This paper reports the results of a series of semi-structured interviews held in two
English cities with stakeholders who hold potential responsibility for the marketing of
the city as a shopping destination. The findings of the research are structured in terms of
the process by which place marketing activity is developed (relating to the remits of
individual actors, the extent and nature of their interaction and the process of planning
place marketing activity), the content of place marketing activity (relating to the extent
to which marketing activity is consumer-focused, the nature of the elements of the urban
place product and their interaction, and the specific marketing activities undertaken), and
context factors influencing place marketing activity in the specific locations (following
de Wit and Meyer's (1998) framework). Analysis of the data from the interviews reveal
numerous actors with potential responsibility for the marketing of the urban areas, who
engage in frequent formal and informal interaction in order to achieve their specific
remits. Regarding content of place marketing activity, the marketing of the town as a
shopping destination is largely the remit of the town centre manager, although the
importance of retailing is articulated by other actors. Various important contextual
factors specific to retailing which impact on place marketing activity are identified.
These include the level of shop rentals, supply of retail premises, car parking availability
and tariffs, and the presence of off-centre retail facilities
