Heterogeneous and homogeneous data sets are examined to determine whether retail store spatial affinities exist within the central business districts of a sample of American cities. Use is made of a test designed to identify statistically significant spatial associations. The findings of the study suggest that there are undoubtedly some significant affinities between business types, but that they are very limited in number and not constant from city to city. When data from the cities are combined, four groups are shown to emerge, the most prominent displaying a strong bond between women's clothing, women's accessory, and variety stores.
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References
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The most thorough attempt to analyse the degree to which two businesses interchange customers is found in R. L. Nelson's The Selection of Retail Locations (New York: F. W. Dodge Corporation, 1958).
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Several researchers have studied the spatial patterns of individual types of businesses. See, for example, R. Artle, Studies in the Structure of the Stockholm Economy (Stockholm: Business Research Institute, 1959); B.J.L. Berry, 'Ribbon Developments in the Urban Business Pattern', Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 49 (1959 ), pp. 145-55; A. Getis, 'The Determination of the Location of Retail Activities with the Use of a Map Transformation', Economic Geography, 39 (1963), pp. 14-22; H.R. Parker, 'Suburban Shopping Facilities in Liverpool', Town Planning Review, 33 (1962), pp. 197-223; A. Rogers, 'A Stochastic Analysis of the Spatial Clustering of Retail Establishments', Journal of the American Statistical Association, 60 (1965), pp. 1094-1103.
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They were Midland, Bay City, Muskegon, Saginaw, Lansing, Flint, and Grand Rapids, all in Michigan; New Brunswick, Perth Amboy, Paterson, Elizabeth and Trenton, in New Jersey; and Philadelphia.
10.
For this and all subsequent analyses, use was made of an Elliott 503 computer. The authors appreciate the generous support given by the University of Bristol, England, for the use of their computer facilities. Grateful acknowledgment is given to C. Faithfull of Bristol University for developing the computer programme.
11.
Preliminary analysis showed that the mix of store types was not significantly different on the other side of the main shopping streets, i.e. the side that is not included in the sample.
