Retailing in international markets, 1900–2010: A response to Godley and Hang's ‘Globalisation and the evolution of international retailing: A comment on Alexander's “British overseas retailing, 1900–1960”’

Abstract

This response welcomes A. Godley and H. Hang's comment on N. Alexander's recent article. It acknowledges those theoretical issues on which there is broad agreement and explores theoretical issues around which debate is likely to focus in the future. Consideration is given to international retailing in the first and second global economies and the problems surrounding the evaluation of longer term trends. It explores the nature of innovation and the international transfer of retail innovation in an international retail firm and market context. Market structural conditions and their impact on international retail activity are considered. Further areas for historically based research are suggested.

Notes

 1. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’; Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’.

 2. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’.

 3. Ibid., 7.

 4. Buckley and Casson, The Future of the Multinational Enterprise; Dunning and Lundan, Multinational Enterprises; Rugman, Inside the Multinationals; Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’, 7.

 5. Zaheer, ‘Overcoming the Liability of Foreignness’; Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’, 7.

 6. Alexander and Myers, ‘The Internationalisation Process’; Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’, 7.

 7. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’.

 8. Ibid.; Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’.

 9. Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’; Dunning, International Production and the Multinational Enterprise; Dunning, Explaining International Production; Dunning and Lundan, Multinational Enterprises; Alexander and Myers, ‘The Internationalisation Process’, 29.

10. Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’; Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’.

11. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’, 9; Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’.

12. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’, 7.

13. Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’; Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’.

14. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’, 8.

15. Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’; Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’, 8.

16. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’, 9.

17. Ibid.

18. Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’; Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’, 9.

19. Godley and Williams, ‘Democratizing Luxury’; Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’, 9.

20. Doherty, ‘Factors Influencing International Retailers’, 223.

21. Ibid.

22. Alexander, Quinn, and Cairns, ‘International Retail Divestment Activity’.

23. Alexander, ‘The Whig Interpretation of Retailing’; Alexander, International Retailing.

24. Godley and Fletcher, ‘Foreign Entry into British Retailing’; Godley and Fletcher, ‘International Retailing in Britain’; Godley, ‘Foreign Multinationals’; Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’.

25. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’.

26. Ibid., 7.

27. Ibid., 3, 8.

28. Alexander and Myers, ‘The Internationalisation Process’, 345.

29. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’.

30. Alexander and Myers, ‘The Internationalisation Process’, 345.

31. Ibid., 341.

32. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’, 7.

33. Godley and Fletcher, ‘International Retailing in Britain’.

34. Ibid. Singer entered Britain's retail sector in 1856 and exited the market in 1982: a period of 126 years.

35. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’.

36. Alexander, International Retailing.

37. Alexander, Rhodes, and Myers, ‘A Gravitational Model’.

38. Although, the term ‘brand’ might appear to be an anachronism on some levels in this context, given its associations with a later period, the ‘name’ and reputation that Harrods self-consciously brought to the market fulfilled the functional requirements of a brand; namely, risk reduction, information efficiency and the creation of a beneficial image.

39. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’.

40. Alexander, Rhodes, and Myers, ‘A Gravitational Model’.

41. Godley and Fletcher, ‘Foreign Entry into British Retailing’.

42. This experience has not been isolated to Tesco. The French retailer Carrefour has notably had to withdraw from more developed markets such as the UK and seek expansion opportunities in emerging markets.

43. Goldman, ‘The Role of Trading-Up’.

44. Godley, ‘Foreign Multinationals’.

45. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’; Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’.

46. Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’.

47. Ibid.

48. Ibid.

49. Ibid., 550; Hess, ‘Spatial Relationships?’, 176–7.

50. Polanyi, The Great Transformation; Granovetter, ‘The Strength of Weak Ties’; Hess, ‘Spatial Relationships?’.

51. Jones and Wale, ‘Diversification Strategies’; Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’.

52. Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’.

53. Jones, Merchants to Multinationals.

54. Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’; Jeffreys, Retail Trading in Britain.

55. Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’.

56. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’.

57. Alexander, ‘Expansion’.

58. Alexander and Quinn, ‘International Retail Divestment’.

59. Two of the stores were in Paris, one in Toulouse and one in Orleans (The Times, 8 January 1964, 17A).

60. Alexander and Quinn, ‘International Retail Divestment’.

61. Ibid.

62. Alexander, ‘British Overseas Retailing’.

63. Godley and Hang, ‘Globalisation’.

64. Ibid.