retail. Rather than replacing stores, omnichannel development appears to reinforce the functional integration of physical and digital infrastructures. The study contributes to research on retail transformation by proposing a territorial perspective on omnichannel development and highlighting how local conditions shape the evolution of retail ecosystems. More broadly, it suggests that contemporary retail systems are evolving toward a new regime characterized by format hybridization, network optimization, and the growing interdependence of distribution channels.