Retailers as creatures and creators of the social order Available to Purchase

Asserts that the goods which retailers sell and the way in which they sell them impact significantly on the cultural fabric and pattern of civil life. Provides perspectives from both the past and current retail environment. Considers various methods by which retail distributors make interventions in the social life of communities. Concludes that there is a need for those who study retailing to move beyond such aspects as immediate profit maximization to embrace the concepts of macro retailing and thus achieve a greater understanding of the retail environment.