JUT Note: Technology and Bodegas

摘要

Many low-income communities in high-density inner cities in the United States depend heavily on small retail establishments.1 The establishments are close to customers without cars, are sometimes community institutions, and are often one of the first rungs in the social and economic advancement of members of low-income communities. These small retail shops are located predominantly in minority areas, where very few larger, more efficient stores locate. Although information is imprecise, approximately 8,000 of the 14,000 bodegas in New York State are located in New York City. Seven thousand of those are members of the Bodegas Association of the United States. This brief paper explains how the introduction of computerized, bar-code-capable point-of-sale (POS) devices, a more efficient use of energy, and the redesign of floor space could enhance the economic efficiency and increase the social role of bodegas, and thus strengthen the communities in which they are located.