Consumer mobility and the communication of difference: Reflecting on cross‐border shopping practices and experiences in the Dutch‐German borderland

Abstract

The current debate on consumption and retailing represents shoppers as highly mobile and looking for different experiences. In an attempt to find satisfaction, shoppers are assumed to explore many places and countries. It is in cross-border regions that large functional, physical, and socio-cultural differences can be experienced in a relatively small area. Such differences could make crossing national borders appealing as well as unappealing. This contribution scrutinizes what cross-border shoppers are looking for and what level of "unfamiliarity" they are willing to accept. A brief analysis of cross-border shopping practices in the EU is combined with a detailed case study of Millingen in the Netherlands and Kranenburg in Germany to explore what shoppers see as (un)appealing. We argue that the knowledge shoppers have of people and places on "the other side" and information that is communicated may (re)arrange differences as " familiar" and "unfamiliar". Places promising " familiar unfamiliarity" seem to appeal to shoppers and therefore generate cross-border shopping practices. Paradoxically, the construction of borders and the communication of appealing differences seem necessary to sustain and promote shopping mobility.

The influence of the Covid-19 pandemic on Czech-Polish cross-border cooperation: From debordering to re-bordering?

“…With one exception from the Canadian-US border (Brunet-Jailly and Vannet, 2020), we focused on the European context (basing our work on the conference panel organised by Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań on 21 May 2020, and the e-meeting "Cross-border cooperation in the age of pandemic", organised by the Association of European Border Regions on 5 June, 2020) 1 . Van der Velde and Spierings (2010) We also analysed the adopted anti-epidemic measures at the level of the Czech and Polish governments. We studied the decrees and other official documents published by these governments, representatives of local and regional actors, and commentaries of the media and other relevant actors in those decisions.…”

Transborder Openness of Companies in a Divided City: Zgorzelec/Görlitz Case Study

“…In this context a border does not only mean fixed lines, but must also be understood as ‘arising out of processes in which territories and their contested meanings are socially and culturally constructed’ (Paasi 2001, p. 16). Therefore, cross‐border behaviour results from subjective observations and interpretation of differences between both sides of the border (Van der Velde & Spierings 2010).…”

“…The process of the shaping of transborder relationships between the buyer and the seller can be analysed from the perspective of customers, entrepreneurs and their mutual interactions. The literature describes mostly analyses of consumer behaviour (Vogel 1995; Bygvrå & Westlund 2004; Spierings & Van der Velde 2008; Van der Velde & Spierings 2010). With regard to entrepreneurs the analyses concern mainly the connections between companies and investments in transborder regions (Schmidt & Gerling 1998; Krätke 1999; Huber 2003).…”

How border tripoints offer opportunities for transboundary tourism development

“…Familiar activities spurred by crossborder differentness include shopping, gambling and prostitution, but also healthcare services (Timothy, 2001). In this sense, what is different on the other side attracts tourists because of product differences, lower prices, other services or the fact of products or services being better or non-existent (or limited) (Timothy, 2001;Van der Velde & Spierings, 2010;Wie R ckowski, 2010). The most popular ways of capitalizing on such differences include through shopping tourism (Di Matteo & Di Matteo, 1996, Leimgruber, 2005Szytniewski et al, 2017;Timothy & Butler, 1995;Van der Velde & Spierings, 2010), which also entails the purchase of alcohol, tobacco and gasoline (Rietveld et al, 2001;Banfi et al, 2005).…”