THE ROLE OF THE SHOPPING CENTRE IN US RETAILING

The modern shopping centre developed in the suburbs of the United States following the Second World War as returning veterans sought homes for themselves and their families. These suburban shopping centres were the product of two demographic events – the move to suburbia and the impact of the baby boom. Retailers of all types found the suburban shopping centre an ideal place for their goods and developers built centres of all types and sizes throughout the US in response to the need and demand during the 1970s. Today, there are over 37,000 shopping centres accounting for over 56 per cent of total retail sales excluding automotive and petrol service stations. The current overabundance of retail space coupled with a recession has created special problems for this industry.