Planning a network of physical locations is rarely a single decision - it's a string of them, made over months or years, each one influencing the next. Location planning consultants bring consistency to the decision-making process, so every site is assessed against the same evidence.
GMAP is a location planning consultancy working with organisations across the UK and internationally. Our consultants build
Ideal Network Plans - location strategy projects designed around each client’s mission, using spatial modelling and data-led insight - for clients across
retail,
automotive,
leisure, and beyond.
Who uses a location strategy consultant?
Businesses bring in our location planning consultants at different points in a network's life, including:
- Businesses planning national or international expansion and needing a location strategy for where to go next
- Networks that have grown organically and want an objective view of how well their current locations perform
- Teams preparing a case for investors or the board around opening, closing, or relocating sites
- Brands entering a new country and needing an outside view of an unfamiliar market
- Organisations managing a mature network who want to protect performance as markets shift
What a location planning consultant delivers
An external location strategy consultant brings two things an internal team often can't: a model built specifically to represent how customers behave in a market, and an outside perspective free from the internal pressures that can influence decisions.
Working with GMAP, that translates into being able to:
- Set a target network size, spacing, and coverage that matches actual demand
- Model how customers split their choices between your sites and competing ones nearby
- Flag locations that are underperforming what the local market could realistically support
- Build a case for growth, consolidation, or relocation that holds up under scrutiny
- Apply the same method consistently as a network expands into new regions or countries
How GMAP's location planning consultancy works
Our core consultancy offering is the Ideal Network Plan (INP), built around our own Spatial Interaction Model. It's supported by our software and data, but the strategy itself is delivered by our consulting team - not left for a client to interpret alone.
An Ideal Network Plan uses live demand, catchment, and competitor data to work out how a network should be shaped to hit both business targets and customer demand. A typical INP runs over four stages:
- Greenfield analysis - modelling where a network would sit if it were built from nothing, based purely on demand
- Brownfield planning - mapping the existing network against that view to see which sites hold up and where the gaps are
- Optimised network - reconciling the two into a final recommendation on what to open, close, or keep as-is
- After-sales and servicing - a separate layer of analysis for networks with a support or servicing element, which often needs denser coverage than the main network
The analysis is typically supported by a review of potential dealer or site partners, helping ensure the right locations are matched with operators who can deliver.
Our Spatial Interaction Model is calibrated separately for each client, using local data on demand, competitors, and customer behaviour. This means location strategies are built around the realities of a specific market, rather than relying on generic benchmarks.
The same modelling approach carries across borders. A client running a UK location strategy for one country, or coordinating expansion across several markets at once, gets the same consistent method either way - so plans for different countries can be compared on equal terms.
Why choose GMAP as your location strategy consultants?
GMAP has been developing spatial interaction modelling for over 30 years, and has delivered Ideal Network Plans for retail, automotive, and leisure organisations in more than 60 countries. Clients choose us because:
- You get a model built around your business, not a generic tool. Our team develops and manages the modelling process end to end, giving you a location strategy designed around your specific requirements.
- You get insight you can act on, not just a set of results. Our consultants combine modelling expertise with sector experience to explain what the findings mean for your network.
- You stay in control of your plan after delivery. Your Ideal Network Plan remains a valuable resource for future decisions, rather than a one-off piece of analysis.
- You can keep using your insights as your network evolves. Plans can be integrated into MVPLUS, allowing teams to explore and apply the findings beyond the initial project.
A location planning project can start from a blank page or years of existing network history - either way, our location strategy consultants give you a clear route to the next decision.
FAQs
What does a location planning consultant actually do?
A location planning consultant builds and interprets a model of how customers behave across a market, then uses it to recommend where a network should grow, shrink, or change shape. At GMAP, that work is delivered through an Ideal Network Plan.
How is location strategy consulting different from using location software alone?
Software gives you access to data and analysis tools. Consulting adds a team that builds the model, tests scenarios against your specific objectives, and interprets what the results mean for your business - rather than leaving that interpretation to you.
Can GMAP handle international location planning across multiple countries at once?
Yes. GMAP has delivered location strategy services in more than 60 countries and uses a consistent modelling approach so results from different markets can be compared directly.
Do I need existing data to work with a location strategy consultant?
No. GMAP can work from a client's existing sales and customer data where it's available, but can also build a plan using our own market and geodemographic datasets where a client doesn't hold that data itself.
How long does an Ideal Network Plan take?
This depends on the size of the network and number of markets involved, but a standard project typically takes around six to eight weeks. Get in touch with our team for a timeline based on your specific project.
