Marketing retail provision in UK towns and cities: Present practice and future prospects

Abstract

Retailing is increasingly perceived as a means of (and indeed, a catalyst for), wider urban regeneration and its associated marketing activities. This paper considers the role of retailing in the marketing and branding of towns and cities. It argues that given the importance of retailing to urban economies, its role in urban marketing is a crucial one and is integral to the activities of a number of different urban marketing stakeholders. The current practice of retail-related urban place marketing is described. The paper goes on to identify and discuss a number of issues — the need for differentiation, managing the retail mix and organisational structures — which have the potential to impact upon this area of place marketing and branding activity in the future.