Retailing and the regulatory state: a case study of lap dancing clubs in the UK

During the past decade research into retail regulation has become one of the key themes in the “new retail geography” but most of the work in this genre has been focussed on the retailing of goods and more particularly on food retailing. This paper is based in the retail services sector and provides a case study of local authority regulation of lap dancing clubs within the UK. The paper outlines the characteristics of lap dancing clubs, examines some of the issues that have influenced and informed the planning and licensing policies and regulations affecting such clubs, and discusses some of the issues raised by the regulation process.