Reconstructing Consumer Landscapes 1945-1975: Shopper reactions to the supermarket in early post-war England
Summary
Post war Britain saw a transformation in the way people shopped for food: counter service shops were gradually replaced by the self service stores, which evolved into the supermarket. Whilst our understanding of changes in retailing practices during this period is improving, little is known about how consumers reacted to these new retail spaces. Using oral histories and large-scale biographical questionnaire survey, this research project directly explored shoppers’ perceptions and reactions to this significant retail change, and reveals the ways in which the supermarket transformed everyday life in twentieth-century Britain.
Funding
AHRC
Details
Research findings from the project have been published in academic journals including Environment and Planning A (2010); Enterprise and Society (2009); Oral History (2009). The project team are currently writing a research monograph based upon the project findings.
Collaborations
University of Exeter