The Impact of Rural E-commerce Development on the Consumption Gap between Ur-ban and Rural Areas
The development of rural e-commerce drives the"upward trend of agricultural products"and the"downward trend of industrial products",becoming an important measure to promote rural revitalization and urban-rural integration.It affects the consumption structure of rural and urban areas,but may also trigger new issues of consumption gaps between urban and rural areas.Based on the hierarchy of needs theory and online consumption theory,this study analyzed the impact of rural e-commerce development on the urban-rural consumption level and structural gap using provincial panel data from 2010 to 2020 in China,and further explored the moderating effect of inclusive finance.Empirical results show that there is a"U-shaped"influence structure between rural e-commerce development and urban-rural consumption gap.However,the current level of rural e-commerce development is far below the critical value of inflection point,so overall,rural e-commerce development significantly inhibits urban-rural consumption gap.The urban-rural income gap plays a mediating role in the relationship between rural e-commerce and urban-rural consumption gap.Furthermore,in regions with higher levels of inclusive finance development,the inhibitory effect of rural e-commerce on the urban-rural consumption gap is weaker.Inclusive finance has a promoting effect on both urban and rural consumption,but has a higher intensity on urban consumption,which is the reason for the reverse regulatory effect of inclusive finance.
万方数据
维普
