History of retail

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The history of retail encompasses the sale of goods and services to consumers across all cultures and time periods from ancient history to the present.^[1]

Commerce first took the form of bargaining between early human civilizations. Beginning with Middle Eastern towns in the 7th millennium BCE, retail markets emerged when civilizations created money to facilitate commerce. Various ancient civilizations in the Middle East and Europe established open-air markets for merchants and producers to sell their goods to consumers. The earliest known permanent retail centers, the forums, were created in ancient Rome. Similar shopping centers were thought to have been created in China. By the first millennium BCE, Chinese retail was extensive and included branding and packaging.

In medieval Europe, consumers no longer purchased from fixed stores and instead went straight to the tradespeople's workshops. Markets or street vendors were used to sell perishable goods. The first commercial district in Europe, Chester Rows, was established in England in the thirteenth century. At this time, stores were typically no bigger than booths, and merchants kept goods out of sight until they were sold. Depending on its size, a European town or city had daily or weekly markets and fairs. Early modern Europe saw the rise of permanent stores with set hours as the predominant form of retail. More stores sold general goods rather than specializing in particular goods. Stores also grew in size which enabled customers to browse inside. The rise of general merchants also separated wholesale from retail, and consumers returned to shopping in stores rather than in tradesmen workshops.

The Industrial Revolution and the emergence of the department store in the 19th century reformed modern retail. Early department stores functioned as cultural centres where consumers could congregate and seek entertainment. Mail order catalogues also became popular. In 1954, the first modern shopping mall, Northland Mall, opened in the United States. Shops increased in size significantly during the 20th century, with warehouse stores occupying vast areas and selling a large variety of goods. In the 21st century, online shopping has become popular and competes with traditional physical stores.