A New Model for Spatial Analysis Site Selection and Decision Making for Small Retail Facilities: A Case Study for Starbucks- Seattle

Abstract

Strategic planners are often challenged by difficult spatial resource allocation decisions when analyzing a successful location for a new facility. This study demonstrated that the inclusion of additional social media activity variables (e.g., Twitter or Yelp) into a model significantly improved the analytic power regarding store sales, and hence, helped identify a successful store location. The regression analysis demonstrated that the increased R2 value, resulting from the inclusion of the social media activity variables, improved upon the baseline model, and therefore helped to support strategic planners and decision makers regarding siting a new facility