Brand connection and entry in the shopping mall ecological chain: Evidence from consumer behavior big data analysis based on two-sided markets

In a shopping mall, it's a common phenomenon that brands enter and exit. Studying the brand's entry and connection in the mall's ecological chain is an important factor in judging whether the brand can develop sustainably in the mall. Based on the analysis of 724,685 consumers' consumption data from one International Shopping Center in Shanghai, China, this paper conducts the social network analysis, builds a brand network map, and examines brand connection through visual analysis and cohesion subgroup analysis. Empirical results indicate that brand awareness, product category, brand positioning, and consumer characteristics are the major factors that influence brand connection. The sensitivity analysis is further conducted based on the singular value decomposition (SVD). Furthermore, these four factors have a positive impact on the sustainable development of the brand after entering and a mathematical model is established to determine whether a brand should be settled in a certain shopping mall. This research is the first to study the factors affecting the sustainable development of brands in the shopping mall ecological chain. Using big data technology to provide brand selection guidance for shopping malls from a micro perspective.