A Brief History of Retailing

At some time during the beginnings of civilization, groups began to trade with one another. How or why this occurred is not known, but various explanations have been given. Let's take a look at the history of retail.

THEORIES ON THE BEGINNING:

One theory suggests that trade was an instinctive invention based on the need for food, water, and bodily comforts. Another is based on human aggressiveness. Another one asserts that trade was an outgrowth of friendly gift giving. Yet another very plausible explanation suggests that people who had more goods than they could consume traded the excess away. Whatever the reason, it became a staple of civilization. Below is a brief history of retailing.

ANCIENT RETAILING:

In the ancient world, trade flourished simple because some has a surplus of one good and desired the goods they did not have or could not produce. The earliest traders were Cretans who sailed the Mediterranean and carried on trade with the people of thatarea. They flourished for 2,000 years, and their culture influenced other great trading civilizations.

The Phoenecians followed the Cretans as civilizations major traders. You could view them as distributors. They distributed the goods of Egypt and Babylonia. Tyre, Sidon, and Carthage were the principal trading cities of this empire.

This group was in turn succeeded by the Romans. The Romans established a sophisticated form of retailing. Numerous small shops were set up with centers. In fact, ancient ruins indicate that the world's first department store was in Rome!! With the fall of this empire, retailing disintegrated.

THE DARK AGES:

During the period after the fall of the Roman empire, the only retailers were peddlers. They carried their store around on their back. They went from village to village selling their wares. They often offered inferior merchandise.

By the 13th century fairs and markets flourished. Early fairs often had a religous foundation. On feast days people would gather at their churches and exchange goods. Larger markets were also called fairs and people traveled long distances to participate. These fairs eventually became amusement and exist in an entertainment form today!

By the 12th century artisan and tradesmen began to organize into "guilds" and opened up small shops. They helped them gain social and economic advantages.

HISTORY OF AMERICAN RETAILING:

Many American retailing institutions orginated after 1850. Prior to that, many Americans lived on farms and were self sufficient. During this time itinerant peddlers and general stores were basically the only retailers in the country.

After 1850, department stores became important. For example, Richs was established in Atlanta in 1867 by 4 Hungarian immigrants. Simon Lazarus, an immigrant from Poland, opened a men's clothing store in Columbus, Ohio in 1851. Macy's can be traced to 1858.

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