Socio-cultural retailing: What can marketing learn from this interdisciplinary field?

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the on-going cultural turn in retail marketing by offering an overview of the interdisciplinary field of socio-cultural retailing and discussing how this body of work can contribute conceptually, methodologically and substantively to the field of retail marketing.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on a literature review of socio-cultural retail studies in marketing, cultural geography, sociology, and anthropology. The literature is analysed in relation to the substantive, conceptual and methodological domains of retail marketing.Findings – Drawing on the literature review, the authors argue that socio-cultural retail studies can contribute to the field of retail marketing substantively, conceptually and methodologically, thus broadening its current scope and domains.Originality/value – This paper provides an overview of an interdisciplinary field and identifies how it can contribute to the field of retail marketing. It is valuable for retailing researchers interested in socio-cultural approaches to the study of contemporary retailing