Retail and Leisure

Retail and Leisure

1. Definitions

   • Catchment Area- The area of a shop from which it gets its customers
     • Convenience goods- Low cost items that consumers buy frequently eg milk and bread
       • Comparison goods- More expensive items that consumers buy less frequently eg clothes and TV
         • Range- The distance that a consumer is willing to travel to buy a product. Convenience goods have a shorter range than comparison goods
           • Threshold- The minimum population needed to create a demand for an item or service. It depends on the value of the product
             • High street- The location of all major retail activities such as shops and malls
               • Out-of-town shopping- A retail park located in the suburbs of a city
                 • Internet shopping- When the internet and tech devices are used for ordering products
                   • Honeypot site- A popular visitor attraction or area where large numbers of people visit. It is a natural area

2. Changing retail patterns

   • How has it changed?
     • More people shop online
       • We spend more on luxury goods
         • We do all our shopping in one supermarket rather than different stores
           • We can access international goods
   • Factors affecting retail change
     • Increased mobility- Higher car ownership means we can travel further and faster
       • Changing shopping habits- People shop less frequently but buy more due to more working women
         • Changing attitudes- Shopping is seen as more for leisure
           • Changing nature of retailing- There are only few large supermarket chains that dominate the market
             • Rise of internet shopping- People buy more products online and have more supermarket deliveries

3. Out of Town Retail Centres- The Trafford Centre case study

   • Characteristics
     • Over 11,500 free parking spaces
       • It has over 280 shops
         • It has 36 restaurants
           • Good access to M1
   • Impacts
     • Pros
       • Creates more services and jobs for the locals- 8000 people are employed here
         • Causes more investment in the CBD, leading to pedestrianisation
           • Takes stress away from transport in the CBD
             • Convenient for local shoppers
     • Cons
       • Causes the closure of high street shops so unemployment increases- cycle of deprivation
         • 37% of shops in Altrincham are vacant
           • More air and noise pollution in the motorway due to more visitors
             • Can cause local businesses to close down due to more competition

4. High street decline and regeneration of CBDs

   • Reasons for decline
     • Rise in online shopping
       • Attraction of out-of-town retail centres
         • Rise in crime rates
           • Very high rent for shops and residents, causing people to move away
   • Impacts of decline
     • More shops close ao lower footfall and less profits fro shops
       • Derelict buildings may be vandalised so customers feel less safe and shop elsewhere
         • Less jobs creates social decline
   • Sheffield Case Study
     • Problems
       • The out-of-town Meadowhall retail centre caused several shops to close down in the CBD which attracted many vandals
     • Solutions
       • 100 new shops with a covered roof were built
         • 200 modern, safe residential areas were created
           • A John Lewis flagmark store was established to improve the marketing reputation
             • Improved parking spaces and transport system
               • The Retail Quarters has a covered shopping centre
     • Other regeneration methods
       • Pedestrianised zones
         • Having special market days such as a Christmas market
           • Improve security via CCTV
             • More green space

5. Online Shopping

   • How tech is changing retail
     • Reduces the footfall in shops as fewer people are physically shopping
       • Increases online shopping
         • More delivered goods
           • Smaller shops in the CBD have closed down
             • Increased transport efficiency contributes to globalisation due to world shipping
               • People who sell their goods online don't have to pay for rent or electricity
                 • Online shopping is more convenient as people in rural areas can easily access goods across the world
   • Impacts of Amazon
     • Positives
       • Creates lots of jobs- 55,000 people in the UK work for Amazon
         • Customers can buy a large range of products at a cheaper price
           • 3rd party sellers can sell their goods on Amazon, helping businesses
     • Negatives
       • They put other smaller businesses selling goods at a higher price out of customers
         • Independent sellers only get 35% of the profit of their goods
           • More deliveries increases air pollution

6. Case Study- 2015 Rugby World Cup

   • Impacts
     • Positives
       • Small businesses will benefit financially from an increase in customers
         • 16,000 people were directly employed due to tournament
           • Cardiff gained £316 million from visitors
             • The popularity of Cardiff increased, drawing in more businesses to the tourism industry
               • Hotels gained profits
                 • All this creates a positive multiplier effect
     • Negatives
       • Increased litter by large crowds
         • Increased congestion in CBD due to more transport used- reduces safety for pedestrians
           • More crowds=more noise pollution=disturbs locals
             • More transport for tourists for planes and cars increased CO2 emissions, contributing to global warming
               • Increased crime rates and more crowds attracts burglars so less safety for residents and tourists
   • Legacy
     • More investment in sporting facilities so more people do sports so there is better health and fitness
       • This improves Cardiff's reputation as a sporting city and attracts more visitors, improving the economy
         • Tourists were encouraged to also visit other parts of Wales so rural and urban areas benefit from tourism
           • All this makes the economy and health of the future generations more sustainable

7. Case Study- The Lake District

   • Background
     • It is a honeypot site as it has boating on Lake Windermere, camping sites etc
       • It is a National Park- areas of protected natural beauty
         • 33% of its economy is contributed by tourism
           • It has the highest peaks in England as well as the deepest lakes
   • Impacts
     • Positive
       • Provides local people with job opportunities
         • Tourists spend money
     • Negatives
       • Footpath erosion- When planst are trampled upon, stones are exposed so are more prone to erosion- 87% of tourist use footpaths
         • Tourists drop litter
           • Congestion is a problem as it causes air and noise pollution. Boat riding alos causes air pollution
             • Animals are disturbed
               • Many second homes leads to a housing shortage and can cause local areas to lose their distinct characteristics
   • Solutions to problems
     • Improved public transport
       • Traffic restrictions
         • Ban on second homes
           • The Fix the Fells Scheme aims at raising money to fix 145 seriously eroded footpaths
             • Educational schemes where the NPA (National Park Authority) edcucates people on the issues and what to do to prevent it
     • It is diffiuclt to enforce many laws as a lot of the land is privately owned and peole want money rather than protecting the environment