ABSTRACT
Retailing (traditionally defined as the sale of articles, either individually or in small numbers, directly to the consumer) is a distinct, diverse and dynamic sector of many economies. The ubiquitous presence and nature of the organizational structure of many retail outlets – large numbers of small local, independent shops – has however for a long time blinded many to the challenges and opportunities in retailing. With the emergence of modern techniques of retailing and retail marketing and the emergence of huge international retail corporations and new retail forms and formats including the Internet, retailing has become much more visible and central to consumers’ and governments’ concerns (Dawson, 2001). Reflecting as it does, cultures and consumers, retailing is the primary conduit for production and consumption linkages in economies. Virtually everyone experiences retailing, as virtually everyone shops! The closeness of these retailer and consumer linkages demands retail engagement in marketing. Indeed many retailers could be judged to be consummate marketers, often at the forefront of the discipline.
