Which Birds of a Feather Flock Together? Clustering and Avoidance Patterns of Similar Retail Outlets

A key factor in a retailer's location decision is whether to avoid direct competitors or to join them in a cluster. A review of theoretical research provides reasons why some types of stores should locate together while others should avoid one another. Although application of the theory is straightforward for some store types, the somewhat stylized theory is ambiguous for many store types. Empirical work, which could reduce this ambiguity, faces methodological difficulties and is very limited. Few store types have been studied, and findings often are inconsistent. First, we address this problem by assessing the degree of avoidance or clustering of 54 different store types in two cities using a rich, intuitive measure that avoids common methodological difficulties encountered in previous research. We find both theoretically expected and unexpected location behavior, as well as some surprisingly complex location patterns. Second, we explore two unexpected and intriguing configurations. Finally, we discuss our results and propose further research opportunities. Un factor clave para determinar la ubicación de un local de ventas es decidir si se evitará establecerlo junto a la competencia directa o, más bien, conviene agruparse junto a ella. Si se revisa la investigación teórica del tema, encontramos motivos por los que a algunos tipos de tiendas deberían estar juntos, mientras que otros deberían evitarse completamente. Si bien la aplicación de la teoría es directa y simple para algunas clases de tiendas, en muchos otros casos, esta teoría ‐relativamente estilizada ‐, se vuelve algo ambigua. Por su parte, el trabajo empírico, que podría reducir esta ambigüedad, se enfrenta a problemas metodológicos y es muy limitado. Son pocos los casos de tipos de tiendas que se han estudiado, y los resultados son, a menudo, inconsistentes. En el presente trabajo, en primer lugar, nos referimos a este problema, evaluando el nivel de evasión o agrupamiento de 54 diferentes tipos de tiendas, en dos ciudades. Para ello utilizamos una nutrida medición intuitiva, que sortea las dificultades metodológicas de anteriores investigaciones. De este modo, encontramos tanto comportamientos de ubicación esperados como inesperados para la teoría. En segundo lugar, exploramos el caso de dos interesante configuraciones inesperadas. Finalmente, discutimos los resultados y proponemos nuevas oportunidades de investigación en el tema. 零售区位确定的一个重要因素在于是否能避免直接竞争或加入集聚。理论研究综述分析了某些类型商店应集聚分布而其他商店分布应趋于分散的原因。虽然可直接将现有理论应用于某些类型商店的研究,但程式化的理论模式在解释许多类型商店的区位选择时却模糊不清。实证工作可降低模糊性,但操作方法比较困难且应用非常有限,因为通常只有少数类型商店被用于实证分析,且其结果时常不一致。为避免这些问题,我们首先采用一种丰富、直观的方法来评估两个案例城市中54种不同商店类型的集聚度或分散度,发现了理论预期与不可预期的区位行为以及一些令人惊讶的复杂区位模式。然后,我们进一步探讨了两种不可预期的和有趣的区位配置模式。最后,讨论了本文的研究结果并给出了后续研究展望。     

Huygens’ stargazing scientists: the idea of science in Cosmotheoros

This paper deals with the book Cosmotheoros (1698), in which Christiaan Huygens presented his concept of a universe made up of many inhabited planets. Recent interpreters of this work have focused especially on cosmological issues presented in the book. Cosmotheoros, however, comprises also various philosophical ideas. In this paper I want to focus on the concept contemplator coeli – stargazer. The stargazer was the embodiment of the philosophical ideal of the contemplative way of life that appeared in classical philosophy and astronomy. I want to argue that Huygens followed on from the idea of the stargazer and used it in his hypothetical construction of extra-terrestrial life. At the same time, however, he altered this idea in such a way that it corresponded better to the ideals of science at the end of the seventeenth century. In Huygens’ concept, the noble contemplator coeli turned into the modern scientist who works with other scientists on the advancement of mankind’s knowledge of nature. Huygens’ stargazers are a good example of how strikingly the basic assumptions of knowledge of nature in the early modern period changed with regard to classical antiquity.