Abstract
Abstract : This research project falls within the sphere of local economic development. With worldwide spending patterns on a constant increase, there is a demand for access to goods and services. For these goods and services consumers demand that their access be convenient and comfortable; shopping centres are built to address this demand by providing a convenient and comfortable retail structure for the customer’s benefit. This research project examined the economic impact of retail structures on the quality of lives of the local community, specifically the Dobsonville community in Soweto. The Dobsonville Shopping Centre was the first mall to be built in Soweto. It is a beacon of the first signs of economic development in the democratic South Africa. The retail sector has been identified as a factor that will aid in the economic development of the Soweto region. The objective of this research project was to establish the influence of the Dobsonville Shopping Centre on the quality of lives of the community. The literature review explored social and economic factors on the local economic development level. This was done by defining local economic development in the context of the retail structures and its related theories. These were the Central Place Theory and the Lift Cycle of Retail Development Theory; these place retail developments as the starting point and potential regenerator of local economic development. A survey was conducted with 60 Dobsonville community members and secondary data from StatsSA was used to determine the economic impact of the Dobsonville Shopping Centre on their quality of life. It was not conclusive if the Dobsonville Shopping Centre had any significant economic impact on the community in the areas of household income and employment. A secondary conclusion arising from the research project was that malls make communities more attractive for investment initiatives, thus effecting the economics of an area, thereby improving the quality of lives of community members. Shopping centres influence the community members’ iv perceptions of their local environment; thus, retail developments could be catalysts for investment and local economic development within this community.
M.Com. (Local Economic Development)