The traditional retail model involved consumers being willing to travel to shopping centers for higher value, less frequent purchases, while relying on local corner shops for regular, lower value goods. However, over the last 30 years technology and rising car ownership has significantly influenced retail patterns. Supermarkets and retail parks began locating in residential areas and on the outskirts of towns, respectively, and out-of-town shopping centers near motorways also emerged to accommodate increased automobile usage. While e-commerce is growing, many consumers still prefer to physically examine items before purchase.

1. Retailing and other services

2. Traditional pattern
• Wants local access • Willing to travel to a
to low order goods shopping centre for
such as bread, milk, goods with a higher
newspapers which value which are
are bought on a purchased less
Based on
regular basis, often 2 factors often, such as
daily, especially if household and
perishable electrical goods,
clothes and shoes

3. So…
• Local needs were met • Higher value goods
by corner shops in were purchased in the
areas of terraced town centre/CBD and
housing and suburban required a trip by
shopping parades bus/car

4. In the last 30 years technology has
had a major influence on the patterns
of retailing…

5. • Supermarkets began
to be built in
residential areas and
town centres
• Sold a range of food
and non-food items
• Expanded into larger
hypermarkets with
An important factor in this development
electrical goods was the rise in car ownership – load up
once a week with the ‘big shop’.

6. • Growth of non-food retail
parks
• Housed DIY, carpet and
furniture stores like Focus,
Do It All, B&Q, MFI etc.
• Many built on the outskirts
of town with easy access to
main roads
• Warehouse type buildings, Distinguished inside by design
often uniform in design and by display outside

7. • Huge out-of-town
shopping centres were
built
• On periphery of large
urban areas
• Close to major
motorways (some even
with their own junctions)
• Some of the best known
are Trafford Centre,
Meadowhall, Bluewater,
and the Metrocentre

8. • E-commerce and e-tailers
are growing – Electronic
home shopping using the
internet and digital
television.
• Supermarkets offer online
Many people still
shopping facilities, with want to examine
delivery to the door items before
purchase
• The impact upon other
shops is yet to be fully
Farmers markets
researched, but the effects are growing in
can be over-emphasised numbers – people
willing to travel
further for quality