Nuneaton and Bedworth Council (Public Sector)

Problem

Nuneaton and Bedworth Council wanted to ensure the ongoing sustainability of its two main shopping centres, Nuneaton and Bedworth. Across the region a number of major developments, most notably in Birmingham and Solihull, have significantly altered established shopping patterns, so the council needed to understand the current market position of both centres in order to secure their future.

The authority are also keen to understand shopping patterns around both centres to identify with greater clarity the shopping catchment of both centres and how competing centres draw shoppers away from Nuneaton and Bedworth. This study was required for the formulation of a comprehensive regeneration strategy involving new retail, office and leisure space as well incorporating new housing provision.

Solution

The Market Position report delivered by CACI is part of a wider solution that examines the retail centre as it is, how development within the centre and competing centre may effect performance, identifying the most sustainable development strategy and support during the implementation of the derived strategy.

The Market Position report looked at the following key factors;

	Catchment definitions
	Market share of Nuneaton & Bedworths centres
	Identification of competitor centres
	Catchment rankings by spend and shopper population
	Identification of benchmark centres elsewhere in the UK

In addition to reporting on the retail centres of Nuneaton & Bedworth, CACI also reported upon Nuneaton & Bedworth’s population. This resident and shopper based analysis provided the authority greater insight into the following areas:

	Expenditure that is retained within the centres
	Expenditure leaving the catchments to competing centres
	The demographic and income profiles of Nuneaton & Bedworth’s shoppers
	The characteristics of shoppers making use of competing centres outside the borough
	Identification of key retail battlegrounds where improvements in competing centres will have the greatest impact

CACI used its Retail Footprint model to define both Nuneatons and Bedworths positions in the regional and national retail hierarchy. Retail Footprint, independently developed by CACI to support the decision making process of the key players in the sector, Property Developers, Retailers and Planning Authorities, accurately defines the catchments for over 2600 retail centers across the UK. To ensure it remains a true reflection of the retail landscape it is updated annually with transactional data and survey responses from millions of consumers.

Results

The report highlighted the importance of looking beyond administrative boundaries when developing retail strategies. CACI’s analysis found that almost 40% of expenditure in Nuneaton & Bedworths centres is drawn from shoppers resident outside of the authority. This external trade, whilst vital to the centres sustainability, is, however, vulnerable to retail developments in rival centres.

A key recommendation in the reports is the need for the Authority to explore how further development across the region will continue to shift shopping patterns and quantify what any resultant change will have on the centres involved. Further analysis will assist the authority to maintain and potentially improve upon Nuneatons position as a major retail centre and better define the future role of Bedworth, which is a much smaller district centre.

Following the analysis, the council now has a framework within which it can build its retail development strategy. Lee Paddock from the Nuneaton and Bedworth commented…

“CACI have worked in partnership with the local authority and County Council to better understand how ongoing development in competing centres will adversely effect the Boroughs’ Town Centres. This assessment has helped galvanise the authorities commitment to securing the future for the Town Centres through coherent retail, leisure and housing strategies”

Retail Footprint