ABSTRACT
Introduction The twenty-first century may see retail marketers, like cordwainers or fletchers, confined to the annals of history. For the present, they are still with us, although their average length of job tenure is less than 18 months and many experts predict that the writing is already on the wall. This chapter looks at the role and prospects for the retail marketing of consumer goods and services. It will not attempt a comprehensive review of the most recent marketing initiatives and techniques, as so much other contemporary literature has done, but rather look for a rationale for the continued existence of a distinct retail marketing function, and discuss what this might be. It will examine:
Changes in the nature of consumer demand. The retail response to date. Conclusions for retail brand marketing.
