Defining Nanostores: Cybernetic Insights on Independent Grocery Micro-Retailers’ Identity and Transformations

Abstract

Nanostores—micro, independent grocery retailers—are often defined overlooking their socioeconomic roles and relational significance in favour of their primary functional aspects. To close this gap, this study adopts a systemic perspective to examine how multiple stakeholders (owners, customers, and suppliers) shape nanostore identity. Accordingly, this study proposes a framework of X-Y-Z identity statements, along with the use of the TASCOI tool, to examine nanostore descriptions and map their roles, expectations, and transformation processes. This systemic framework, rooted in management cybernetics, enabled the collection and analysis of 168 survey responses from 34 stores in Mexico City. The results show that nanostore identities are varied and context-dependent, operating as grocery stores, family projects, community anchors, economic lifelines, and competitors. This diversity influences stakeholder engagement, resource utilisation, and operational decisions. Overall, this study provides a transferable framework for analysing micro-business identity and transformation, with implications for problem-solving, decision-making, and policy development. Future research should address the current limitations of this study, including its geographical cross-sectional design, limited sampling method, reliance on self-reported perceptions, and lack of generalisability to other populations. Future work will involve exploring other urban contexts, utilising longitudinal data, expanding the sample, and adopting a participatory research approach to gain a deeper understanding of identity dynamics and their implications for nanostore resilience and survivability.