Exploring the spatiotemporal evolution mechanism of rural e-commerce: insights from the experience of Taobao towns in China

Abstract In the era of the digital economy, rural e-commerce has emerged as a compelling catalyst for driving the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. It has given rise to notable exemplars such as “Taobao villages” and “Taobao towns”, paving the way for scalable pathways toward rural revitalization. The transition from Taobao villages to Taobao towns signifies the evolution of rural e-commerce from scattered nodes to interconnected networks, reflecting a significant development trend. While existing studies have primarily focused on the spatiotemporal patterns of Taobao villages, limited research has been conducted on the spatiotemporal characteristics and the underlying evolution mechanism of Taobao towns. To fill the research gap, this study investigates the spatial-temporal evolution of Taobao towns employing geospatial methods and identifies key contributing factors using GeoDetector in China. The results show that: (1) The coverage of Taobao towns expands year by year in all provinces and cities, showing a “T-shaped and three-center” spatial pattern with a decreasing gradient from southeast to northwest. (2) Taobao towns in the central area are developing rapidly and are becoming an emerging development center. (3) The development of Taobao towns is the result of a combination of multiple factors, including regional economic base, social environment, market atmosphere, transportation conditions, infrastructure construction, etc. The study can provide Chinese experience for rural development and transformation.