'Fair play for the small man': Perspectives on the contribution of the independent shopkeeper 1930-c.1945

Detailed accounts of the social role of the independent shopkeeper rarely go beyond 1914. This article identifies a perception that his value in providing both a personal and community service endured beyond this date. Consultation of a variety of documentary sources from the 1930s and 1940s demonst...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Business history 2006-01, Vol.48 (1), p.69-89
Main Authors:	Alexander, Andrew, Phillips, Simon
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Correlation analysis Independent shopkeeper Retail theory Retailing Retailing industry Small business Social impact Studies
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Detailed accounts of the social role of the independent shopkeeper rarely go beyond 1914. This article identifies a perception that his value in providing both a personal and community service endured beyond this date. Consultation of a variety of documentary sources from the 1930s and 1940s demonstrates that the independent shopkeeper remained an integral part of retailing and society in Britain in this period. More widely, the article contextualizes the continued support for the small shopkeeper in relation to theories of retail institutional change derived from the marketing literature. Acknowledging an open-systems perspective, it assesses the influence of the social and political environment in explaining the persistence of small shopkeeper support.
ISSN:	0007-6791 1743-7938