Spatial Analysis of General Retail Location in the City of Desouq - Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate

         The current study aims to utilize the capabilities of spatial analysis in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment to study the activities of general retail trade in the city of Desouq. and It also aims to classify these activities into groups according to the international classification issued by the United Nations, highlighting the functional specialization pattern of the city of Desouq by identifying the most influential activities in its commercial composition. Additionally, the study will examine the geographical distribution pattern of these activities and interpret this pattern by analyzing the key geographical factors affecting them.
              Due to the lack of data related to the current research topic, the study relied on field work by conducting a comprehensive field survey of all general retail stores in the city of Desouq, in addition to studying the characteristics of the shopping process through the design of a questionnaire to collect all data. The researcher used a number of approaches in her study, the most important of which are: the descriptive analytical approach, and the literal approach. She also used a number of advanced statistical methods based on geographic information systems .Such as: Mean Center, Nearest Neighbor Ratio, hot spots, Directional Distribution, standard distance.
         The results of the study showed: Retail stores are concentrated in the downtown area (the Old Heart area), which is the central area that accounts for the largest share of the number of stores operating in retail trade. The clothing activity is at the forefront of retail trade activities in the city of Desouq. The distribution of shops also takes a clustered pattern, and the number of points located within an area characterized by high density has reached 716 clusters, and the actual direction of distribution takes an oval shape extending from the southwest to the northeast, and this is consistent with the urban growth in the city.
          The clothing activity is at the forefront of retail trade activities in the city of Desouq. The distribution of shops also takes a clustered pattern, and the number of points located within an area characterized by high density has reached 716 clusters, and the actual direction of distribution takes an oval shape extending from the southwest to the northeast, and this is consistent with the urban growth in the city.
           The study highlighted that retail trade in the city of Desouq suffers from some problems, the most prominent of which are: the absence of fire extinguishing units, the random display of goods in some stores and their encroachment on the sidewalks, the increase in the number of street vendors, traffic congestion, and the difference in prices from one store to another for the same commodity. The study also included some results and recommendations.