The Optimal Shape of a Market Area

The above example considers an isotropic plain with commercial activity having a range of 10 km. If the activity is alone (A), it will simply offer services to an area corresponding to its range, while the rest of the territory will not be serviced. The situation remains similar if a

Market Profitability

A market area has a range and a threshold that determine the profitability of the economic activity that is generating it. The threshold is the minimal market area an activity must have to stay in operation. It represents the spatial threshold of profitability where spatial attributes such as population density and

Market Size and Threshold

There is a direct relationship between market size and threshold, which impacts the geography of retail. Each urban center needs a threshold population that varies according to its size to support its activities. Large cities have an important threshold, so there may be few on a specific territory, while many

Market Threshold and Range

The above figure considers a fairly uniform distribution of customers on an isotropic plain and a single market where goods and services may be purchased. If each customer is willing to purchase one unit per day and the market needs to sell 11 units per day to cover its costs

A.15 – Market Area Analysis

Author: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue Concepts and methods in the analysis of market areas such as market size and level of competition. 1. Market Size and Shape Each economic activity has a location, but the various demands (raw materials, labor, parts, services, etc.) and flows each location generates also have a

Calculation of the Index of Dissimilarity

This example considers 10 airports and their respective share of the total number of airports (X) and traffic (Y). In this case, traffic distribution is unequal, with the three largest airports accounting for 60% of the market. The largest airport accounts for 25% of the market, while the smallest accounts

Lorenz and Perfect Inequality Differences

The concentration of the level of activity can be visually represented by the Lorenz curve and its deviation from the perfect equality line, which assumes a uniform distribution. This example considers 10 carriers and their market share. If each carrier had the same market share, the plot of their cumulative

Traffic Concentration and Lorenz Curves

In a simple system of 5 ports along a coast, the traffic for each port is the same for case A, so there is no concentration and, thus, no inequality. The Lorenz curve of this distribution is the same as the perfect equality line; they overlap. In case B, there