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 In Spain, the retail sector currently accounts for 14% of the GDP, 16% of employment and 30% of businesses (excluding the livestock farming sector). Despite the importance of the retail sector (especially of SMEs) in a regional economic context, the sector has been experiencing serious problems over recent years as a result of changes and developments in Commercial Distribution. These changes have mainly been due to the introduction of new retail formats (shopping centres, hypermarkets, etc…) and different consumer habits, as well as the incorporation of new Information and Communication Technologies for business use.
Faced with these recent transformations, traditional business agglomerations in cities have been at a disadvantage because of, amongst other factors, the lack of collaborative culture between retailers and the failure to implement new management and sales technologies. As a result, alternatives must be found which guarantee the survival of traditional retail businesses in city centres. These alternatives should range from a greater level of cooperation and community involvement through associations to joint management and promotional strategies.
It is in this context that the concept of Town Centre Management (TCM) emerges. This is a new business format which contributes to the modernisation of traditional shopping areas, where the implementation of TCM schemes brings advantages to our cities in economic, social and urban terms.
WHAT IS A TOWN CENTRE MANAGEMENT SCHEME?
A Town Centre Management Scheme is a new formula in which all of the economic agents in a set area of a city are organised into an area of retail, services, culture and leisure facilities which share the same image and strategy. Town Centre Management Schemes are formed by a professional corporation with shared external management. The manager of the scheme is especially important as he or she must centralise the management and set in motion the different strategies selected.
Town Centre Management Schemes have everything that is required to make shopping in urban areas more appealing, affordable and easily accessible, with car parks, pedestrianised areas and promotional and motivational campaigns run by the businesses.
PILLARS OF TCM AND ULTIMATE AIMS
Government Administration plays a particularly important role in providing the urban infrastructures required while Business Associations implement common business management and promotion systems. The ultimate goal is to guarantee satisfaction of the TCM users via existing inter-relations with retail SMEs.
FEATURES AND ADVANTAGES OF TCM
Town Centre Management Schemes are a means for retailers to cooperate in order to deal with changes in the sector, with an emphasis on modernity and competitive advantages over other business formats:
Concepts of Modernity
-Involvement in social improvement
-Global concept of retail, services, culture and retail leisure
-Specialisation and wide range of services offered
-Joint management of businesses
-Shared business image
-Joint promotional and motivational activities and customer services
-Car parks
-Pedestrian accessibility due to city centre location
-Sales engines
-Leisure facilities
Competitive Advantages
TCM plays an important role in the social function of cities (personal service, rehabilitation of city centres, improvement of urban environment, public safety, etc…)
TCM schemes are located in urban environments which tend to be found in the historical centres of cities. This is of great potential in terms of tourist numbers and the restoration of the city’s most important historic buildings and shopping areas.
TCM schemes have a life of their own which is always linked to that of the city’s residents. They usually include open spaces and gardens.
TCM schemes are plural ownership schemes which contribute to the redistribution of capital.
Window displays in TCM schemes enjoy 24-hour visibility.
TCM schemes are important generators of capital for the area in which they are located, as they bring together SMEs which help to support local economies.
TCM schemes offers services for car parking, payment methods and joint promotion and window dressing campaigns. The fact that they are developed in municipal areas is also advantageous as it means that the schemes can rely on support from Local Government.
Other, non-retail services which bring in significant numbers of people can also be found in TCM schemes: services related to government administration, health, education…
-Project in progress-
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