The Density Of Convenience Retail And The Type Of Traffic - Commuting, Local And Retail

We use data from the National Establishment Time Series (NETS) database to examine gas station density in metropolitan areas within the State of Wisconsin over the 2010-2012 period. Our results suggest that while gas station density is affected by overall traffic volume, it is more important to know what type of traffic is passing through the market area. Specifically, after controlling for total volume having more retail increases the density of gas stations in an area. Consistent with gasoline purchases being part of a shopping trip, destination retail (department and home improvement stores) has the largest impact on gasoline station density. The benefits of retail agglomerations are evident.