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Retail formations : tracing the fluid forms of an online retailer

Hagberg, Johan and Fuentes, Christian LU orcid (2018) In Consumption Markets and Culture 21(5). p.423-444
Abstract

Change has often been said to characterise retailing, and research on retail change is extensive. However, though much of that research has focused on retail formats, it has not sufficiently addressed the fluid nature of retailing and how its formats emerge. This paper offers a more dynamic conceptualisation of retail format change by introducing the concept of retail formation. Taking a constructivist market studies approach and drawing upon an ethnographic study of a Swedish consumer electronics retailer, the paper shows how retail formations are continually being made in a dynamic process that can be initiated by various actors, does not necessarily follow a logical order, and commonly produces unexpected results. The concept of... (More)

Change has often been said to characterise retailing, and research on retail change is extensive. However, though much of that research has focused on retail formats, it has not sufficiently addressed the fluid nature of retailing and how its formats emerge. This paper offers a more dynamic conceptualisation of retail format change by introducing the concept of retail formation. Taking a constructivist market studies approach and drawing upon an ethnographic study of a Swedish consumer electronics retailer, the paper shows how retail formations are continually being made in a dynamic process that can be initiated by various actors, does not necessarily follow a logical order, and commonly produces unexpected results. The concept of retail formation allows us to better understand the increasing fluidity of retailing enabling us to trace complex market processes, examine multiple actors simultaneously, and taking into account the socio-historical and socio-cultural dynamics involved in shaping retail markets.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
actor–network theory, e-commerce, ethnography, fluidity, retail formation, Retailing
in
Consumption Markets and Culture
volume
21
issue
5
pages
423 - 444
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85046029605
ISSN
1025-3866
DOI
10.1080/10253866.2018.1462168
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2c8b5708-e86a-4cc8-bfac-b19d4b9bf252
date added to LUP
2018-05-14 12:59:38
date last changed
2024-04-15 06:39:15
@article{2c8b5708-e86a-4cc8-bfac-b19d4b9bf252,
  abstract     = {{<p>Change has often been said to characterise retailing, and research on retail change is extensive. However, though much of that research has focused on retail formats, it has not sufficiently addressed the fluid nature of retailing and how its formats emerge. This paper offers a more dynamic conceptualisation of retail format change by introducing the concept of retail formation. Taking a constructivist market studies approach and drawing upon an ethnographic study of a Swedish consumer electronics retailer, the paper shows how retail formations are continually being made in a dynamic process that can be initiated by various actors, does not necessarily follow a logical order, and commonly produces unexpected results. The concept of retail formation allows us to better understand the increasing fluidity of retailing enabling us to trace complex market processes, examine multiple actors simultaneously, and taking into account the socio-historical and socio-cultural dynamics involved in shaping retail markets.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hagberg, Johan and Fuentes, Christian}},
  issn         = {{1025-3866}},
  keywords     = {{actor–network theory; e-commerce; ethnography; fluidity; retail formation; Retailing}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{423--444}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Consumption Markets and Culture}},
  title        = {{Retail formations : tracing the fluid forms of an online retailer}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2018.1462168}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/10253866.2018.1462168}},
  volume       = {{21}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}