Abstract:

This paper has been prepared from both personal and corporate experience in the application of research and analysis techniques to increase the effectiveness of retail operations. This has allowed retailers to match their services to their customers needs, both in terms of merchandise and location, providing the customer with what they require, where they require it. The continuation of the recession in Great Britain has significantly affected the application of standard methods for location and area research. Constant reappraisal, by both the retailer and consultants, of existing procedures together with the development of new and more sophisticated techniques has been required. The fundamental issues of retail planning have changed from the single site focus of the 1980's towards a more integrated strategic approach. The recessionary climate means it is now more important than ever to plan effectively. Great Britain is a unique environment for the application of location strategy. The country combines extremely dense levels of retail supply with a prolonged and regionally uneven recessionary climate. Location strategy techniques that have traditional developed to meet the needs of the American market are becoming increasingly inappropriate. The paper focuses on the situation within Great Britain and corresponding responses to this country's recession; however the lessons learned could be applied to any dense retail environment within Europe or beyond. In order to understand issues related to retail strategy it is vital for a retailer to understand these economic constraints. This paper aims to focus on these issues and their importance to retail location strategy. The document is split into five principal sections.