ABSTRACT
In a society built on the mass consumption of goods and services it might seem strange to raise questions about the position of shopping in our lives. It is important, however, for the continued vitality and profitability of the retail sector that these issues are explored. The heart of the argument in this chapter is that, while people enjoy spending money, their enjoyment of consumption is frequently frustrated by a retail system that strips the “pleasure” element from shopping and reduces it to a mere economic exchange of goods for money. It is apparent that so far this approach has benefited the retail sector, but in the longer term those retailers and developers who do not appreciate how current retail provision can give rise to consumer frustration will suffer.
