New identities for district centres
Many district centres in inner urban areas are in decline because their poor shopping environment cannot compete effectively with superstores, retail parks and modernised town centres. Their inexpensive premises, however, allow opportunities for innovative businesses as well as non-profit-making community and arts facilities. This paper examines whether Clifton Street, one of Cardiff's oldest district centres, can be successfully ‘branded’ as a specialist shopping, service and entertainment destination, while retaining its ‘basket shopping’ function for local residents and workers. Evidence is derived from surveys of traders and landowners, a planning consultants’ study, and interviews with local community interests and potential funders of environmental improvements to the centre. The conclusions are that public sector intervention and finance are essential for the centre's revival, but that there is little case at present for developing a marketing strategy and ‘brand’ for the centre.
Determinants of Shopping Behavior of Urban Consumers
ABSTRACT This study explores the influence of geodemographic settings of commercial centers, customer attractions in shopping malls, and route to shopping of urban shoppers. The present research analyzes retailing patterns in urban areas in reference to customer orientation strategies, product search behavior, and enhancing value for customers. Interrelationship among urban retailing, marketplace ambiance, conventional shopping wisdom of customers, long-term customer services, and technology-led selling processes are also addressed in the study based on an empirical survey. Broadly, this study makes contributions to the existing research in urban retailing about shopping attractions, routes to shopping, and establishing customer-centric strategies.
Human Rights Obligations and Transnational Corporations: The Limits of Direct Corporate Responsibility
To date, multinational corporations have had no direct human rights obligations under international law. Nonetheless, international lawyers can no longer ignore the increasing role of non-state actors in international society. This article suggests analysing existing mechanisms and new proposals for enhancing the accountability of transnational corporations, grouped into those focusing on the responsibility of the home and host states and those centred on the imposition of direct obligations on corporations. This article will specifically draw attention to the limits of some of the suggested normative changes, from a legal-theoretical perspective and in terms of their capacity to address effectively the challenges of the lack of respect for human rights laws.