Spatial-Structural Relationships in Retail Corporate Growth: A Case-Study of Kwik Save Group P.L.C.

Abstract

Retail companies develop and expand by combining both structural attributes and spatial awareness. The spatial-structural development and growth of individual retail companies has been neglected in the growing retail literature. Through examining in detail the growth and development of retail companies, concentrating on both the spatial and structural dimensions of development and using the concepts and ideas emerging in cognate fields such as entrepreneurship, competitive strategy and innovation diffusion, it is postulated that a better understanding of the complexities of retail growth will be produced. A case-study of Kwik Save Group P.L.C. is used here to explore these concepts, to build a spatial-structural theory of retail change and to demonstrate the relevance and usefulness of detailed study of individual firms.