A Cultural History of Shopping in the Modern Age

In the modern consumer age that emerged after the First World War, shopping became ubiquitous but its meaning was always inextricably linked to the political, material and economic contexts within which it took place. Shopping practices varied widely according to race, ethnicity, class and geography but almost everywhere it became an activity that was undertaken dominantly by women rather than men. National brands and chain stores developed, undercutting the smaller general stores of the past, while mass car ownership encouraged consumers to travel farther to shop, often at malls located in or around urban centres. The digital revolution in shopping that began in the last decade of the twentieth century has changed the face of cities and towns and led to the closure of many bricks-and-mortar stores but, as this volume explores, the shopper remains very much at the centre of Western capitalist societies. A Cultural History of Shopping in the Modern Age presents an overview of the period with themes addressing practices and processes; spaces and places; shoppers and identities; luxury and everyday; home and family; visual and literary representations; reputation, trust and credit; and governance, regulation and the state.