Tradition and Innovation in English Retailing, 1700 to 1850 : Narratives of Consumption (Paperback)

Contents: Preface; Introduction; Part I Traditional and Dynamic: Retailing c.1700-1820; Basic goods at a fair price: the morality of the market; Pillars of the community: ’traditional’ urban retailers; On the margins: itinerant traders and neighbourhood shopkeepers. Part II Disturbing Influences: Luxury, Novelty and Fashion: Competing narratives: consumption and contentment; A fashionable assortment: retailing and polite society; Showing off: consuming and collecting. Part III Retailing, Consumption and Modernity: Adaptation and Innovation c.1820-1850: The triumph of commerce: the changing face of retailing c.1820-1850; Civic pride: market halls; Conclusion: everybody’s story; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.