Remembering “Aunt Emma”: small retailing between nostalgia and a conflicted past

Abstract

Purpose

This paper calls for a reconsideration of standard narratives regarding the role of small, independent retailers for twentieth‐century urban communities. The paper aims to discuss the issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking the German city of Bremen as an example, the paper problematizes the nostalgic treatment of independent “Aunt Emma” (or “mom‐and‐pop”) stores in Germany during the last quarter of the century, by recounting the often conflict‐laden history of small retailers within the urban community. It draws on primary documents from retail associations, the chamber of commerce, municipal administrations, as well as media coverage.

Findings

The romanticization of the corner grocer overlooked the often divisive role of small store‐keepers in the interwar years as well as the social considerations behind some forms of retail modernization.

Originality/value

Beyond the particular examples of Bremen or even Germany, the paper urges historians of modern retailing to critically analyze the everyday role shops and shopkeepers have played within their communities without at the same time embracing a market‐liberal narrative of retail modernization as a function of consumer demand.

Citation

Logemann, J. (2013), "Remembering “Aunt Emma”: small retailing between nostalgia and a conflicted past", Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 151-171. https://doi.org/10.1108/17557501311316806