Manual for District Centre Managers - the ATCM

14
Info board
Source:
BBSR
administration, project initiators and the
private sector.
to pool, strengthen and expand the local
purchasing power.
Initial Situation
There is every indication that, in the future, the
retail sector might no longer be able to fulfil its
leading role in the district centres because
the purchasing power is no longer expected
to rise over a longer period of time,
customers have accepted out-of-town
shopping developments which compete
with traditional high streets, and
new developments in the retail sector typically
imply the set-up of larger shopping
areas.
The problems which result from the structural
change in the retail sector demand that we
take a fresh look at our district centres.
Analysis
The ongoing growth of sales floor area in retail
limits the possibilities for mixing housing and
supply and thus for reducing the volume of individual
transport. Large, out-of-town retailers
who cater to a clientele based on motorized
private transport are usually not interested in
being connected to public transport. The supply
of neighbourhood-based basic services
and goods is no longer secured. With a growing
share of older people, the number of po-
tentially underserved households is bound to
increase.
The excessive land consumption due to largescale,
single-story shopping developments
and spacious parking lots as well as the fact
that these shopping areas cater to a motorised
clientele from a large catchment area, create a
negative impact on the environment.
Approach and measures
The Economic Development Department’s policies
are aimed at strengthening the purchasing
power in the city districts.
(1) We understand that the image of a city district
needs to play a crucial role in order to
ensure that the purchasing power in the
city districts is not only retained, but also
increased. Therefore, the goal is to achieve
a high-quality environment for the benefit
of those who live, work, shop and spend
their leisure time in the city district.
(2) To raise the profile of the district centres,
sales promotion measures which offer customers
certain benefits when shopping
there, for instance coupon booklets, are essential.
(3) The Economic Development Department
has identified a mix of image and sales
promotion measures to be of vital importance
for retaining and increasing purchasing
power. The so-called “info board”
(information display) redirects the purchasing
power also to the nearby small shops.
It is assumed that the rate of retention respectively
the purchasing power in a city
district increases if the purchasing power
is redirected from the magnets to the
nearby commercial enterprises and businesses.
(4) Ultimately, setting up “temporary magnets”
e.g. all-day Sunday shopping, shopping
until midnight on Saturdays, are well-proven
activities to lure many people to the
city centre. This can be transferred to city