ail saturation of the trade base are also
             A retail trade area is an analytical tool that represents the
             spatial influence of a centre and the region from which it is
             expected to draw the majority of its turnover. Factors influencing
             Costco's strategic advantage, and define its trade area are
             Site & Market Characteristics - Location
             Costco is situated in Melbourne's Waterfront City Docklands, Waterfront
             City is a shopping and entertainment area comprising of various shops and
             cafes. Key attractions are The Southern Star Wheel, Icehouse, and
             entertainment centre. Docklands is 2 km west from Melbourne's Central
             Business District encompassing an area of 193,000 square meters.
             Docklands access to road transport, rail transport and water
             transport makes it a highly accessible location. The main roads
             going through Docklands are Docklands Highway and Wurundjeri Way,
             and are both connect to the Westgate Freeway on the southern end,
             which links to the Melbourne CBD extending from Flinders Street,
             Collins Street and La Trobe Street. Car park is also provided on the
             premises. Rail transport includes access to trams terminating at walking
             Costco competitors are broad and vary from direct competitors
             include Woolworths, Coles, and Aldi, to more indirect retailers such
             as Harvey Norman, 7-Eleven, and Cash & Carry. However, in terms of
             relevant distance to store location Woolworths alone is within the
             Recent findings from census (2006) the waterfront destination is estimated
             to have a population workforce of 10,000 and a residential population of
             6,500, largely aged between 25 to 34, with 40% considered highly educated.
             Residences are primarily accommodated in high-density housing, mainly as
             couples or lone. Docklands is considered to be the more affluent Melbourne.
             Local areas with approximately 34% of residents earning more than $1000 per week.
             The catchment area of Costco covers 144,000 squar...