How do Retail Stores Affect Pedestrian Walking Speed: An Empirical Observation

TL;DR

This study empirically examines how retail stores influence pedestrian walking speeds, revealing that stores cause non-uniform slowing effects mainly due to pedestrian behavior and spatial factors, informing better pedestrian modeling.

Contribution

It provides detailed empirical data on pedestrian speed variations in front of retail stores, highlighting the mechanisms behind slowing effects and filling a gap in existing literature.

Findings

Stores cause non-uniform slowing of pedestrians

Lower speeds are linked to spatial distribution and gazing behavior

Avoidance behaviors have minimal impact on speed reduction

Abstract

Pedestrian studies in retail areas are critical for comfort and convenience in transportation facility designs. But existing literature lacks detailed empirical observations that focus on pedestrian speed variations and their mechanisms in front of stores. This paper bridges this gap by analyzing 1193 pedestrian trajectories in front of a convenience store located in a metro station. The results show that the store imposes a non-uniform slowing effect on the pedestrian flow. The spatial distribution and the lower walking speed of consumers and gazing pedestrians jointly contribute to such an effect while avoiding behaviors between pedestrians play little role. The findings complement the existing empirical observations and lay a foundation for realistic pedestrian modeling in retail areas.