NÄR SERVICE BLIR SAMHÄLLSPLANERING : En dokumentanalys som stöd för riktlinjer vid etablering av obemannade och hybrida landsbygdsbutiker i Umeå kommun

Sammanfattning

This thesis analyzes how municipalities can evaluate the establishment of unmanned andhybrid grocery stores in rural areas. The study focuses on Umeå municipality, where thesenew retail forms have led to an increasing number of requests for establishment in rural areas.This development has created a need for clearer assessment guidelines within themunicipality. Although unmanned and hybrid stores may improve access to commercialservices in places where traditional stores struggle to remain economically viable, they alsoraise questions about accessibility, social functions, provision of local services and long-termrural development. The aim of the study is to identify guidelines that can support municipal assessments ofunmanned and hybrid rural stores and contribute to a long-term sustainable service provision.The study is based on a qualitative document analysis of municipal, regional and nationalpolicy documents. The documents are analyzed through a reflexive thematic analysis toidentify recurring patterns of priorities, issues, solutions and planning considerations. The results indicate that rural stores should not only be evaluated as conventional commercialestablishments. Instead, they should be understood as part of local service infrastructure andrural development. The study identifies assessment principles such as impact on existingservices, locally grounded service needs and long-term viability. The thesis concludes that unmanned and hybrid stores can contribute to the local serviceprovision, but only if their establishment is assessed in relation to place-specific conditionsand strategic planning aims.