Relational Heritage in Retail-Reimagining 1950s Practices for the Future of Consumer Experience

Gilles Paché
Additional contact information
Gilles Paché: CERGAM - Centre d'Études et de Recherche en Gestion d'Aix-Marseille - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - UTLN - Université de Toulon

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: Food retailing in the 1950s was defined by strong social ties between shopkeepers and customers, grounded in geographical proximity and mutual trust. These relationships went beyond mere economic transactions, fostering spaces of human interaction where consumer loyalty was built on reciprocity and respect. Small shops, located at the heart of their communities, anticipated customers' needs and cultivated secure, familiar environments that reinforced social cohesion. While consumer experience remains a priority today, new dynamics- especially the integration of AI and growing partnerships with local producers- are reshaping the retail landscape. Despite these transformations, the core value of human connection remains central to food retailing. This position paper highlights the continuity between past practices and present trends, emphasizing how values such as proximity and interpersonal relationships, though redefined, continue to be essential to the consumer experience. By doing so, it offers a critical analysis of how traditional retail models can be reimagined to address contemporary challenges while preserving their social foundations.

Keywords: 1950s; Consumer experience; Europe; Food retailing; Human interaction; Local roots; Trust; Loyalty; Proximity; Social capital; Sustainable logistics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-03
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05083598v1
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Published in Global Journal of Management and Business Research: Administration & Management, 2025, 25 (A2), pp.1-11

Downloads: (external link)
https://hal.science/hal-05083598v1/document (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05083598

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().