A trend surface analysis of retail location: an Italian case study

In this note we make use of Trend Surface Analysis (TSA) to represent emerging locational patterns of super-markets in some Italian towns. The evidence obtained is interpreted as a preliminary step in a structural analysis of large food store location in Italy, where important explanatory facts are the different waves of entry of super- and hyper-markets and public policy. Moreover, we give some hints about an operational use of TSA. The main results are to be read in the light of an extension and a refinement of TSA in the analysis of retail location. We highlight some issues concerning the application of the technique and point out further steps to overcome the problems raised.