Retailing Environments in Developing Countries

Retailing in the Third World occurs in a wide range of contexts. In some places it is literally a matter of life and death--concerned with the distribution of the most basic foodstuffs. Elsewhere it is at the forefront of economic development. This volume explores some of the factors which explain the variety of retail structures and modes of consumer behavior that characterize retailing in developing countries. Geographical variations are seen to be the product of cultural forces as well as economic ones; the interface between culture and consumer behaviour is shown to be as potent a force within retailing as structural changes in distribution channels and retail outlets. Analysis of retail environments in developing countries points to the need for a dynamic framework capable of capturing the interaction between world economic influences and social and economic formations specific to particular places. Containing a broad cross-section of case studies, the volume aims to be both international andinterdisciplinary and will appeal to anyone with an interest in retailing and marketing in developing countries.