The Metamorphosis of European Retailing

Investigates the European retailing industry and how it is dominated by independent, small or medium‐sized downtown stores with a narrow focus. Shows that, in spite of their power and respect, the independent downtown retailers have not been able to block bigger or foreign retailers from entry, although other forces such as urbanization were also to blame. States that the big oil crisis of 1973 also had a deleterious affect, promoting severe recession, high inflation and high unemployment. Submits that many traditional small retailers could not survive this and closed down. Concludes that the downtown stores have, in many countries, enjoyed the political pull but are now facing a ‘change or quit’ policy. Acknowledges that there has been an increase in mail order buying and the use of computerized business systems in the Scandinavian countries, the UK, Benelux countries and Germany.