Estimating attractiveness, hierarchy and catchment area extents for a national set of retail centre agglomerations. (January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dolega, Les; Pavlis, Michalis; Singleton, Alex
• Is Part Of: Journal of retailing and consumer services. Volume 28(2016)
• Page Start: 78
• Page End: 90
• Publication Date: 2016-01
• Subjects: Retail catchments -- GIS -- Huff model -- Town centre hierarchy -- Attractiveness score; Retail trade -- Periodicals; Service industries -- Periodicals; Customer services -- Periodicals; Commerce de détail -- Périodiques; Service à la clientèle -- Périodiques; Customer services; Retail trade; Periodicals; 658.87
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.08.013
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0969-6989

Abstract

Abstract: There is a legacy of research aiming to conceptualise and empirically estimate retail store catchment areas, however, a dearth that frames such considerations within the context of retail agglomerations and their position within regional or national networks. As a result, this paper provides an extension to single store or shopping centre retail catchment estimation techniques, and presents an empirically specified and tested production constrained model for a national network of retail centres in the UK. Our model takes into account the spatial interactions between potential customers and a hierarchical network of retail centres to estimate patronage probabilities and catchment extents. The model is tested for a large metropolitan area vis-à-vis real world shopping flows recorded through a survey of shoppers. Finally, we present an open source software tool for custom model fitting, and discuss a range of theoretical and empirical challenges that such a model presents. Highlights: This study estimates catchments areas for a national network of retail centres in the UK. The model estimates retail catchment extents at a Lower Super Output Area level of granularity. This paper discusses a range of theoretical and empirical challenges that such a model presents. An open source software tool for custom model fitting is also presented.