What factors affect customer’s decisions when choosing to shop at out of town vs. in town retail centres? Case study: The Rock, Bury Vs. The Trafford Centre

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine attitudes towards shopping at out-of-town and in-town shopping centres in the context of what factors are most important when choosing where to shop. Shopping attitudes were collected from The Rock shopping centre in Bury and the Trafford Centre in the form of a survey. The quantitative data collected is presented visually in the form of graphs and the qualitative data is analysed to provide further understanding into shopping decisions between in-town and out-of-town retail.
The results found the quality of shop to be the most important factor when choosing where to shop, while also noting the importance of image and shopping environment. However it is also shown that where somebody shops depends on the time available to make the shopping trip and the purchase aims.
Understanding how shoppers choose between different locations is important as it allows bosses of in-town retail centres to better prepare and adapt in order to reduce business lost to new out-of-town shopping centres. By providing shoppers with everything they want and need in their own town, they can reverse this spiral of decline that has been happening in town centres and high streets across the UK over the last 20 years.