John Pearce and the Rise of the Mass Food Market in London, 1870–1930 (original) (raw)
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This article examines the misrepresentation of Australasian meat in Britain, 1890-1914. Using contemporary official analyses of this practice, we investigate the alleged economic consequences for Australasian and British farmers and British consumers and discuss evidence of the extent of this misrepresentation. The need to secure 'honest trade' by compulsory marking of imported meat was the principal recommendation of several official enquiries. However, support for the legislative measures proposed to eradicate misrepresentation was far from unanimous. Overall, the evidence suggests that misrepresentation was not as serious in extent or consequence, as some contemporaries feared. * A version of this article was given to the conference of northern economic historians held at Liverpool University. My thanks to the comments of the participants, especially Bob Millward and John Wilson. I am grateful to Forrest Capie for providing me with a copy of his MSc thesis and I am indebted to the editors and referees for their support. The usual disclaimer applies.
THE BELGIAN MULTIPLE FOOD RETAILER DELHAIZE LE LION AND ITS CLIENTELE, 1867-1914
Before the First World War, British food chain stores catered mainly to the working classes and they did so with a limited range of products, minimum cost and minimal service. In Belgium, the multiple food retailer Delhaize Le Lion started business in 1 867, expanded rapidly, and acquired its own factories and brands as well as a nationwide distribution network. In contrast to the British retailers, however, Delhaize appears to have aimed at a heterogeneous clientele, emphasizing both price and service. This article investigates differences and similarities between Belgium's and Britain's food chain stores prior to 1914, dealing with business organization, product range, and clientele. In the second half of the 19th century, a new class of retailers emerged in Britain, setting up food chain stores (" multiple grocers ").' As historian James Jefferys explained, there were two types of stores, the " grocery " and the " provision " type, with the former selling a considerable range of groceries and the latter specializing in a very limited range of imported products in mass demand such as ham, bacon, dairy products, and, after 1880, tea. 2 Even multiple grocers (such as Sainsbury) that had a somewhat wider product range specialized in a limited number of products. 3 The multiples of the provision type especially were highly successful and grew rapidly. 4 This growth occurred despite a lack of sophistication in selling methods. Products were distributed via a large number of outlets with minimum cost and minimal service. The clientele was almost exclusively working class. After 1900, multiple food retailers endeavored to improve the layout of their shops, their product displays and customer service, but only after the First World War did British multiple food retailers diversify their range of goods and begin to no longer solely serve the working class. 5 Jefferys linked the 87 Van den Eeckhout end Scholliers