A Geografia do comércio: a produção do espaço urbano a partir de redes de supermercados em Montes Claros – MG

Abstract

The increase in consumption, the demand and supply of goods and services and the levels of occupation reveal that economic activities, like commercy, occupy the territories dynamically. The dissemination of supermarkets that make up chains in the urban area of Montes Claros - MG was important for spatial analysis on developments that come from other regions. The objective of this work is to analyze the changes caused by supermarket chains in the urban space of Montes Claros, considering intra and interurban interactions. In particular, the urban space and its transformations were discussed based on the economic dynamics of Montes Claros; an analysis was made of locational strategies and spatial constraints for the installation of supermarkets in major retail and wholesale chains; a temporal map of the distribution of supermarkets was made to analyze possible spatial transformations that may have occurred after the installation of these networks and the contributions of supermarkets and hypermarkets in the organization of urban space with an emphasis on the area where they are located were discussed. The methodology of this research was divided into: bibliographic and documentary research; definition of the studied enterprises; data collect; analysis and systematization of results. It is concluded that the presence of these supermarkets in a network caused some transformations such as: readjustment of access roads with the construction of works (bridges, squares, creation of roundabouts, secondary access for the entrance and exit of customers of these supermarkets); real estate speculation of land close to them, increase in residential buildings, party venues, hotels, etc. The most peripheral areas have been the focus of this urban growth, since these supermarkets, mainly in the “atacarejo” form, are more common in those, where the land is bigger for their installation. Being close to highways also makes it strategically possible to serve local customers in other cities - intra and interurban. In fact, this urban growth after the installation of these supermarkets can be understood as a matter of convenience, as being close to supermarkets, pharmacies, hospitals, among other types of commerce, are relevant factors to attract the population.