Tag Archives: Retail History

Ghost Signs and Retailing

Posted on April 3, 2017 by

As readers of this blog will know, I have always had an interest in the history of retailing and companies and businesses of the past. A good example has been the ongoing work with Neil Tyler around Sanders Bros, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Advertising, Architecture, Art, Brands, Buildings, Consumer Change, Corporate History, Ghost Signs, Heritage, Historic Shops, History, Retail History, Sanders Bros, Shopfronts, Signage, Stirling, Urban History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pontypool vs Penarth: Rugby and The High Street and Town of 1951

Posted on September 30, 2016 by

This post has been ready for some time, but I thought I would publish it today, as it is National Sporting Heritage Day. If you are reading this on the 30th in Stirling then the University is hosting a pop-up … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Community, Cooperatives, Design, High Streets, Independents, Local Retailers, Places, Retail History, Rugby Union, Small Shops, Towns, Urban History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Asa Briggs and Marks and Spencer

Posted on April 5, 2016 by

The other week the eminent social historian Asa Briggs died.  Despite my not being an historian this was a name I knew.  I came across his work when I wanted to look at aspects of the social history of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Corporate History, Heritage, History, Marks and Spencer, Retail Change, Retail History, Sanders Bros | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Sense of Place

Posted on April 21, 2015 by

A few months ago I was approached to write a short piece for “Context – the magazine of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation” as part of a collected set of items on The Changing Face of Retail. A couple … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, High Streets, Historic Shops, History, Places, Signage, Spaces, Streetscapes, Town Centres | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Retail Threads in the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry – Sir Thomas Lipton

Posted on April 7, 2015 by

  The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry was conceived as part of the 2014 Homecoming celebrations, with an original aim of paying homage to the determination and courage of Scots over the centuries. Communities would document their Scottish connections on a series … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Community, Crafts, History, Places, Retail History, Scottish Diaspora Tapestry, Tea, Thomas Lipton, University of Stirling, Wm Low | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Have You Heard of Sanders Bros?

Posted on July 25, 2014 by

For me it all began when one of my MBA retailing students showed me an advertisement from the 1933 Times and challenged me, as a Professor of Retail Studies, to tell him who Sanders Bros were, given that they were … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Books, Closure, Food Retailing, Historic Shops, History, Retail Failure, Retail History, Sainsbury, Sanders Bros, Tesco | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Spedan’s Partnership

Posted on December 27, 2012 by

It wasn’t a Christmas present but rather a book that I’d bought in the summer but had never found the space to read. Yet the time seemed right, with the continuing high standing of John Lewis and the expansionary trail … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Department Stores, Jphn Lewis Partnership, Retail History, Waitrose | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment