Getting the shop in the right place: The practical application of locational techniques Available to Purchase

Controversy and well‐argued differences of opinion are the hallmarks of a successful conference, and these were certainly evident at RMDP's second conference on “Techniques for Shop Location”, held in London in June. Attended by nearly 200 delegates, this one‐day event emphasised the practical application of increasingly sophisticated locational techniques, especially those “friendly” to personal computers. But debating points quickly arose. Ross Davies, from the chair, argued that local authorities have become more supportive to superstore development, but this was questioned by Asda's David Gransby. The superstore developer thinks that retail use should be defined geographically; convenience shopping out of town allows the High Street to thrive on comparison stores. But planning economist Peter Jones thinks that some existing centres must be allowed to decline in favour of innovative developments elsewhere, such as combinations of superstores, warehouses and factories. David Powell, setting his arguments against a wide social and political background, took the view that the government should take positive steps to encourage retailers to locate in depressed regions and inner cities, thus creating change in current locational policies. But one delegate thought that government intervention would prove restrictive. Mike Poynor of the CDT, representing RDM at the conference, outlines the points of agreement and the differences.