This paper explores the role of retailers as an urban amenity. Using data for Swedish rural and city municipalities for 2002-2008, "accessibility to shops" measures are constructed for the shops in the municipalities and in the hosting regions separately to examine the relationship between...

Introduction: Santa's storefront -- Humble beginnings -- Catalog heaven -- Welcome to the palace -- The giants -- Christmastime in the city -- Ready, set, shop! -- Nickel and diming -- Separate and unequal -- Spend more, save more -- Supermarket spree -- Downtown downturn -- Malled -- Run of the...

We review major changes in the economics of the US retail sector over the past 15-20 years and discuss what these portend for the future evolution of retail. The sector has been shrinking in relative size over the long term, though this stopped around the onset of the Great Recession. Retail has...