Media and Organized Retail for a Sustainable Social Development -An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Managing Retail shopping malls/outlets that have the clear goal of boosting the city by establishing and building relational, commercial and free-time connection between people, shopkeepers and organizations that generate and give life to the city is the key aspect of today's social development. The need here is a holistic approach in managing the centre/outlet where one guarantees its owner not only the financial management of the outlet, but also the management of all the social and environmental issues that affect its performance, the visitors' satisfaction and the harmonious coexistence with all stakeholders in a sustainable way. In order to achieve this, one needs to increase awareness, to measure and improve the environmental and social aspects that comprise the management of the Retail shopping outlets. Initial literature review has brought out that such development can be achieved through three different levels. The first level indicates fulfilling all requirements pertaining to environmental Management System such as environment certification. The community level, the second, signifies cooperating with civil society organizations that offer information and services which support citizens ,carrying out joint campaigns using Social Media with local community organizations aiming to develop life of the citizens who visit the outlet and the economic plane, the third level, stipulates usage of social and related media effectively in communicating and interpreting the promoter's vision. The paper makes an attempt to understand how to integrate the availability of media in enhancing the health of the citizens, environment and overall social development.