More than one bite of the cherry: a study of UK grocery retailers' attempts to influence the retail planning policy-making process

Despite a tightening of planning policy guidance in recent years, the major multiple grocery retailers have been able to maintain and expand their market shares. In this paper, the processes by which retailers have involved themselves in planning policy-making formulation between 1988 and 1998 are evaluated. Both individual and collective representations have been made to the process by retail organizations. It is shown that there is evidence of a small but powerful retail planning policy network that has the hallmarks of a ‘policy community’. In conclusion, some future research directions are set out that, inter alia, suggest further work into the role organizations play in Select Committee and lobbying processes. Examination of how specialist and technical advisers feature in these important policy-making decisions is also suggested. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.