EVER wondered what drives us to shop til we drop? If you have, you're not alone. Christchurch council has joined forces with authorities from across Dorset to prepare a "retail strategy" for the next two decades.

Councillors have called in town planning gurus Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners to make a four-month study of shopping and leisure facilities across the county. Town hall chiefs hope the study will provide the data on which they can build a 20-year retail masterplan.

Fourteen town and district shopping centres will go under the microscope, including Christchurch and Highcliffe.

A postal survey will be used to get the views of businesses in Christchurch town centre. Shoppers will be contacted by telephone.

Christchurch council is hoping the breadth of the survey will provide the information it needs to improve shopping facilities in the district.

George Whalley, the council's senior planning officer, said: "This work will give all our councils some very useful information about what we need to be planning for."

Mr Whalley said that competition from Christchurch's neighbours would come under scrutiny. "The study will investigate the effect that shopping centres in neighbouring boroughs have on the competitiveness of our retail sectors," he said.

Councils in Purbeck, East Dorset, and North Dorset, will join Christchurch in the survey.