Out-of-town
shopping centres are seen as a threat both to city centre retailing and
to small local shops. The gradual development of an edge-of-town retail
park made it possible to carry out a longitudinal study of changes in
consumers' shopping behaviour in a situation characterized by a
considerable growth in the supply side. The study attempts to analyse
the usage of different shopping areas and the changes in choice
frequencies of different types of store location (city-centre shopping
mall, edge-of-town retail park and local stores). The results show that
the consumers changed their shopping habits less than expected.