Essay: Impact Of Shopping Malls And Supermarkets On Local Businesses In Australia.

Qualitative research

(Students should propose the Process of the Qualitative Research (Main Steps), Approaches to reliability and Validity, Sampling, Sample Size, Data Collection Method, Variables Specifications)

Quantitative research

(Students should propose the process of the Quantitative Research Design Process (Main Steps), Research Instrument, Quantitative Data Analysis Process, Sampling and
Simple Size, Interviewing and Questionary Design, Reliability and Validity of Data)

The Impact of Large Businesses on Local Businesses

The study focuses on accomplishing relevant literature on the existing problems that are faced by retail organisations in Australian. According to McGreevy (2016), the shopping malls as well as the supermarkets provide different facilities and options under a single roof that provides convenience for people to continue shopping while saving time. It have been seen that the establishment of these malls have an impact on local retailers and businessman.

This assignment focuses on the concept associated with the topic and develops the research questions. Rajagopal (2016) stated that that the economy of a country needs to be mobilised properly between the power of the suppliers and the consumers. The GDP of a country is directly related to the income made by the people.

The promotion of giant retail supermarkets can help in centralising the money on one business, which makes small or local businesses nonexistent (Backstrom 2006). Along with this, local products and loyal people may lose its recognition in the market because the import of goods made by the retail stores is made from overseas market at a cheap cost. 

This project aims to understand the impact of large business like supermarkets and shopping malls have on the local businesses in a market. The goal of the project is to analyse relevant theories associated with the topic so that it can be completed in an efficient and effective manner. Therefore, the objectives include:

• To understand the reasons behind the failing of the retail business while trying to establish its stature in the competitive market
• To analyse ways to help the small and local business collect, manage and implement the resources that can assist in gaining profit from the business
• To identify the importance of the development of retail markets so that improvements can be made on the choices of the consumers
• To identify the organisational structure that exists in the retail industry

The scope of the project is to deliver a business proposition to the small businesses that struggle due to the influence of the existence of the big and reputed retail business organisation. It also provides opportunities to identify proper steps that can be taken to overcome the loss incurred due to the impact of these big businesses.

In the modern world, mall culture has a huge impact on the development of stores and for the range of products and services. However, as stated by Ackerman and Tellis (2001) despite the merits, the demerits of shopping malls also exist. These are described in the discussion of the chapter.

According to Backstrom (2006), shopping malls and supermarket are usually the collection of various retail stores, restaurants and parking space in a single building. The biggest advantage provided by these buildings is that it eliminates any problems related to parking by providing opportunities for a free of charge parking. At the same time, customers find it convenient to shop for its favourite or necessary items in a single roof. As pointed out by Rajagopal (2016) it is for this reason that shopping malls like Woolworths, Wesfarmers or Coles flourish in the modern age.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Shopping Malls

However, some disadvantages that are provided by the shopping malls include destruction of public places. In order to construct malls, it is necessary to demolish buildings and places in which public can hang out. McGreevy (2016) pointed out that this accounts for the destruction of the ecological balance. At the same time, local retail shops and street businesses also get hampered as customers prefer to purchase quality products at a cheaper rate. 

Malls are considered as a modern version of main street and town square. The development of the malls can be analysed in the form of economic and financial relationship with a country. It has been seen that a country can be drained financially while implementing mall culture. On the other hand, as stated by Ackerman and Tellis (2001) shopping malls bring about a sense of economic stability as well. The manner in which people respond to a mall and the productivity and profitability that malls provide help in the growth of the economic culture of a country. For example, in the case of Woolworths, Coles or Wesfarmers, the companies possess the ability to raise the economic stability of Australia.

One of the common aspects that local retail shops and malls posses are that it influences consumer culture. However, as observed by Teller (2008) the steps taken for enhancing the value of the consumers is different. Malls instigate a change in the culture of the customers with an aim to modernise the society. It also provides opportunities for people to undertake social gathering which the local retail shops fail to do.

Along with this, it helps in expanding the choices of the customers and provides opportunities to choose from a wide range of products belonging to various categories necessary for customer satisfaction. As pointed out by McGreevy (2016) malls take into account the economic and social welfare of the customers and helps in the development of choices based on the requirements. Based on this evidence research questions can be provided that can help in the development of the research in a proper manner.

The research questions that can be associated with the project include:

• What are the reasons behind the failing of the retail business while trying to establish its stature in the competitive market?
• What are the ways to help the small and local business collect, manage and implement the resources that can assist in gaining profit from the business?
• What is the importance of the development of retail markets so that improvements can be made on the choices of the consumers?
• What type of the organisational structure that exists in the retail industry?

The research is required to be done using a qualitative method to find responses that are appropriate and reliable. The application of the qualitative method can help to assist retailers in its prospect to understand the relationship that exists between economy and retail business along with the impact that shopping malls have on these retail businesses (Silverman 2016). Sampling strategy can be conducted to understand the behaviour and character that are needed for conducting the project. The measurement of the effects are done by making comparisons and differentiating changes in employment among the local retail business in three regional locations at different levels before the existence of big shopping malls and supermarkets.

