EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC RECESSION ON CONSUMERS' SPATIAL SHOPPING BEHAVIOUR

Until recently retail planners expected to allow for economic growth. Now the tables are turned. The question is how valid retail cash flows based on surveys from the past are during economic recession. Can these flows be adapted by simple reduction factors, or are more radical changes necessary? There are, of course, no simple answers to these questions. There are various ways in which consumers can react to income reductions, but it is assumed that all of them in some way or other will have to economize on retail expenditure. The extent to which they will do this depends to a high degree on individual factors, such as particular economic and social situation, attitudes, and expectations and priorities. The various studies on these matters in the Netherlands seem to indicate that as a result of economic recession and consequent consumers' income reduction, food and allied products tend to be bought more and more in larger neighbourhood centres and in (smaller) community centres. On the other hand durable consumer goods would increasingly be compared and bought in first order city centres. This would mean that consumers' spatial shopping behaviour would be different from that before economic recession. Further studies are necessary, however. (TRRL)

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Transportation Planning Research Colloquium 1983 held in Zandvoort on December 14-16, 1983. Volume I.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Colloguium Vervoersplanologisch Speurwerk

    P.O. Box 45
    Delft,   Netherlands 
  • Authors:
    • GANTVOORT, J T
  • Publication Date: 1984

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00389271
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV
  • Files: ITRD, TRIS
  • Created Date: Oct 30 1984 12:00AM