The Trade Area of the Suburbs of a Big City

Abstract

I mean that the suburbs of a big city, took up here, is the geographical sphere on which the trade area of the big city have influence. The trade area of a big city extends very powerfully, that is, its sphere is wide geographically, moreover it has a large number of consumer in the sphere of influence. It is hard to develop the trade area of suburban centres at the suburbs of a big city, and so if the trade area can exist, it is only a part trade area in that of a powerful big city. However, even if the big city has a powerful trade area, it can not extend infinitely. Its influence is weeken at the definite limitation. And outside of the linitation, the local trade area can exist and develop independently. In short, that the trade area of the suburban centre is week, is concrolled by the distance between the suburban centre and the big city. From the consumer's point of view, the distance is meaned by the time element or the traffic expence.We surveyed Fushimi-southern suburbs of Kyoto-to study the above mentioned relation concretely. At the result of the survey, it comes to light that they buy high-priced articles at the central shopping centre or departmentstores of Kyoto, and low-priced at Fushimi. This applies to the rural districts. Shortly, the trade area of suburban centre exists on the balance between the buying desire of consumers and supplying power of suburban centre. And the distance lies at the base of this balance.