ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the role of reflective practice in the survival of small independent retailers (SIRs), based on case studies of SIRs in South Wales. The owner-manager (OM) at menswear retailer (MR1) has considerable ambition for himself and the business. The retail business has expanded and become specialist in formalwear hire and clothes for large men. The OM at MR1 consciously engages in reflective practice, though he would not use the term to explain how he evaluates what works and what does not. The OM in MR2 believes that there will be very limited prospects for growth in the traditional retail market and that growth will therefore only be achieved through critical mass and diversification. This OM is a reflective practitioner, learning from what has worked in one location and transferring that knowledge to other branches.
