King's Cross Station - Research Proposal Example

KINGS CROSS STATION 1. Introduction King's Cross railway station, previously known as London King's Cross is a prestigious railway station located on hart of London city constructed in 1852. It is the main rail way terminus in England with direct links with many European countries (Bennett, Gardner, Sumner, & Lansley, 2004). The station is the south terminus of the main line of east and there is St Pancreas station at the west, immediately to king’s cross railway station . The purpose of construction of St Pancreas station in 2007 is to have a direct link with international Eurostar trains and facilitate them efficiently and these two stations sharing  King's Cross St. Pancras tube station on the London Underground network. Relatively st’ pancras station is of high speed and thus it has been replaced waterloo international terminus and links with many major trains stations in Europe. 2. Analysis Retail market and services at kings cross railway station After the construction of st’ pancras not only the speed of the railway but also the retail market and the sole trade centers have grown up around the rail way terminus. Due to the reason of highest accessibility and the comfortability it provides to the railway passengers’ demand for the services has rapidly grown up around the terminus. With the opening of new hotels and other service centers such as department stores and boutiques there is bound to be a new set of developments. The daily statistics confirm that over 40 million passengers are using the facilities available to them from this two terminals for mainly their transportation needs. As they pass this station they obviously demands many services from the outlets located at the stations. So there is a huge demand to various needs of the railway passengers. Retail market is defined in the sense as a place where the sale of goods or services to final customers rather than to producers or intermediaries takes place. It is targeting the final customer and satisfying his preferences. The retail market around the kings cross railway station offers a full range of services to the railway passengers to make comfort their journey. It includes shops to buy all the necessities and the bars, restaurants, would class brasserie. Europe’s longest champagne bar; the terminal is rich with daily farmers market. Many small boutiques and retail outlets around the area offer many services (Alexander, & Myers, 2000). The railway terminal is similar to an international airport terminal. Any retailer is considering the market expansion and efficient marketing of the products and services that he offers to the ultimate customers. And thus the retailers in kings cross railway terminal has been successful in achieving this. Retailers who are offering various services at kings cross are very responsible towards customer communications and relationship including targeting new customers, they are keen in having a long term business relationship with the existing customers because they are frequent travelers visiting the railway premises many time in a day for their various transport needs (Newman, & Cullen, 2002). And these retailers are very keen to increase the quality of the service and to have a feedback from the customers, for example many restaurants and bars located in railway premises encourage the customer views on their service and there is a complaint box to identify the failures of the service and take actions to correct them immediately. This approach from the kings cross retailers build customer loyalty, drive store traffic, and it gives the strengths to face and stay with the huge competition that is existing in kings cross railway terminal premises. This is the key aspect to success of the retail market in Kings Cross. More than ever the retail sector has to concentrate and work together to face the economic challenges that are likely to treat their business. Recession and the government policies regarding retail sector such as taxation on the goods and local taxes from the municipal council has a high range of bearing on the development of the retail market (Berman, & Evans, 1995). The local authorities has extended their support towards the boutiques and retail outlets in the kings cross since the new installation of St. Pancreas tube station With a centralized retail marketing system and by providing more facilities to them. The retail sector market of Kings Cross have been obtained many advantages and they are involving in improvement of the sector because retail marketing system not only focusing on saving retailers money but it improves the speed and the quality of promotions in the production and service processes. the planning and collaboration and creativity processes of retail service provisions of kings cross railway premises has reduces the time it takes to get promotions out to railway passengers by more than 50% by adopting automating and highly streamlining the processes (Bessant, 2004). so thus this adaptation towards the customers gives an Immediately respond to the other competitors retail outlets, expansion of train services to Europe and many destinations have expanded new market demands, thus daily farmers market at the railway station premises has adopted and successfully managed the operational requirements such as maintaining perishable inventory levels. In the retail sector advertising takes a huge role in promoting the business and the brand among the customers. In kings cross railway station premises the retailers are adopting hand bills and word of mouth publicity and attractiveness to their shops by decorating them in various colors and decorations. So this king of advertising gets the eye on the railway passengers thus they attract to the retail outlets. Especially the restaurants such as Montana excel, burger king and luxury hotels like crestfield hotel, novetal st’ pancras, holiday inn kings cross are highly adopting publicity as a tool to improve their retail sector. These efficient marketing tools includes attractive holiday packages and tour packages to the railway passengers, various railway transportation based services are offering by various retailers such as ticketing services for Europe’s any destinations and attractive tour packages ticketing and agency services for foreign travelers. There are world class pubs and bars serving railway passengers very efficiently by adopting a strong customer care and various marketing strategies (Edwards, 1992). Such as coopers Bar, potters bar, the duke and York are some of the examples for the efficient bars at kings cross railway station premises. On the other hand there are casino outlets to railway passengers for the entertainment. These retail outlets are generating and adding a huge income to the national income of England. They produce more promotions in the same outlets by providing a high density variety of services to the passengers for their satisfaction. , Socio-economic needs of transport users Purpose of travel The