ABSTRACT
The retail revolution has brought material advantage to most of the population through greater choice, comfort and cheapness in shopping. These benefits are greatest in superstores, but such outlets have a highly uneven distribution. As a result of strong disparities in income and mobility, there is a marked inequality in consumer opportunities and the existence of “disadvantaged consumers” is now recognized as a major social issue. The characteristics and implications of this issue are developed in this chapter. The disadvantaged include low-income families, women, ethnic minorities, the elderly and the disabled, all of whom share the common characteristic of low mobility. Planning policies adopted to combat the problem include better public transport provision, the protection of local shops and improved design and facility provision in shopping centres. Investment in the new alternative of Electronic Home Shopping (EHS) is a recent approach to planning for disadvantaged consumers.
