Spatial Improvement Strategies for Commercial Complexes Based on Simulations of Consumer Behavior

Current studies investigating spatial improvement strategies for commercial complexes often fail to address consumer behavior adequately. This paper aims to reveal how consumer activity at a micro level is affected by the spatial environment, ultimately providing insight into strategies that may improve commercial complex spaces through simulated consumer behavior. Empirical data on consumers’ spatial behavior from a real case study were collected to estimate behavioral models that could be applied to implement general simulations of consumer behavior. A series of virtual scenes were constructed in which most variables were controlled at the same level to compare specific design modes and techniques, such as the relationship between anchor stores and general stores, different plane forms, and the dynamic line of passenger flow, vertical connections, and entrance locations. Differences in consumer behavior resulting from these optimization strategies, along with guiding principles, were analyzed through individual simulations. The results of the current study provide a more objective reference for the quantitative evaluation of spatial performance.