ABSTRACT
The emergence of out-of-centre retailing has transformed the retail structure of most cities in western Europe and North America (see Chapter 1). The new facilities have undoubtedly had a major economic, social and environmental impact on the urban scene. Its varied character and the response of planners are the key issues considered in this chapter. Attention is focused particularly on the changing patterns of shopping behaviour indicated both by studies of the impact of the new facilities and by new evidence drawn from a number of large-scale household and city-centre shopper surveys in the UK. Changing consumer behaviour, expressed in the transfer of trade from the older shopping facilities to the new, has critical implications for the vitality of the traditional retail system. Existing retail investment is under threat and the less mobile elements of the population are experiencing diminishing access to the newer shopping facilities. The commercial and planning implications of the range of evidence reviewed are also discussed.
