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Managing the local market: information technology applications in retailing

The need for UK retailers and other consumer service companies to be taking better informed decisions within an increasingly uncertain market environment and in response to a series of other key drivers has had a number of consequences for the management processes within these organizations. Not least, it has served to formalize processes having to do with the geographical aspect of the market environment, a perspective of particular importance to the consumer services sector. This paper reviews the combination of pressures which has led to the introduction of more sophisticated techniques of local market profiling and segmentation within UK organizations, and in which information technology and the management of information has begun to play a significant role.