Emerging Retail Strategies in Urban Canada

In this article, the authors examine the spatial distribution of major retail chains across Canada. Using store location data for 2001 and 2006, the geospatial approach adopted in this study allows for the analysis of retail chains’ store portfolios by the size of the resident population of the ‘markets’ within which they operate. The analysis presented highlights the dominance of chain locations within and proximal to Canada’s major urban markets and provides further evidence of increasing interest amongst a number of major chains in ‘small town’ (or ‘C’) markets. It points to a future in which these smaller markets will become more competitive with an increased presence of major retail chains. The findings reported can be seen as the locational imprint of the processes of corporate concentration taking place across Canada, fuelled by the interplay of increased competition, concerns over market saturation and the need to sustain growth.