statistics shows that there are over 40 million railway passengers travelling through the kings cross railway station to various destinations include locally within the England and to many destinations in Europe such as France, Italy and Germany. Many passengers are travelling for jobs and colleges because there are many universities and colleges in London and the population in London is very high when comparing to other cities in England. Because the facilities and the reputation the city has got attracting citizens to this location. Most of the passengers, about 65% of the total passengers who are using the railway transportation are travelling for the commute. There are many institutions and organizations in England so in order to avail their needs they chose kings cross railway station due to the easy accessibility and the facilities that it has given to the railway passengers. The station has the reputation of having trains to any location including Europe destinations. It is regard as the largest railway subsidiary in whole Europe. And also there are people who are travelling purely for the purpose of leisure. it is noticeable by observing them closely and obtaining informations from the railway authorities about 35% of passengers are using the railway premises for purely for the purpose of leisure. Travel companions Many railway passengers are traveling isolation. According to the railway officials many passengers prefer to travel to their destinations in isolation. London is a busy city and due to the competitiveness of life some people does not have a time to spend time with other. So it is observed that many passengers are travelling alone without a companion. But there are passengers who love to travel with their family members. Especially the passengers who are travelling a long distance from the station such as a journey to a Europe destination prefer to travel with their family members and companions. They reserve family tickets and most passengers prefer reserving family tour packages and the other category is that travelling with friends. Many youth and university/ college students are prefer to travel by train with their friends. Especially the passengers who are traveling along distance may prefer to have a friend with them for the entertainment and reduce the broadness that has been associated with train journeys Travel distance & destination Travel distance & destination includes long and short journeys and the journey within locally or internationally. According to the train ticket outlets and officials many railway passengers tend to book long journeys and that includes international journeys. Because the kings cross railway has the accessibility of train services to all over the Europe passengers who are coming to here is most like to travel to a international destination. There is only two hour journey to Paris from the kings cross railway station (www.planningonline.camden.gov.uk/) . There are many trains thus providing a luxury service to the railway passengers has increased the number of passengers who are availing the service from this prestigious railway station than the air transportation to those destinations. This particular station being the largest station in England has variety of services and facilities to the passengers and thus it has expanded its services all over the country. So there are huge number of passengers who are travelling across the country by using this particular railway station. Because it has more trains operating to almost every destination inside the country. Lifestyle of the passengers Many of the passengers are local people with social class, they prefer to reserve first or second class train tickets to their journeys and most of them are highly rich people who are choosing the train journey for the comparability and the less security proceedings than the air transportation. There are a huge number of international passengers mostly from European countries availing the railway transportation services from kings cross station. Because they feel that the train journey is more cheaper than the air transportation and there is less security proceedings associated in railway transportation are a greater comfort to them and on the other hand they feel railway transportation is very much secure than the air transportation. When there is more passengers avail the service in first class section that indicates the level of disposable income of the people. So the statistic of consumption of international tour packages indicates appositive sign of disposable income of the railway passengers. Time availability of the traveler Most of the travelers are availing the train services in day time rather than in night time. During morning time the station premises is very busy and there is a rush at the train station due to the train schedules. Most of the long distance trains are starting in early morning. So during morning time it is very busy at the train station. There are trains according to the schedule that are starting in night time. Especially the trains which are tend to go international destinations starting from the night. There are special provisions from the night trains with sleeping and other facilities. The canteen facilities and cleaning facilities inside the train is very good and the railway authorities are fully engaging on those necessary facilities. Emotions associated with travel. Most of the passengers are happy with the journey and the facilities that they are availing. Especially those who are travelling with the family members and friends are feeling comfortable because they do not feel the broadness of the journey. Train is a very good place to meet strangers. Most of them do not speak with each other and they would prefer reading or listening to music while travelling. There are enough facilities to make the passengers comfort thought out the journey and reduce the broadness associated with the travel. Such as provisions to passengers for reading books and news papers, listening music etc. Background /introduction to the transport interchange Due to the high accessibility to the other destination the kings cross railway terminal is regarding as the best railway transport interchange in Europe because it is the gateway to Europe’s most destinations via railway. as indicated below the terminal is having the full facilities more passengers are encourage to travel by train rather than stay at home or taking other travelling alternatives such as air transportation , or travelling by bus. Local government is acting as a facilitator because most of the terminals services are carried by privet agents and institutions (McGoldrick, 2002). London is a city which is having many universities and colleges and due to that there are many university and college students are availing the railway facilities for their various transportation needs and thus shopping malls, pubs and restaurants are engaging to provide entertainment services to the passengers encouraging to visit the railway premises to avail the