Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
less. Clarkson
et al
. claim that the response of
retailers to home saturation will either be
internationalisation or store refurbishments.
However, they miss the point concerning
alternative distribution systems. In the UK grocery
market, for example, we have witnessed the search
for sites for a new wave of medium and smaller-
sized supermarkets, thus making their store location
teams even busier (Wrigley 1998). In addition,
retailers are looking for ways of analysing the
impacts of new trends that threaten the traditional
nature of distribution. These include a new wave of
large corporate mergers and acquisitions, advances
in information technology, and the process of
disintermediation (this refers to the elimination of
layers of added cost from the distribution network
by companies that have previously relied on other
organisations to sell their products: for example
British Airways). These trends cast increasing doubts
over branch viability, and the threat of
rationalisation is very real in many retail sectors.The
simple removal of selected branch outlets, however,
may not be the optimal strategy. What branch
closures do create is a network that may be at odds
with the existing spatial demands of consumers. The
lack of consideration as to the link between supply
and demand remains a major drawback in business
development strategies. What will be required is
more flexible, local responses to these trends. That
will require greater and more subtle store location
research, not less. That has to be good news for
future geography graduates, provided they are
skilled in spatial analysis rather than radical
Marxism!
Business and Service Planning.
Cambridge:
Geoinformation, 104-49.
Batey, P.J. and Brown, P. (1995) From human
ecology to customer targeting: the evolution of
geodemographics. In P.A.Longley and
G.P.Clarke (eds)
GIS for Business and Service
Planning.
Cambridge: Geoinformation, 77-103.
For retail models, try:
Birkin, M. and Clarke, G.P. (1991) Spatial interaction
in geography.
Geography Review
4(5), 16-24.
Birkin, M., Clarke, G.P., Clarke, M. and Wilson,
A.G. (1996)
Intelligent GIS: Location Decisions
and Strategic Planning.
Cambridge:
Geoinformation.
REFERENCES
Batey, P.J. and Brown, P. (1995) From human ecology to
customer targeting: the evolution of geodemographics.
In P.A.Langley and G.P.Clarke (eds)
GIS for Business and
Service Planning.
Cambridge: Geoinformation, 77-103.
Beaumont, J.R. (1991a)
An Introduction to Market Analysis.
CATMOG 53, Norwich: Geo-Abstracts.
Beaumont, J.R. (1991b) GIS and market analysis. In
D.Maguire, M.Goodchild and D.Rhind (eds)
Geographical Information Systems: Principles and
Applications.
London: Longman, 139-51.
Belchamber, J. (1997) Store planning strategy—a case
study from Thresher. Paper presented to 'The Art of
Store Location' conference, Henry Stewart
Conference Studies, 28/30 Little Russell Street,
London, WC1A 2HN.
Benoit, D. and Clarke, G.P. (1997) Assessing GIS for retail
location planning.
Journal of Retail and Consumer Services
4(4), 239-58.
Birkin, M. (1995) Customer targeting, geodemographic
and lifestyle approaches. In P.A. Longley and G.P.Clarke
(eds)
GIS for Business and Service Planning.
Cambridge:
Geoinformation, 104-49.
Birkin, M., Clarke, G.P., Clarke, M. and Wilson, A.G. (1996)
Intelligent GIS: Location Decisions and Strategic Planning.
Cambridge: Geoinformation.
Birkin, M., Clarke, M. and George, F. (1995) The use of
parallel computers to solve non-linear spatial
optimisation problems: an application to network
planning.
Environment and Planning A
27, 1049-68.
Bond, S. (1997) Gravity modelling and its applicability to
the internationalisation of business. Paper presented to
GUIDE TO FURTHER READING
For more information on retail marketing, try:
McGoldrick, P.J. (1990)
Retail Marketing.
McGraw-
Hill, London.
For geodemographics and lifestyles, the best
introductions are:
Birkin, M. (1995) Customer targeting,
geodemographic and lifestyle approaches. In
P.A. Longley and G.P.Clarke (eds)
GIS for
