ABSTRACT
As a background to any study of retailing and distribution there must lie a proper understanding of the economic theories of the day and the way they were implemented by the authorities. It might seem, since most economic writers concern themselves with macroeconomics and the grand issues of Trade with a capital T, that the minutiae of the market town mercer or the village shopkeeper would be of little moment. To an extent this is true. But the activities of the retailing tradesman impinged themselves on the theories of trade and the wealth of nations and, albeit often indirectly, they were the object of concern for the government of the day.
