GIS as a decision-making tool for small businesses in the retailing

Development of advanced technologies in management of SMEs provides wider scope for their use in decision-making of small businesses. By using the acquired information thoroughly and processing it with the advanced technological procedures, we can more accurately assess and then predict the purchasing behaviour of consumers in the territory in which the company operates. The paper will focus on the analysis of retail units, from acquired local data of three opticians' stores within individual districts of the city Bratislava. The analyzed sample consists of 2,874 consumers. For analysis of such a large number of data, which include the spatial aspect as well, means that we will link the acquired geographic information with spatial information, and we will use the specific application of spatial marketing GIS - Geographic Information System. Processing of the acquired data locating the consumers in connection with spatial data of that territory at the retail level, will allow us to better understand consumer shopping behaviour in the context of the population's increased mobility, correct set-up of the marketing mix for retail and effective communication with existing or potential customers. The aim of this article is the evaluation and classification of a small business in relation to a consumer and its preferences in the city of Bratislava and its individual stores. The paper is an output of the project VEGA 1/0282/15 Instruments of Marketing Policy in New Business Models Orientated at Creating Multiple Value for Customer under the Conditions of Sustainable Development.