ABSTRACT
One of the most striking features of Islamic retailing to a western observer is the distinctly different role of women, both as retailers and shoppers, from that found in other parts of the world. Women have lower participation rates in the sales sector of the labour market as well as less involvement in shopping activities. This chapter explores these phenomena and considers one major force which has begun to erode the male dominance of Islamic retailing. The chapter’s empirical base is research work carried out in Jordan in January 1987, when surveys were undertaken both of shoppers from a sample of households and of employees in shops. Particular attention has been paid to the influence of male labour emigration as a catalyst to change in the retail environment.
