GMAP Consulting is the retail network analysis and planning division of the Callcredit Information Group. Established in 1987, it originated from world-class research at The University of Leeds.  GMAP has worked in almost every country in the world, and GMAP Consulting is widely recognised as a market leader and innovator in the field of local market analysis, location planning and strategic retail network development.

GMAP specialises in all areas of market analysis, retail network planning and strategic business modelling and work with some of the world's largest organisations in the development of their retail and channel networks. It uses a series of bespoke statistical, spatial and gravity models, proprietary market intelligence software and wide ranging datasets.

www.gmap.co.uk

Javelin Group is Europe's leading specialist firm of retail and ecommerce consultants. Based in London but working across Europe and all over the world, it provides a full range of retail and ecommerce consulting services to retailers, brands and retail investors. Its clients include many of Europe's largest retailers, together with smaller fast-growing retail and ecommerce businesses, and many leading shopping centre developers and investors.

Javelin helps retailers to grow both their online and store channels; it  provides due diligence for private equity investors in the retail and ecommerce sectors; and it assists shopping centre operators to maximise the commercial potential of shopping centres and retail parks.

www.javelingroup.com

Colliers International UK plc is part of Colliers International, now the world's third largest commercial real estate organization with 480 offices in 61 countries.

In the UK and Ireland we employ over 700 people in 14 main offices and we understand how important in-depth local knowledge is to our clients.

The combination of unrivalled global coverage, accountability and financial strength with local ownership and expertise provides our clients with a unique operating model, one which ensures we can deliver comprehensive and truly pertinent solutions for each and every one.

Providing advice to the public sector has long been a major focus of Colliers International, and the company's success in being appointed to the Buying Solutions Estates Professional Services Framework in 2008 has provided further momentum. We are now one of only eight accredited suppliers that public sector organizations can appoint without going through the lengthy OJEU process.

Town centres and the retail sector have traditionally been major strengths of the company and this is reflected in the publication of our annual Midsummer Retail Report and accompanying In Town Prime Retail Rents wallchart, both of which have become industry standards. Colliers International also regularly publishes research papers on the UK retail market, retail vacancy rates and the shopping centre development pipeline. These typically generate significant media coverage.

Drawing on this wealth of technical expertise, planning experience and market knowledge, Colliers International has established a long and successful track record of delivering robust and tailored town centre/retail studies and advice to local authority clients throughout the UK and Ireland.

For further information, visit our website:-

www.colliers.com/markets/uk

Department of Communities
and Local Government

Communities and Local Government's vision is to create economically strong cities and regions which enhance England's national prosperity and provide opportunities for everyone, wherever they happen to live. It aims to narrow disparities in growth rates between different regions by boosting the economic performance of all regions and helping English cities to compete in the international market. This will help create vibrant, diverse and attractive places where people want to live, work and play.

The SOCD was created to provide access to updated data that underpins the State of the English Cities Report (SOCR), published in March 2006 by ODPM (now Communities and Local Government).  The database contains all the key indicators of urban performance used in the report and allows users to identify in greater detail recent changes in English cities and will allow future monitoring of cities and the impact of policies.  The indicators are available for 56 cities in England (built up or urban areas with a population of 125,000 or more). Other information is also available in the database, including the Areas of Town Centre Activity.

www.socd.communities.gov.uk

Retail Locations was established in 1983, and has the largest and most up-to-date database of multiple retail and service outlets trading in the UK and the Republic of Ireland

Retail Locations provides data to most of the UK’s leading consultancy organisations, retailers, manufacturers, media companies and investors for integration in their analysis.  Its database comprises over 206,000 individual outlets in nearly 2,800 different fascias and 91 different trading categories, with full ownership data and address information. 

The applications of RL’s data includes the evaluation of competition and regulatory issues for specific retail markets; reviewing target store networks for merger and acquisition activities; calculating estimates of retail network provision; identifying brand presence in markets for targeted media and advertising; and profiling FMCG product placement in stores and planning salesforce activities.

www.retaillocations.co.uk