Analysis and assessment of the regional impacts of online platforms
Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Despite the global nature of e-commerce, retail markets remain inherently local systems. Consequently, the nationwide expansion of online platforms generates heterogeneous effects on local economies. This paper evaluates the impact of major marketplaces (Ozon and Wildberries) on the competitive environment and trading activity within Russian municipalities. A key methodological feature of the study is the use of the number of pickup points (PUPs; per 1000 residents) as a proxy metric for platform penetration. Based on panel data from over 1400 municipalities we establish a positive relationship between PUPs and traditional retail outlets availability (number per 1000 of residents), suggesting a complementarity between online and offline retail formats. The positive short-term effect of pickup point network expansion on per capita retail turnover suggests that online platforms stimulate local consumption. The application of the Instrumental Variables (IV) approach to control for endogeneity allows interpreting the obtained estimates not merely as correlational, but as causal effects of local market transformation.
Institution: Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy
Language: English
Subfield: Transportation
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7203882497