Integrating Retail into an Urban Data Platform from a Stakeholder Perspective: Network Approaches in Leipzig (Germany)
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Please update the literature review section.
New references can be used to improve this work.
Uncertainty modeling of input data can be considered.
Risk related to uncertainties can be modeled in the presented work.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer 1,
thank you very much for your comments. We have especially followed your advice and updated the literature in section 2.
Kind regards, the authors
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
The author tried to attribute the highest retail vacancy rate, whereas Leipzig increasing population by 26%, to the “networking process” under the simultaneous emerging of LOP and UDP. This paper explores stakeholder-oriented networking processes to integrate local retail data into a UDP in Leipzig, Germany.
I found this work greatly potential contribution in many theoretical fields. For instance, the competing between LOP and UDP in various sectors are curious to me. And why and how retailing sector are succeed better in UDP stead of LOP? In stakeholder perspective, a firm (or a shop) should choose participating LOP or UDP, and why? These could be significant research questions basing on the work in this paper.
Of course, the author can pick suitable and valuable research question as they wish. However, the study objective, or the research question, in current version has little theoretical insight.
Also, part of appearance of this paper makes me wonder if the authors are enough endeavor, ie, the example in figure 1 could be computerized and be more “formal”.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer 2,
thank you very much for your important comments. Your questions and ideas concerning LOPs and UDPs are very interesting and we hope we managed to refer to them at certain points. We are definitely going to use the English editing service of MDPI.
Kind regards, the authors
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review this paper
This paper explores stakeholder-oriented networking processes to integrate local retail data into a urban data platform in the city of Leipzig, plagued by the highest retail vacancy rate compared to other major cities in Germany. A social network analysis was employed that combined qualitative interviews, mapping, and ethnographic research and stakeholdrs were interviewed which revealed conflicts within the networking process. Stakeholders were found to have different understandings of a urban data platform and how to integrate local retail data. Interviewees failed to initiate the urban data platform building process, despite recognizing its importance and lack of focus on the part of city policy makers.
The paper begins by reviewing recent literature on changes in the retail landscape relating to resilience due to structural and . The is well done, though lacks a broader engagement with the literature (see, for instance, Beckers et al., 2021 and Dyason et al., 2022) discussing the recent confluence of issues impinging on the resilience of cities' retail sector.
The analytical method applied is three pronged and employs network analysis, qualitative interviews and ethnography.
The method as used appear fine. What could be flashed out further in the results would be a discussion of how the regional development agency contributed (or failed to contribute in this case), and how this might mediate the modest success of establishing an urban data platform. This could be tied in with existing literature, for instance Loginov et al.
Otherwise a nice paper with potential.
Beckers, J., Weekx, S., Beutels, P., & Verhetsel, A. (2021). COVID-19 and retail: The catalyst for e-commerce in Belgium?. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 62, 102645.
Dyason, D., Fieger, P., Prayag, G., & Hall, C. M. (2022). The Triple Blow Effect: Retailing in an Era of Disasters and Pandemics—The Case of Christchurch, New Zealand. Sustainability, 14(3), 1779.
Loginov, M., Usova, N., & Nedorostkova, E. (2021). Developing digital retail services as a tool of ensuring consumer market sustainable development in the Sverdlovsk region. In SHS Web of Conferences (Vol. 94). EDP Sciences.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer 3,
thank you very much for your important comments. We have, for example, added relevant literature concerning the topic of resilience as you suggested and think it is improving the section.
Kind regards, the authors
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
The revision has answered my question. This paper has significant contribution on stakeholder networking and regional digitalization platform. I agree to accept in present form.
Reviewer 3 Report
The paper is now much improved and I support its publication in Sustainability.
