ABSTRACT
Perhaps the most striking feature of retail outlets the world over and certainly one that has attracted widespread attention from economists and politicians is the multiplicity of small shops and the wide range in shop size. Some areas of the world, such as southern Europe or southern Asia, have not developed the largest shops ; but everywhere retail outlets are predominantly small and yet exhibit a wide range in size. Since the spatial structure of retailing is vitally affected by the size composition of shops it is necessary to examine the factors that give rise to the range in shop size by type of trade and form of organisation.
