Importance-performance analysis as a tool in evaluating town centre management effectiveness Angelo Riviezzo, Alessandro de Nisco and Maria Rosaria Napolitano Department of Analysis of Social and Economic Systems, University of Sannio, Benevento, Italy Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide some insights for the evaluation of town centre management (TCM) effectiveness, by proposing the importance-performance analysis (IPA) as a valuable tool to ensure a multi-perspective evaluation. The need for more empirical methods of measuring town centre effectiveness is related to the risk of commonly used evaluation methodologies reflecting only the success criteria of dominant stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – By reviewing the service management literature, a definition of the “town centre product” is proposed, and how IPA can be used to analyse the city users’ quality perceptions is emphasized. The theoretical framework is enriched by an empirical case study: the city centre of Benevento. Findings – The results provide a clear guidance for the implementation of a TCM scheme in the historical centre of Benevento, by identifying the main area of intervention. Research limitations/implications – The paper addresses a gap in the academic literature by using the IPA as an alternative evaluating paradigm of TCM and providing a definition of the town centre servicescape. Further research could investigate the impact of the selected environmental variables on the city users’ internal responses (e.g. satisfaction) and behaviours (e.g. desire to shop), beside on their quality perceptions. Practical implications – The paper proposes a handy tool both for the exante and the expost evaluation, As well, it could be used as a benchmarking tool. Originality/value – The paper has significant implications both for practitioners and for academics. It provides an original framework for further research and factual implementation. Keywords Town planning, Urban areas, Performance measures, Italy Paper type Research paper 1. Introduction Concerns regarding the perceived “vitality and viability” (Urban and Economic Development (URBED), 1994) of town and city centres are increasing worldwide. Explanations for urban decline range from the impact of socio-economic and demographic changes (Schiller, 1986; Wells, 1991; Association of Town Centre Management – ATCM, 1996; Evans, 1997; Begg, 1999) through to the processes of globalization (Kotler et al., 1993; Paddison, 1993; Duffy, 1995; Sassen, 1997; Jensen-Butler et al., 1997; Valdani, Ancarani, 2000; Caroli, 2006). The shift of retail development away from the traditional shopping areas in urban centres toward edge-of-town and out-of-town retail formats (shopping centres, outlets, etc.) is one of the most popular topics. In fact, although urban centres host a variety of functions – commercial, residential, social and cultural – the centrality of The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0959-0552.htm IJRDM 37,9 748 Received 5 August 2008 Revised 5 September 2008 Accepted 12 December 2008 International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management Vol. 37 No. 9, 2009 pp. 748-764 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0959-0552 DOI 10.1108/09590550910975808