Retailing in the Third World occurs in a wide range of contexts. In some places it is literally a matter of life and death--concerned with the distribution of the most basic foodstuffs. Elsewhere it is at the forefront of economic development.
This volume explores some of the factors which explain the variety of retail structures and modes of consumer behavior that characterize retailing in developing countries. Geographical variations are seen to be the product of cultural forces as well as economic ones; the interface between culture and consumer behaviour is shown to be as potent a force within retailing as structural changes in distribution channels and retail outlets. Analysis of retail environments in developing countries points to the need for a dynamic framework capable of capturing the interaction between world economic influences and social and economic formations specific to particular places. Containing a broad cross-section of case studies, the volume aims to be both international and interdisciplinary and will appeal to anyone with an interest in retailing and marketing in developing countries.

Disruption following the Gulf War, and the need to satisfy both rising economic aspirations and the Islamic values of the region's peoples, demands fresh examination of development issues in the Arab world. This introductory text assesses how agricultural, industrial and urban development has evolved in the Arab region. Contrasting Arab and Western interpretations of `development', it draws on case studies covering states as diverse as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Morocco and Jordan. The author suggests that until the Arabs define their own identity, there will continue to be `change' but not necessarily `progress' in the region.

Contents:
1. Perspectives on Arab Development: From West to East 2. The Colonial Legacy 3. Political Constraints to Economic Development 4. Arab Oil and the Use of Oil Revenues 5. Labour Migration 6. Rural Development 7. Urban Development 8. Arab Identity and Development

Allan and Anne Findlay argue that a nation's human population is a vital resource in the development process. Changes in its composition - increased life expectancy combined with a falling birth rate, for example - can have profound effects upon a society. Warfare and mass migration of male workers also have long-reaching effects on those left behind. The rapid growth of Third World populations has often incorrectly been identified as the major force preventing more rapid economic development. Population pressure has been known to generate technological breakthroughs. Their final chapter examines family planning programmes, and concludes by asking who benefits most from population policies and questioning the right of developed countries to advocate family planning programmes for Third World nations.

Retailing in less developed countries can take any number of forms and fulfils a wide range of different needs. As this book shows it is susceptible to cultural as well as to economic forces and it needs to be analysed in terms of both global economic shifts and place-specific social and economic formations.

Allan and Anne Findlay argue that a nation's human population is a vital resource in the development process. Changes in its composition - increased life expectancy combined with a falling birth rate, for example - can have profound effects upon a society. Warfare and mass migration of male workers also have long-reaching effects on those left behind. The rapid growth of Third World populations has often incorrectly been identified as the major force preventing more rapid economic development. Population pressure has been known to generate technological breakthroughs. Their final chapter examines family planning programmes, and concludes by asking who benefits most from population policies and questioning the right of developed countries to advocate family planning programmes for Third World nations.