The geographical area attracting customers to a retail establishment is explored within the realms of business and marketing geography, utilizing models like the Huff and Hotelling models to predict customer behavior.
The geographical area from which customers are attracted to a retail establishment is commonly referred to within the field of geography, particularly business geography and marketing geography. Retail success is contingent on the location's ability to draw customers, which could be shaped by physical features, such as proximity to attractive tourist spots (like beaches or historic sites) or convenient location in urban areas.
The Huff Model and Hotelling Model are two models used in understanding and predicting consumer behavior related to geographic location. The Huff Model considers store size, desirability of goods, and competition, while the Hotelling Model suggests that customers will travel the shortest distance to purchase similar goods.
Thus, understanding geographical patterns and customer behaviors is vital to a business's site location decision-making process, aiding in the prediction of a store’s market area and the potential customer base drawn from that area.