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For generations retailing has had to fight against its image as a second‐class occupation. Successive governments have tended to regard it as less important than manufacturing industry, and this view has been reinforced by careers officers who, in the palmy days when school‐leavers were in the privileged position of having an element of choice in their jobs, adopted a condescending if not dismissive attitude to “working in a shop”. If anything this attitude has been even more marked at graduate level; as our contributor writes, retailing has been generally neglected by universities, and even by many management centres and business schools. There are, of course, some exceptions. One of the most notable of these is the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology; UMIST was one of the first in the UK to develop courses in retailing, and these are described here in some detail. The author is only too well aware that there are a number of universities and polytechnics whose retail courses have not been mentioned in this feature; equally that there are personnel officers who will justifiably feel that they are not guilty of the charges levelled against them in the section entitled “Graduate Retailers”. We welcome correspondence from educational organisations or individuals who desire to put the record straight.

The study’s objective is to measure the importance consumers attach to AI-based attributes, namely, chatbots, face recognition, virtual fitting room, smart parking and cashier-free station in retail stores. The study also examines the specific purpose of using these attributes for shopping.

A conjoint experiment was conducted using fractional factorial design. Consumers were given 14 profiles (AI attributes and its levels) to rank according to their visiting preferences.

The results revealed that the retail chatbot was considered the most important attribute, followed by face recognition, virtual fitting room, smart parking system and cashier-free station. Moreover, consumers prefer to use chatbots for in-store shopping assistance over alerts and updates, customer support and feedback. Similarly, consumers wish a face recognition facility for greetings while entering the store over other services. In addition, cluster analyses revealed that customer groups significantly differ in their preferences for AI-based attributes.

The study guides retail managers to invest in AI technologies to provide consumers with a technology-oriented shopping experience.

Our results provide an insight into the receptivity of AI technologies that consumers would like to experience in their favorite retail stores. The present study contributes to the literature by investigating consumer preferences for various AI technologies and their specific uses for shopping.

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the determinants of the retail space rent in Shanghai.

Hedonic model and spatial regression models are used in the paper. The problem of spatial autocorrelation is tested by Moran's I statistics, and the root mean square error (RMSE) test is performed to find out the best model.

The significant explaining variables are the age, the area of retail space, the distance to the Jing An CBD centre, the type of the retail and the district of the property. A new classification of district in retail research context is suggested in this paper, and it is proved to be better than the districts set up by government to explain the retail rent variation.

This paper presents the first empirical study about the retail rental market in Shanghai. The research helps retail property investors and retail tenants deepen their understanding of the retail market in Shanghai. Spatial econometrics techniques are first introduced into the empirical retail rent research to produce a more precise estimation.

During the mid‐1980s a group of major retailing organizations came together to form the Consortium of British Retail Training Organizations (CORTCO) with the aim of addressing some collective concerns. One of these was that there did not appear to be enough, sufficiently qualified graduates applying for the available management posts within the retail industry. Research studies into undergraduates’ choice of careers had confirmed that: first, retail management was considered an unattractive career by many graduates; and, second, undergraduates’ knowledge of what a retail management career would involve was limited. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of retail management degrees and modules offered by UK universities and various types of promotional activities instigated by CORTCO. The demand for suitably qualified graduates to apply to the industry remains; the question is whether retail management is still a secondary choice of career for undergraduates. Using the results of two recent surveys of undergraduates and retailers, attempts to provide an update of the situation.

Explains the Wheel of Retailing as an attempt to explain the dynamics of change and evolution at the social level. Suggests that the theory of new retail institutions beginning with low levels of prices and services and then upgrading is not always proved to be so. Concludes that retailing is a social process with the development of institutions determined by the society in which they exist and not by a deterministic pattern of development.