Research Questions and Methods

The research makes comparisons and analyses the people working in a full-time and part-time basis along with business owner-managers per 1000 residents in the town. This is done using primary data collection method (Smith and Sparkes 2013). The research mentions the number of vacant retail spaces that exists in the community. The long-term impact of shopping malls as well as supermarkets is understood by making comparisons with a wide range of employment activities per 1000 residents of people living in a community dominated in a commercial or economic manner with the introduction of shopping malls. The business industry that is measured is retail.

The application of the qualitative research needs to be done in a systematic manner so that an understanding of the effectiveness of the research topic can be met. With the help of the qualitative research knowledge about the sample size and data collection method can be made so that the number of respondents can be identified for the collecting primary data (Smith and Sparkes 2013). Therefore, an analysis of the steps to be followed for the conducting qualitative research includes selecting the general research question, selecting the venue for collecting the responses, collecting the data, analysis of the data and interpretation of the data.

In order to ensure that the research is reliable as well as variable, ethical considerations based on the free will of the people were maintained. For example, none of the participants were forced to take part in the survey. The sample size and sampling was selected by considering the number of people that have been impacted by the existence and development of reputed shopping malls in the country. In the opinion of Smith (2015) the data collection method and the specification of the variables are done mainly based on the evidence from the literature review.

At the same time, for the quantitative method, the process that needs to be followed includes developing a theory, identifying the required data to be collected, ensure processing of the data and analyse the data for implementing the findings that can be used for the development of the topic. In the case of the interview method it is necessary to understand the questions that are needed to be prepared. As stated by Urquhart and Weir (2014) the questions need to be considered by maintaining the ethics of the research such as not providing pressure on the participants to perform. Collection of firsthand information can help in understanding the reliability and validity of the data along with the sources of the secondary research that is required for developing the research. 

Ethical Considerations and Limitations

Various limitations were encountered by the researcher during the research that hindered its quality. One of the limitations that the researcher needed to consider was that of the time as it played a significant role in hindering the quality of the research. The reason for this is that the research needed to be conducted while using primary method of data collection and it required considerable amount of time gather the sample size for the research.

This was a huge limitation for the research as identifying the target sample was critical. Biased information was also provided that required to be filtered. At the same time, while conducting the literature review gathering of the secondary data was difficult as websites and journals related to the topic were limited and relevant information could not be found. Along with this, the financial stability required for conducting the research also proved as a limitation.

Table: Timeline

(Source: Created by author)

Conclusion

Therefore, conclusion can be made about the undeniable positive impact that local business companies contribute to a market despite the emergence of shopping malls and supermarkets. It has been seen from the research that the economy of Australia is based on the income of the people along with the national GDP. It is necessary for the Government to implement stringent corporate law that encourages the existence of retail and local businesses.

The replacement of these businesses with large sectors may have a negative impact on the economy of the country. It has been seen from the study that the replacement of local business with large multinationals has usually resulted in loss or decline of the economies of the countries. It also diminished the opportunity for employment of the people. Hence, it can be said that steps need to be taken for ensuring the co-existence of both the local as well as the large business. 

Ackerman, D, and Tellis, G, 2001, ‘Can culture affect prices?’, A cross-cultural study of shopping and retail prices, vol 77, pp 57-82.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2005, ‘Concerns Aired About shopping Centre Plan’, ABC Regional News, Viewed 26 December 2018, Available: NewsbankDecember 2015.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2007, Griffith’s New Shopping Centre Concerns Competition, ABC Regional News, Viewed 26 December 2018, Available: Newsbank December 2015.

Backstrom, K, 2006, ‘Understanding recreational shopping’, International review of retail, distribution and consumer research, vol 16, pp 143-158.

Bryman, A. and Bell, E. 2015, Business Research Methods, (4^thEdn), UK, Oxford University Press.

McGreevy, M 2016, ‘The economic and employment impacts of shopping mall developments on regional and pre-urban Australian towns’, vol 22, no. 3, pp 402-425.

Rajagopal, 2016, ‘Coexistence and conflicts between shopping malls and street markets in growing cities’, Analysis of shoppers’ behaviour, vol 9, pp 278-280

Silverman, D. ed., 2016. Qualitative research. Sage.

Smith, B. and Sparkes, A.C., 2013. Qualitative research methods in sport, exercise and health: From process to product. Routledge.

Smith, J.A. ed., 2015. Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage.

Teller, C, 2008, Shopping streets versus shopping malls, The international review of retail, distribution and consumer research, vol 18, pp 381-403.

Urquhart, A.H. and Weir, C.J., 2014. Reading in a second language: Process, product and practice. Routledge.

Vaioleti, T.M., 2016. Talanoa research methodology: A developing position on Pacific research. Waikato Journal of Education, 12(1), pp.70

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