Three decades of research into retailing in England from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries has established a seemingly clear narrative: fixed shops were widespread from an early date; 'modern' methods of retailing were common from at least the early eighteenth century; shopping was a skilled activity throughout the period; and consumers were increasingly part of - and aware of being part of - a polite and fashionable culture. This book presents a reassessment of the standard view by challenging the usefulness of concepts like 'traditional' and 'modern', examining consumption and retailing as inextricably linked aspects of a single process, and by using the idea of narrative to discuss the roles and perceptions of the various actors in this process - such as retailers, shoppers/consumers, local authorities and commentators.

Ian Mitchell is Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Wolverhampton, UK.

Contents: Preface; Introduction; Part I Traditional and Dynamic: Retailing c.1700-1820; Basic goods at a fair price: the morality of the market; Pillars of the community: 'traditional' urban retailers; On the margins: itinerant traders and neighbourhood shopkeepers. Part II Disturbing Influences: Luxury, Novelty and Fashion: Competing narratives: consumption and contentment; A fashionable assortment: retailing and polite society; Showing off: consuming and collecting. Part III Retailing, Consumption and Modernity: Adaptation and Innovation c.1820-1850: The triumph of commerce: the changing face of retailing c.1820-1850; Civic pride: market halls; Conclusion: everybody's story; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.