Geographical Information Systems ( GIS ) success factors amongst UK food retailers : Comparisons between market leaders and followers

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are becoming more prevalent for retailers in their use for both day-to-day and strategic decision-making. Given the array of internal and external databases they use, as well as the amount of organisational development, system implementation is a most apposite description of how a GIS supports retailing decision-making. System implementation has been one of the most active research topics in the GIS field (e.g., Kraemer and King, 1979: Pinto and Onsrud, 1991: Campbell, 1992: Huxhold and Levinsohn, 1995). However, the results of these studies are mixed and inconclusive. There is also very little published work on GIS implementation in retailing. Practitioners in retailing, responsible for the implementation of a GIS cannot assume that the determinants of successful GIS implementation can be readily generalised from studies based on other environments such as local government authorities. This article presents the results of cross case studies, reflecting upon the GIS implementation experiences of key UK food retailers. Two retailers were studied that have different positions in the marketplace and have utilised their GIS to varying degrees. The theory developed shows the factors that are significant in the implementation of a GIS in retailing organisations. It reflects upon the experiences of market leaders and the retailers that struggle to keep up with them.