Abstract
Discounters in the modern meaning of the word came into being after WW II. As the name reveals, their prime characteristic was low markup, compared with that of conventional department stores. The markup was made possible by high turnover, extensive self-service and low-quality real estate. Merchandise was preferably hard goods to which soft lines were gradually added. The discounting breakthrough is commonly attributed to the suburban sprawl of urban agglomerations. Department stores first hesitated before establishing suburban branches and then, as a rule, omitted the bargain basement to be found in the downtown flagship stores. This left low-income families and customary bargain hunters in a void.
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© 1987 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland
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Laulajainen, R. (1987). Discounters. In: Spatial Strategies in Retailing. The GeoJournal Library, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3983-7_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3983-7_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8267-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-3983-7
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