A new classification of shopping centres in Great Britain using multiple branch numbers

Abstract

No comprehensive census of retailing activity at the local level in Britain has been undertaken since the 1971 Census of Distribution. In the absence of such survey data, this article describes a revision of the 1984 exercise of grading shopping centres by multiple branch score, undertaken by Hillier Parker and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. The rationale and methodology behind the new 1989 analysis is outlined, the resultant classification of shopping centres is described and an historical comparison is made with the situation prevailing in 1984, 1971 and 1961. The article concludes with remarks on the need to build out‐of‐centre retail development into future analyses of this kind if we are to comprehend retail change at the local level.