Producing Urban (Dis)similarity: Entrepreneurial Governance, Consumer Mobility and Competitive Consumption Spaces: The Case of the Enschede Region

Spierings, Bas

doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-9480-4_7

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…It is by travelling and combining several shopping centres and shops at the regional, national, and international levels that shoppers create their own consumption space (Gregson, Crewe, and Brooks 2002). The intention to enable and encourage the mobile lifestyle of shoppers as well as to attract their travelling spending power, results in the redevelopment of shopping centres into "strange" spaces (Spierings 2009). It is with the same intention that these spaces are also made well accessible and that large parking spaces are constructed.…”

Section: Consumer Mobilitymentioning

confidence: 97%

Consumer mobility and the communication of difference: Reflecting on cross‐border shopping practices and experiences in the Dutch‐German borderland

Velde¹,

Spierings²

2010

Journal of Borderlands Studies

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The current debate on consumption and retailing represents shoppers as highly mobile and looking for different experiences. In an attempt to find satisfaction, shoppers are assumed to explore many places and countries. It is in cross-border regions that large functional, physical, and socio-cultural differences can be experienced in a relatively small area. Such differences could make crossing national borders appealing as well as unappealing. This contribution scrutinizes what cross-border shoppers are looking for and what level of "unfamiliarity" they are willing to accept. A brief analysis of cross-border shopping practices in the EU is combined with a detailed case study of Millingen in the Netherlands and Kranenburg in Germany to explore what shoppers see as (un)appealing. We argue that the knowledge shoppers have of people and places on "the other side" and information that is communicated may (re)arrange differences as " familiar" and "unfamiliar". Places promising " familiar unfamiliarity" seem to appeal to shoppers and therefore generate cross-border shopping practices. Paradoxically, the construction of borders and the communication of appealing differences seem necessary to sustain and promote shopping mobility.

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Section: Consumer Mobilitymentioning

confidence: 97%

Consumer mobility and the communication of difference: Reflecting on cross‐border shopping practices and experiences in the Dutch‐German borderland

Velde¹,

Spierings²

2010

Journal of Borderlands Studies

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“…When dissimilarities between places on both sides of the border are too large, this could restrain people from visiting these places. Spending time and money in ‘foreign’ shopping centres should offer a great deal of ‘familiarity’ in addition to several peculiarities (see Spierings 2008). Having opened the door, representing the border, shoppers should be offered a more or less ‘familiar’ view and scenery.…”

Section: Inviting Borders and Shopping Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shopping, Borders and Unfamiliarity: Consumer Mobility in Europe

Spierings¹,

Velde²

2008

Tijd voor Econ & Soc Geog

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National borders are often considered to constrain the international flow of products, services, people and capital. However, borders and differences between countries could also promote cross-border mobility. This contribution investigates what discourages and encourages cross-border shopping mobility. This is done by categorising differences between countries into more 'rational differences' on the one hand and more 'emotional differences' on the other hand. Furthermore, the 'bandwidth of unfamiliarity' concept is introduced to scrutinise how the interpretation by shoppers of both rational and emotional differences generates (im)mobility. In so doing, a 'border paradox' is discussed, where increasing cross-border integration (e.g. in the form of regional 'homogenisation') could coincide with decreasing cross-border mobility. This paradox is used here to reveal a possible flipside of the European Union policy to promote international mobility, by trying to dissolve borders between member states. Copyright (c) 2008 by the Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG.

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Producing Urban (Dis)similarity: Entrepreneurial Governance, Consumer Mobility and Competitive Consumption Spaces: The Case of the Enschede Region

Cited by 2 publications

References 16 publications

Consumer mobility and the communication of difference: Reflecting on cross‐border shopping practices and experiences in the Dutch‐German borderland

Consumer mobility and the communication of difference: Reflecting on cross‐border shopping practices and experiences in the Dutch‐German borderland

Shopping, Borders and Unfamiliarity: Consumer Mobility in Europe

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