Selling by Non-Fixed Traders

Selling clothing beyond the boundary of the shop remained an important part of clothes retailing in the nineteenth century. The early consumer market in clothing accessories, as traced by Margaret Spufford, had been principally developed through the efforts of pedlars and hawkers and they continued to play an important role in the dispersal of clothing across the countryside. ¹ Indeed, at various points, they came into direct competition and conflict with retailers, resulting in legislation designed to curb both their activities and reach. ² There is a growing recognition by historians of the complexity of the retail trade and the coexistence and close interaction between different retail circuits, which require both integrated and comparative analysis, a concept which this book seeks to address. ³ This chapter will thus focus on the itinerant trade and its links to existing retail provision.