Includes bibliographical references and index.

Almost weekly, the news is full of stories about disappearing retail chains - some of which have been around for decades. From BHS and Maplin in the UK, to Toys'R'Us, Aeropostale and A&P in the US, recognised names are vanishing overnight - with the loss of hundreds of stores and thousands of jobs. As such large organizations disappear, so the malls, shopping centres, high streets and main streets become emptier and less appealing to visit. Mark Pilkington argues that, while the decline in manufacturing receives more news attention, the retail sector is more important in terms of job numbers: in the US, it employs around 30 million people; in the UK, around 10 million (not just in selling, but in property, manufacturing, logistics and distribution as well).