Retail location preferences: A comparative analysis

There is widespread criticism that gambling retailers are concentrated in deprived communities and that the concentration is deliberately targeted. However, this study opines that before deliberate targeting can be supported, a comparative analysis of gambling locations with a more conventional retail group is necessary. Hence this study examined the location preferences of gambling and food and grocery retailers (FGRs) to evaluate the notion of deliberate concentration of gambling retailers in deprived communities. Comparative analyses assessed relationships between FGRs floorspaces and overall gambling locations compared to socio-economic deprivation. Results showed similarities and disparities in retail locations, but gambling provisioning were more concentrated in deprived areas compared to food provisioning. Implications for policy and practice are presented.