Gurupandi Muthhukkannu, Geetha Rangaswamy, Sundar Sabapathi, Ajay Adithya Manoharan |
Dept. of Commerce, Faculty of Management, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract
This study investigates the evolving landscape of street food vending by employing a bibliometric and thematic analysis of Scopus-indexed literature spanning from 2004 to 2024. Street food vending, a vital segment of the urban informal economy, plays a crucial role in employment generation, food accessibility, and cultural representation. The study aims to uncover the socio-economic significance, prevailing challenges, and research trends associated with this sector. Using the search query TITLE-ABS-KEY (“street food” AND “vendors”), the analysis filtered relevant literature across disciplines such as social sciences, business, economics, psychology, and multidisciplinary studies. Data were processed through co-occurrence mapping and network analysis, leading to the identification of key themes and scholarly clusters. Thematic mapping categorised the research landscape into motor, basic, niche, and emerging/declining themes, offering a structured lens to understand intellectual progression in the field. Findings reveal that food security, public health, regulatory barriers, and informal entrepreneurship are dominant research areas, with motor themes such as urbanisation and human interaction underscoring the embeddedness of street vending in city economies. Despite a growing body of literature, there exists a noticeable gap in studies addressing policy implementation, sustainability practices, and the digital transformation of street food enterprises. The study calls for a more nuanced exploration of inclusive regulatory frameworks and the integration of vendors into formal economic systems. This research contributes a comprehensive scholarly overview, offering actionable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and researchers committed to enhancing the resilience, visibility, and sustainability of street food vendors in rapidly urbanising societies.
Keywords: Street Food, Vendors, Food Security, Informal Economy, Urbanisation, Bibliometric Analysis
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