Book excerpt: Most of us think we know something about retailing: we shop, we buy, we consume. But retailing, perhaps more than any other economic sector, has been transformed fundamentally over the last thirty years, both economically and culturally. Featuring work from seminal theorists in the area and charting the development of retailing as an important discipline in its own right, this superb volume examines the key themes in contemporary retailing. Organized into five sections, each of which includes an illuminating editorial overview, The Retailing Reader examines: consumers and shoppers retail branding and marketing merchandising and buying; strategy, power and policy international retailing. Extensive case studies include an analysis of the British grocery market, the strategies embodied by Nike Town stores, and the development of retail economies in China and Latin America. The Retailing Reader presents a comprehensive overview of this important area of study, and is an ideal companion for any student of retailing, marketing or business and management.