Investigates how, in the 1960s, the retail trade in the UK rapidly evolved. Aims herein to first: give consideration to increase in retailing scale 1961 and 1971 Census of Distribution results; second the scale variation is related to selected measures of employee use in an attempt to indicate productivity levels in differing sizes of shops. Examines how, between 1961 and 1971 shop numbers in the UK reduced by around 18 per cent owing to retailers and consumers recognising possible benefits from economies of scale in retail operation – but that there has been a polarisation in the size of retail establishments and organisations. Uses tables to give extra emphasis listing shops (number); increase/decrease; proportion of shops; and number of full‐time (two part‐time equals one full‐time) employees. Proposes that changes in retail technology and management methods reflect changes in relationship but this is less obvious in more traditional retail sectors than in retail trades.

The changes in the Czech Republic brought by the transition process had a significant impact on all sectors of the economy and none more so than on retailing. Presents the initial findings of a long‐term longitudinal study of clothing retailing in the Czech Republic examining the retail format and merchandise assortment structure of clothing retailing in the period of 1994‐1999. The research focused on Czech towns and specifically excluded the capital city of Prague. From the analysis of the retail format development two broad conclusions emerge. First, the smaller towns appear to be more conservative in terms of structural change. Second, there appears to be more extensive changes in retail format patterns occurring in the larger towns. .

Focuses on the small‐scale retail sector in Singapore. After reviewing the literature on small‐scale retailing, it discusses the measures undertaken by governments in European countries and Japan to help the small retailer. The various schemes and action plans undertaken by the Singapore Government to restructure the retail sector under the Retail Sector Development Plan are discussed and evaluated. The Retail Sector Development Plan is found to have limited access. It is recommended that the Government should introduce schemes to encourage marginally performing businesses to exit from the retail sector so that it can be more efficient and competitive.

The research presented here aims to build a picture of the changes in retail taking place in India. India is poised to become a retail power house. The paper looks at the changing scene in the retail sector in view of many MNCs and large industries entering into this segment.

Data were drawn from industry sources which included national and international published sources from 1993‐2006.

The findings presented show that malls in 2006 are more developed in the North and West part of India. Food, groceries and apparel purchase by customers contributed to 52 percent. On average 75 percent of customers spend about 1‐3 hours in the mall. Malls with multiplexes such as cinema theatres, food courts, play places for children are becoming the centre for family outings. Small retailers have improved their service to cater to Indian consumers. Credit limits and home service are helping them to hold on to their customers. Retailing focus is changing towards satisfying the different hierarchy of needs of customers.

All are from Indian perspectives which perhaps limits its usefulness else where in the world.

A very useful source of information and review of this scenario which should help other retailers across the world, especially in developing economies, to face big giants more aggressively and do better.

This paper fulfils an identified information/resources need and offers guidance to small retailers

Retail property is an important property investment sector. The purpose of this paper is to assess the importance of retail property type, size and region in Australian retail property and the strategic role of direct retail property and retail listed property trusts (LPTs) in a mixed‐asset portfolio.

This paper analyses the performance of retail property in Australia over 1995‐2005 for both direct and indirect retail property. Risk‐adjusted performance analysis is used to assess the added value of retail property in a mixed‐asset portfolio, with the portfolio diversification benefits of retail property also assessed.

The paper finds that retail property and retail LPTs have delivered substantial risk‐adjusted returns and portfolio diversification benefits over 1995‐2005. The retail property sub‐sectors of retail property type, size and region have different performance characteristics; particularly highlighting the substantial role of geographic diversification as the most effective portfolio diversification strategy for retail property investors. Direct retail property and retail LPTs are also identified as having different performance characteristics and each contributing substantially to an institutional property investment strategy.

Previous retail research has been at an “overall” Australian retail property level. This paper rigorously assesses retail property at a retail sub‐sector level regarding retail property type, size and location. This level of analysis enables more informed and practical investment decision‐making regarding the role of retail property in a mixed‐asset portfolio for both direct and indirect retail property as part of an institutional property investment strategy.