ABSTRACT
Over the last thirty years one of the most significant trends in Canadian retailing has been the development of purpose-built shopping centres. At a national level their growth was particularly rapid throughout the 1960s, when on average 31 centres per year were being opened. In 1956 there were some 64 shopping centres, which accounted for almost 2% of the country’s total retail trade. However, by the mid-1970s such shopping schemes had captured well over 23% of trade (Statistics Canada 1976). The significance of these schemes is far reaching, influencing not only retail trade but also the structure of inner city redevelopments.
