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The Internet has important ethical connotations for retailing. This paper briefly provides examples of retailers’ difficulties in this respect, before considering use of the Internet for ethical scrutiny of retailers by a spectrum of activists and agencies. Positive use of the Internet to publicise retailers’ social responsibility contrasts with questionable exploitation of the Web’s anonymity. The Net not only offers freedom of speech, but also widens opportunities for irresponsible activity, with low barriers to entry. Thus tensions exist between rights and freedoms, on the one hand, and abuses of freedoms, provoking calls for regulation, on the other. Ethical issues relating to e‐commerce are identified, and privacy is highlighted both as central to the ethics of e‐retailing and as a critical factor in its development. While retail interest in the Internet thus far has focused around e‐commerce, impacts on retailer image – both positive and negative – should also be recognised.

The metaphor of warfare pervades popular and academic portrayals of retailing. After a review of the literature on metaphors in marketing and the war metaphor in particular, this paper illustrates the widespread use of the war metaphor in retail and distribution studies and explores in some depth the nature of that metaphor through published depictions of Wal*Mart’s takeover of Asda. It is concluded that use of the war metaphor is both literary and theoretical, but that overuse in the former case may undermine its potential in the latter. Thus it is contended that a reappraisal of the war metaphor in retailing is overdue.

The takeover of Asda by US retail giant Wal‐Mart has created a great deal of speculation by business analysts and the media. Wal‐Mart is recognized as the world’s largest retailer and its move into the UK is creating interest in its future plans for Europe. Some consider that the move will cause a complete realignment of grocery chains across Europe and that the move will be revolutionary. Others consider that the move will simply augment and accelerate current retailing trends but will not completely change the face of supermarket retailing. This issue brings together a variety of viewpoints. First, Paul Whysall reviews and analyses the press coverage. He provides insights into the possible outcomes of the deal. The second piece is an industry insight prepared by Retail Intelligence, which is followed by an overview of the Institute of Grocery Distribution’s research document Wal‐Mart in the UK. Finally, we present a number of abstracts that offer further thoughts on the subject.

Traditionally, the south‐east has lagged behind the north in the provision of superstores and hypermarkets. Now this position is changing with the development southwards of Asda and other companies. In addition, the search by the major multiples for superstore sites has become even more competitive. What effect does government policy, especially as expressed through Development Control Policy Notes, have on this changing pattern of retailing? In this special feature, Paul Whysall asserts that the current system for evaluating major retail proposals often appears vague and inconsistent; he suggests that retail change may well anticipate policy review.

This article focuses on recent proposals for a major revision of planning policies for Nottingham's City Centre. It has however wider significance in that it indicates a marked shift in the relationship between the local planning authority for one of Britain's leading centres and the retail community.

In her recent article in this journal, Sheila Cassells posed many intriguing questions about planning and major shopping developments in the light of a well‐argued case that planning controls should have regard to the welfare effects of retail competition. The discussions presented here are intended to continue that debate, to offer further thoughts on her proposals and to suggest some further aspects of welfare which might be considered as valid.

To increase understanding of the role, content and effectiveness of press releases.

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of UK supermarkets' press releases in 2001/2002, a medium previously little researched in marketing, are undertaken.

Supermarkets seek stakeholder engagement on diverse issues with different mixes of groups. Treating releases as market signals demonstrates the important role of the press as filters and interpreters. Intended messages frequently fail to reach target audiences, and when they do can be significantly reinterpreted, so that positive claims are reported critically and negatively. Larger chains apparently produce more releases and gain more newspaper coverage, but generally volume of releases does not improve likelihood of press coverage.

The nature of qualitative data, the limited time frame, and possible omissions from source archives.

As level of coverage varied independently of turnover, higher release activity of larger chains was questioned. Seeking differentiation through press releases becomes problematic with the press as filters.

This paper increases knowledge of press releases as market communications, and contributes to the literature of market signalling, notably emphasising the press as important signal intermediaries.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent of retail change in the UK grocery sector over the last 30 years.

In 1980, a press article by Richard Milner and Patience Wheatcroft attempted to anticipate retail change by 1984. Taking that as a template, the paper examines how retail did, in fact, change over a much longer timescale: with some unanticipated innovations in place even by 1984. Reference is made to academic research on grocery retailing in progress at the time and which has recently been revisited.

Although Milner and Wheatcroft tackled the modest task of looking ahead just four years, the content of their article is intriguingly reflective of the retail structure and systems of the UK at the time. Whilst some innovations were not anticipated, the broad themes of superstore power and market regulation still command attention 30 years on.

Through reconsidering 30 years of retail change, the paper highlights that with time how do you shop has come to pose at least as interesting a question as where do you shop.

The aim of this paper is to highlight the factors that limit and support female career progression in the retail industry.

The research used a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Data were collected from employees and managers working in 31 stores belonging to national stores operating in the East Midlands as well as ten SME independent retailers based in the region.

The women in this study can be categorised into those women who are not interested in pursuing a career in retail, those that seek promotion but have difficulties balancing the demands of their work and domestic circumstances and those who have actively pursued a career in the industry. Despite these categorisations, the study suggests that the career progression of all female staff is helped and hindered by a number of interrelating factors, such as whether they have a role model, are loyal to the store they work in or have children.

It is proposed that career initiatives in retailing need to be more adaptable so that they take account of the different development needs of these three types of women.

This is a large‐scale study that uses a mixed method approach and considers the opinions of store staff working in a range of roles.

The purpose of the paper is to show that a defining characteristic of the UK retail sector is the high number of women it employs but there remains an enduring under‐representation of women in its management positions. The majority of women in the industry work part‐time and this paper aims to explore the factors that impact upon the career progression.

In the paper, 1,000 questionnaires were completed by store staff in three leading retailers, supported by interviews with store staff and SME retailers in the UK's East Midlands region.

The paper finds continuing barriers to career progression for women working part‐time in retailing. Despite family friendly employment policies becoming an increasingly important feature of modern work organisations, career progression was informed by a traditional concept of a career based on full‐time working.

The paper was limited to one sector. There is a need for further studies into women's career progression in other sectors reliant on female employment.

The findings in the paper have implications for promotion policies, training and development provision and line management practices if retailers are to maximise the potential of the women they employ.

The paper suggests that retailing is an industry where a significant number of women are working below their potential despite organisational policies supportive of diversity and equality of opportunity.