ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the expansion of power nodes within the Greater Toronto Area, especially their size and rate of growth, and discusses their role within commercial structure of the future. The most recent stage in the commercial sequence is power retail, based on big box stores. It is built on peripheral sites, accessible to automobiles, and uses giant stores, with heavy advertizing, low prices and massive selection to attract customers. Over the last fifteen years, power retail has come to play an important role within commercial structure of the region, in magnitude, in its specialized role, and, especially, in rate of growth. Power nodes differ from other retail forms in their locations and internal organization, as well as their size and growth. Power retail is an economically efficient and inexpensive form of retail: it has become extremely attractive to both customers and retailers so that it accounts for more than half of new investment in retail, and provides substantial employment.
