For its next
annual conference, to be held September 5-6, 2012, at the University of Wolverhampton, the
Centre for the History of Retailing and Distribution (CHORD) invites proposals that explore retailing and/or distribution from a historical perspective. Papers focusing on all historical periods or geographical areas and based on any methodological and disciplinary perspective are welcome. Themes of interest include—but are not limited to:
Commercial cultures;
Retailing and distribution in popular culture and the media;
Innovation and change / stagnation and failure;
Credit, finance and the economics of retailing and distribution;
Large-scale retailing—super, hyper, monster;
Crime and illegal practices;
Politics, the state and individual enterprise;
Ethics and fairness;
Markets, informal exchanges, penny capitalism;
Retailing and distribution in hard times;
Advertising, marketing and sales strategies;
Retailing and distribution work, from 'management' to the shop floor;
Distribution networks, business links
Proposals are invited both for individual papers and for themed sessions (normally three papers). To submit a proposal, those interested should send a title, a one-page abstract, a list of 3 to 5 key words, and, if proposing a session, a cover letter with title and one-paragraph session description, to: Laura Ugolini at
l.ugolini@wlv.ac.uk by
May 4, 2012. Questions may also be addressed to Dr. Ugolini.
