GRAVITATIONAL THEORY: A CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR PERSPECTIVE

Grav itatio nal theory has long been used as a basis for developing location models that spec ify where shopping centres, shops, industry and public services should be located to appeal to potential cons umers who will gravi tate to destinati ons dependent upon the size or mass of the destin ations and consumers distanc es from them. The theory has been applied in a macro sense to asce rtain where segments of consumers and suppliers are most likely to meet and exchange products and services. However, the theory can equally be appl ied to model the behaviour of individuals in very local contexts, so it has predict ive value for ascertaining where a person may journ ey to perform a task at home, at their workplace or shopping. The auth or s exploratory research showed that in a controlled research setting with no extraneous var iables, gravi ty alone plausibly affects an indivi dual s cho ice of destination. If the research can be replicated in various environments and applied to soc iety it could have implications for retailing, urban plann ing and work place and home design.