Abstract

The strategies employed by street vendors to counteract urban mobility challenges have been subjected to theoretical examination. However, the depth of scholarly investigation into their vending strategies remains limited, consequently constraining comprehensive insights into the mobility patterns exhibited by street vendors.This study takes the street vendors of two street markets in Liangxiang suburb of Beijing as the research object, and analyzes how the street vendors' selling strategies come into being. By adopting Cresswell's mobility theoretical framework, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with street vendors and residents to understand the relationship between the vendors' mobility behavior and the residents.The paper identifies three aspects of interaction between residents and street vendors that influence the vendors' selling strategies: time and space rhythm, communication and interaction, and shopping preferences. These factors play a role in shaping the vendors' strategies and behaviors.The paper also studies the sales forms of street vendors, and finds that different sales forms are not only related to the types of goods, residents' behaviors and preferences, but also shape the different sales images of street vendors.

Furthermore, the researchers note that the use of new network technologies has transformed the way vendors communicate with customers and has influenced the characteristics of their mobility.Overall, this study contributes to our understanding of street vendors' mobility strategies by combining theory and empirical evidence. It suggests that when planning and designing street vendor spaces, it is important to consider the perspectives and needs of other social groups as well.