10.4225/03/59378db56c295
Reimers, Vaughan
Vaughan
Reimers
Clulow, Val
Val
Clulow
What is retail centre convenience? A model for the 21st century
Monash University
2017
monash:62782
2000
1959.1/468463
2017-06-07 05:23:00
Journal contribution
https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/journal_contribution/What_is_retail_centre_convenience_A_model_for_the_21st_century/5085229
Across many markets, the unplanned centre (also referred to as the downtown or town centre) continues to lose market share to the planned shopping centre. This trend is not new. Some unplanned centres have been forfeiting market share for more than half a century. Efforts to revive the unplanned centre have often proven less than successful. One possible explanation is that convenience has been largely ignored as a strategy for rejuvenation. Research into retail centre patronage has consistently found that convenience does not serve as a salient determinant over consumer spatial behaviour. Yet other studies continue to suggest the emergence of a convenience-oriented society. This paper offers a more conclusive definition of retail centre convenience to its predecessors; one that incorporates its dimensions and its attributes. In doing so, it highlights the need to treat existing patronage studies with caution, and the need for research to revisit the convenience concept.