Analysis on heterogeneous resilience patterns of retail clusters from post-COVID-19 endemic – A case of Seoul, Republic of Korea

The emergence of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus triggered a global pandemic, compelling governments worldwide to implement stringent social distancing and lockdowns. Consequently, businesses experienced significant financial constraints. While the economic impact of COVID-19 varied across business properties and geographically diverse, the economic recovery patterns are also highly heterogeneous after the endemic. This study aims to analyze resilience patterns of retail clusters following the transition to endemic phase. We propose a conceptual framework to subdivide resilience types, based on the relative relation between robustness and recovery indices. The resilience types are interpreted based on spatial distribution commercial properties in terms of accessibility, business sectors and customer age demographics. This study finds that the resilience types exhibit different spatial clustering patterns and distinct characteristics. Moreover, based on the extended resilience types, the sub-types of resilience display incompatible spatial distributions and commercial properties, which contribute to identifying factors influencing economic recovery. This study can support policy-making and the development of sustainable cities by providing insights into extended recovery patterns in terms of spatial and property aspects.