ABSBACT OF THE TE€SIS 
Conrnmer Perception and The Int?nurban Journey-TI.-Shop: 


A Care Study in Nrrark, Naw Jereey 
by BaaaY LeYIS HABOULIS, PheDm 
Tbemir director: Profereor Arthur Getis 


Geographers have long nurtured an interemt in conmumor spatial 
behavior, but they have failed no far to appreciate the rela played by 
~~~~~r beliefs and attitndam in determining mpntial patterns cf can-
caner choice. Variatione in rsrehandiriug and sales~anmhip practices 
are readily perceived by conm-rr and the beliefs conearning theme 
praetioes becone the premises upon wbioh are bared conmorer drcirien- 
ding rtratogier. The number of decimion mtrategiea, heraver, in 
limited becaume canruners ehare ne- of oomen belief understanding. 
When differences ocaol in belief uaderrtanding, they are attributable 
to geographical variations in conswar perception, a reeult of varying 
experienoar in mearching a retail enviromment. Similarly, *en dif-
ferencam ocoor in censumer intraurbn journaye-to-shop. there are a 
remnlt of conruwr msoio-soenonic conditianr (ethuicity, income, educa- 
tion, and mobility). 


A consrmer~m j-ey-toahop, homver, ie conetrained by his 
attitndem. When individual conmumerr travel distances greater than the 
mean diatanck trarrlled for the group an a dole, they are likely to 


att .Coworrely, thore cmrnmrr vhore jootp 

, ,

, , ,. , ' . , ?> 

the mean porreer attitdam 'which are na kd 

, ,. , , 

, , . , , ,. , . ,,.,:. , . , , 

ne latter group in dirtance .iikidmg, bat it can be imaidared a temporary phare of intraurbm conraur rearch became d$rtaner minimization in tied to dirratirfaetion vifh exirting .tore oppor-tunitier. Dirtance mininisation ir thm a fanation not only of the phyrical mailability of good. but a180 8 function of prychological attitude. concerning the circmutancer of paroharing. 

There are rome cosrarcrr, houcver, vho fail to fall into either of the tvo group. dercrihed. Their attitude. are rtrong and they distance minimize, or their attitude. are rank and they travel greater than average dirtanoer. The forvr group comprirar thore conrumerr uho have fouud mitable rhopping opportunitier nearby. Thrme con- raurr have curtailed their rearoh and coneeqnrntly hare adjrrated to emironmanta1 change by adopting r atratow which minimisea theae changer. The latter group ir sogaged in active rcarch of their retail emirorrunt. Their rearch led them to tmrel longer dir- tame., but mitable rhrpping oppartunitier hare nat been found. Their attituder are not conduoire to rtabilimed rhopping patternr and prmrent jokey-toahop trip dirtancea are poor iudicer of future travel patterno. 

In general, unlera mom catartropbic event alterr the retail enriroamunt or d~tic 

ahanger in the rocio-economie cireumataneer 

with aftitudea over long period6 of fir. Decieio~tntegiearill be repeated 4thin becomer the moat offielent my for consumere to eolve imediate prchaaily problem.