1. List the different stages involved in retail environment analysis.
Retail planning policy illustrates the complexities of managing and regulating the retail environment. Consumers are more demanding, affluent and mobile than ever before, but a sizeable segment of the population is poor and socially excluded from a range of services, including retailing.
Retailers have to respond to consumers’ needs by providing a retail offer through appropriate formats. For many ‘big box’ retailers and category killer specialists, this means large store formats in out-of-town sites. In much of Europe, such developments are viewed by many governments as a threat to the viability of existing town centres and planning regulations have been developed accordingly. The problem here is that the lobbying by retailers and local authorities is geared to maintaining the rigid status quo hierarchy of shopping centre provision. Is this in the public interest, or is it a form of protectionism of existing retail structures? The creation of regeneration partnerships to benefit areas deprived of retail investment is a positive step to address the issue of ‘food deserts’ and other accusations that large format developments cater for the wealthier, more mobile segments of the population. Clearly, to achieve maximum operating efficiencies, these retailers need large sites, which are unlikely to be available in town centres. Policy makers must therefore ensure that restrictive policies on large format development do not impede retail competition, which will lead to higher prices and adverse affects on economies.
