Past, Present and Future Directions in the Study of the History of Retailing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an evaluation of some of the recent progress in the study of the history of retailing, with particular reference to analyses of the British retail market during the 20th Century. Design/methodology/approach – Three themes are addressed, each of which has significant potential to enhance our understanding of the historical development of the retail sector. The paper considers both conceptual and empirical contributions to the discussion on the history of retailing, with particular reference to the business management literature. The approach involves a review of recently published literature. Findings – Whilst there have been a number of important additions of late to the retail history literature, considerable scope remains for engagement with, and contribution to, the theory building taking within business management. Practical Implications – The author identifies some of the lacunae within research on the history of retailing. Originality/value – Illustrates some of the ways in which the study of retailing history can be productively linked with debates within contemporary studies of business management.