service. Thus it has many trains to almost every destination so it is cheaper way to obtain the transport needs than any other transport alternatives available in United Kingdom. Thus the train transportation is regarding as a highly safe alternative of transportation. Well maintained railway tracks and the concern towards the quality of the service provided by the railway authorities in London are attracting more passengers to the station. Part 2 Identification of existing retail services There are many retail stores in London’s Kings Cross railway station. There are shops and kiosks, many outlets offering snack foods and pastries. This apart there are other bars and restaurants. These restaurants do make much profit as a large number of customers visit them every day. There is also a branch of Boots chemists and newsagents. There are also banking and postal facilities. There are plenty of restaurants and hotels that provide Bed and Breakfast (B&B). Most of the B&B facilities are located directly opposite the front entrance of Kings Cross and St Pancras International stations (Gilbert, 2002). The Kings Cross area contains some of the most economical Bed and Breakfasts in London. They are also of better quality than similar outlets in other districts. These are not normal houses with few rooms rented out by family owners, but small scale hotels with none of the added frills. These Bed and Breakfast hotels are generally four, five or six storied Victorian terraced houses without modern facilities such as lifts. These Bed and Breakfast facilities have become very popular among passengers traveling to and fro from King’s Cross due to the fact that they are cheap. They provide a location to store the luggage and a place to sleep at night while sight-seeing London during the day time. These Bed and Breakfast facilities have also proven to be very profitable as they generate a lot of revenue for the hotel owners, due to the large number of passengers commuting across the Kings Cross station. Over 40 million passengers commute across London’s Kings Cross railway station a year to locations all over United Kingdom. Kings Cross Bed and Breakfast hotels offer the best value for money in terms of bed and breakfasts in London. For a budget of around £50-£70 this area offers good quality bed and breakfast facilities. Even though alternative districts such as Paddington/Bayswater, Victoria and Earls Court have more elegant hotels, the cost is higher for a similar grade of hotels as offered by Kings Cross. Lots of passengers that travel long distances are enticed to stay overnight in these, thus generating much revenue. Travelers traveling in Eurostar are also enticed to stay at hotels around Kings Cross. London’s Kings Cross Station contains a number of gift shops selling numerous items ranging from newspapers to cosmetics, stationary and clothes. Some of the major ones are: Boots sells cosmetics, perfumes and aromatherapy products, sells newspapers, magazines and other reading material. The Body Shop offers natural cosmetics, beauty products, and so on. Swath has leading brand of watches. Tie Rack has a range of ties and scarves and other accessories. Flower store offers fresh flowers (Lyons, & Harman, 2002). The demand for the shops and retail outlets at Kings Cross has improved many fold with the arrival of Eurostar at the nearby St Pancras International. This area has received a great boost as a result of this. A number of bars and coffee shops have come up in Kings Cross area. This apart there are antique dealers such as Regent Antiques. This is a large warehouse that sells a wide variety of Victorian and Edwardian furniture. They also have many reproduction prices. There are also Art Galleries & Fine Art Dealers such as Art First. Solutions/recommendations As indicated above report kings cross railway station is a great recourse not only to the England but also to whole Europe because the particular railway station is the gateway to the European continent. So for the last long this resource it should be maintained well by the railway authorities. For the maintenance purpose it is recommended that the railway tracks should be maintained well and outdated railway tracks should be removed, instead of the outdated tracks new railway tracks should be installed according to latest technology and developments to ensure the maximum safety to the passengers. It is recommended that to introduce a reward system to the railway officials and to the staff. Well experienced and professional staff should be recruited for the benefit of the station and there should be performance appraisal and reward system to the professionals. To extend the service at the station it is recommended to improve the facilities at the railway station and improve the comfort ability of the passengers in order to provide a quality service. And it is highly recommended that to extend opportunities to private sector to take part services inside the station. Because private sector is regarded as highly efficient in providing services than the government. Thus it reduces the corruption and influence by government officials. The train schedules should be executed in strict control in order to avoid the delay of trains. Because this reduces the morale of the passengers. The railway station officials should think and consider more towards having better customer relationship. There should be a customer care center with a friendly environment to all the passengers who are availing the service. References 1. Alexander, N & Myers, H 2000, ‘The retail internationalization process’, International Marketing Review, vol. 17, no.4/5, pp.334-53. 2. Bennett, R, Gardner, I, Sumner, MG & Lansley, A 2004, St Pancras Station and Kings Cross Railway Lands, retrieved from, http://www.arup.com/_assets/_download/download238.pdf on May 14, 2010. 3. Berman, B & Evans, JR 1995, Retail Management: A Strategic Approach, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs. 4. Bessant, GT 2004, ‘King's Cross underground station, London: an overview’, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Transport, vol. 157, no. 4, 211-219. 5. Edwards, M 1992, A microcosm: redevelopment proposals at King's Cross, Routledge, London. (pp. 163-184) 6. Gilbert, D 2002, Retail Marketing Management, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow. (pp. 20) 7. Lyons, G & Harman, R 2002, ‘The UK public transport industry and provision of multi-modal traveler information’, International Journal of Transport Management, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-13. 8. McGoldrick, PR 2002, Retail Marketing, Mc-Graw Hill, New York. 9. Network Rail King's Cross Station Enhancements Station Design and Passenger Movements 2006, retrieved from, http://planningonline.camden.gov.uk/MULTIWAM/doc/Other-2085719.pdf?extension=.pdf&id=2085719&location=VOLUME3&contentType=application/pdf&pageCount=1, on May 14, 2010. 10. Newman, A & Cullen, P 2002, Retailing: Environment and Operations, Cengage Learning Business Press, Florence. Read More