By Dr. Tony Hernandez and Matthew Emmons

In the late summer of 2011 the CSCA carried out a survey of corporate location decision making practices amongst retail and service firms operating in Canada. The purpose of the survey was to better understand the nature and extent of location decision support activities, with a specific focus on the adoption and use of techniques, technology and data. This research letter reports the summary findings from the online survey and provides a window into how decision makers support decisions. A follow-up research report will also be published by the CSCA over the coming months providing more in-depth analysis and international comparison.

The authors would like to offer a special thanks to all of the respondents, who will remain anonymous to ensure confidentiality, for taking the time to share their experiences and insights.