By J Simmons, S Kamikihara and D Tenenbaum

This report explores the use of the CSCA databases on commercial formats and format outlets to evaluate market share and location strategy within metropolitan markets.  It is the second in a series of research reports derived from these databases.  The first - Retail Chains in the Toronto Region - explored the distribution of chain and franchise activity within Toronto.

In this report, we extend our research into the nine largest metropolitan areas of the country: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Quebec City, Winnipeg and Hamilton.  In each case, the format databases permit us to describe the basic competitive geography of the city, and to speculate on the market share enjoyed by various formats under varying conditions.  The sector selected for study is pharmacy and cosmetics, and many of the examples feature the City of Calgary, but the procedures are relevant to all commercial sectors and all metropolitan areas.