ABSTRACT
The last decade of the twentieth century saw changes in the structure and organization of retailing in Greece that were unprecedented at any other time in the history of the country. Within 10 years a system of traditional retailing based on small, independently owned and operated outlets, whose antecedents can be dated in millennia, had a modern system of multiple-shop retail enterprises operating a wide range of formats superimposed upon it. The impact of these changes, in which the operations of international retailers have been pivotal, has been profound on power relationships within the channels of distribution, management practices, shoppers’ behaviour and the urban landscape. In this experience, Greece is hardly unique, but it forms an excellent example of a phenomenon that has been taking place across southern Europe, and extending beyond into Turkey and the Middle East.
