The resiliant retail area: a research on the relation between resiliance and branding
| dc.contributor.advisor | Pijpers, R.A.H. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Tjoonk, Simon | |
| dc.date.issued | 2015-08-31 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Retail areas in the Netherlands face significant challenges. First, online sales have seriously affected the offline sales in retail areas and are still growing (Platform 31(2014, p.5). Second, the demographic buildup of the customer base is changing due to an aging population and declining population numbers (Platform31, 2014). Furthermore, the economic crisis has lead to a decline in consumer spending (Platform31, 2014, p. 4). These three main challenges compel retail areas to take action in order to keep up a positive economic position. This research focuses on resilience as a concept that helps in making the [economic] position of a retail area more visible and help to strategically intervene to strengthen the observed level of resilience. Further, branding will be a topic of research. As cities and regions have used branding as a way to position themselves, this might be an interesting target for retail areas. Especially the process to come to a brand for the area might be interesting in strengthening resilience as this requires cooperation and support from the area. Combining these concepts might both help the area in gaining visitors as strengthening internal ties. This assumption leads to the following research objective: “The objective of this research is to offer insight in how retail areas can use their image to strengthen their (economic) position.” Next, I formulated a central question to reach this objective: "How can a retail area use the process of branding to strengthen its resilience?" Two cases were selected to answer the main question. The first case, the van Woustraat in Amsterdam, offered insight into how a process of branding might strengthen the cooperation in a retail area. The second case, the Lange Hezelstraat in Nijmegen had already experienced a process of branding and offers insight in the long-term effects of a process of branding on a retail area. From my analysis I have concluded that cooperation and communication in a retail area are key in improving its resilience. The first reason is that it helps the area to work towards a common goals and build a 'team' of retailers in the form of a strong undertakings. Second, through good communication with the government spatial alterations in the area might be adapted to the needs of the retailers and so lead to a higher spatial quality. Further, a process of branding stimulates and reinforces cooperation and communication. Together they help strengthen resilience on both of its aspects: vitality and adaptivity. This can, however not always be achieved without help from 'outside'. A retail area manager can prove valuable in helping retailers and government in creating a more resilient retail area. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://theses.ubn.ru.nl/handle/123456789/3967 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.thesis.faculty | Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen | en_US |
| dc.thesis.specialisation | Economic Geography | en_US |
| dc.thesis.studyprogramme | Master Human Geography | en_US |
| dc.thesis.type | Master | en_US |
| dc.title | The resiliant retail area: a research on the relation between resiliance and branding | en_US |
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