Service gaps, defined as residential areas lacking services that meet consumers’ needs, arise when nearby outlets provide limited assortments and higher prices compared to larger stores. Such areas are increasingly found in city centres, where residents travel beyond the closest option to conduct their grocery shopping in order to fulfil household-specific needs. The emergence of e-shopping options reduces the need to travel in search of alternative shopping opportunities. However, the rise of digital services increases inequality among consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the growth of online retailing in general; but with regard to groceries, consumers have returned to physical stores more frequently than in specialty retailing.

In the current study, we employ survey data collected in Turku, Finland (n=425) to examine the grocery shopping behaviour of city-centre residents and the accessibility of services. Personal financial situation was the main cause of experienced difficulties in daily shopping, followed by long distance to a preferred store, particularly among those aged under 35. Digitalization of services, in turn, more often caused difficulties for those aged 65 or older. Although most respondents live within 500 meters of a grocery store, one third conducted their primary grocery shopping outside the city centre. Despite the abundance of available options, only a few respondents acquired groceries mainly online. As grocery-driven outshopping generates spillover effects on other retail sectors, it adversely affects city-centre footfall and, consequently, viability. Thus, urban planning strategies must consider affordability, product diversity, and consumer preferences in addition to compactness and service density.