Book excerpt: This title was first published in 2000: Part 1 Shifting patterns of retailing - a journey to and through the "golden age": highlights of the earlier history; the post-war decades - the '50s, '60s and '70s; the "retail revolution" of the '80s - the creation of the "golden age"; the early and middle '90s - less certain times...and a "watershed". Part 2 Planning control and retail developments: the policy; policy into practice - the law in operation. Part 3 Competition law and policy and retailing: preliminary observations; the domestic law - up to the Competition Act 1998; domestic law reform - the new Act; the European law; the approach to price discrimination and mergers; a consideration of certain further major issues. A postscript - in the "millennium spirit".