Economic Forces Influencing Shopping
& Retailing in Activity Centres
Course Outline
This course aims to give an understanding of the economic forces influencing retailing in activity centres and the consumer demand for activity centres as shopping destinations. It is designed to appeal to urban planners, economic development officers and place managers involved in the planning, design and/or management of activity centres. There will be little applicability to the operation of individual retail businesses.
The emphasis of the course is on explaining the economic forces that determine not only the sorts of retailing that sets up within activity centres but where they tend to position themselves therein and the physical forms they take on. The flip side of this are the economic forces that discourage retailing from setting up in activity centres and these will also be discussed.
This is the sort of information that is needed to prepare viable retail structure plans. There will inevitably be some discussion of feasible prescriptions for improving the vitality of activity centres. However, the course is intended to provide a firm economic platform for participants to develop their own prescriptions that are not only creative but economically viable.
Topics
Shopping Demand: Consumer Demand for Goods and Services
- Gross Domestic Product (GDP) & the consumption component within it
- Ethical consumption & fair trade
- Customer/ constituent segmentation
Retailer Economics of Competition
- Supply side economics of retailing
- Retailers production/ distribution function
- Scale & dominance in retailing
Spatial Location of Activity Centres Across Urban Areas
- Central place theory
- Spatial interaction
- Supply chain economic logic
Agglomeration/ Dispersion of Retailing
- Activity centres as hubs of local economies
- Negative & positive externalities in intra-centre relationships
- Economics of in-centre and out-of-centre retail and service activities
Economics of Intra-centre Location
- Bid rent economic theory
- Economics of retail real estate
Food as a Public Interest: production, retailing and consumption of food
- Economics of supermarket retailing
- ACCC Inquiry into grocery retailing in Australia.
Localism, Convenience & Environmental Sustainability
- Globalisation & localism
- Environmental rationale for localism
- Economic barriers facing local activity centres
Needs, Wants, Consumption & Waste Issues
- Waste as economic mismanagement
- Closing the loop in the supply chain
- Recycling/ opportunity/ charity shops = serious retailing
Guest Presenters
Paul Buxton
Assistant Director, Activity Centres, Department of Planning & Community Development
Presenting 'Activity centre policy and retailing component therein'
Gregory Antoniadis
National Manager, Development Division, Genser Group
Presenting 'Know your customers: segmentation profiles'
Terry Rawnsley
Associate Director, SGS Economics & Planning
Presenting 'Sourcing and translation of ABS data, especially Household Expenditure Survey (HHS)'
Julian Szafraniec
Consultant, SGS Economics & Planning
Presenting 'Spatial interaction modelling: SGS Model'
Tim Heath
Network Planning Manager, FoodWorks, Australian United Retailers
Presenting 'Economics of supermarket retailing: Foodworks operation'
Convener and Main Presenter
Nigel Flannigan
Honorary Senior Fellow, Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning
2010 Delivery Dates
Wednesday 21st April & Thursday 22nd April
Venue
University of Melbourne
Hawthorn Campus
442 Auburn Rd
Hawthorn VIC 3122
(location map with transport options)
Fees
AUD $620 + GST per person
This fee includes course materials, catered lunch, morning and afternoon teas. This is a full 2 day course.
For further information and to register:
Please download and complete a registration form and forward to:
Sharnee Chislett
Project Officer
Melbourne Consulting and Custom Programs
The University of Melbourne
Level 3, 442 Auburn Road
Hawthorn, Vic 3122 Australia
T: +61 3 9810 3146
F: +61 3 9810 3149
E: s.chislett@mccp.unimelb.edu.au