A Brief History of Shopping in

Britain from Roman Times

Britain has been called ‘a nation of shopkeepers’ but how have shopping experiences changed
over the course of British history?

Roman Britain
In Roman Britain, shops and the market were located in an area called the Forum in the middle
of the town. Once the Romans left Britain, permanent shops disappeared and were replaced by
either workshops or market stalls.

Medieval Times
In Medieval times, shops began to open again. They had
no glass in the windows but they had big shutters.
When the shop was open, one of the shutters folded
down to become the counter.

Streets became crowded as shopkeepers brought

stalls to the front of their shops and hung signs in
the street. There were so many hanging signs that
they were banned in London and other cities.

Arcades, Department Stores and Self-Serve

Shops
In the 19th century, shopping arcades and department stores
began to appear. Shopping arcades were covered streets without
traffic and department stores were collections of different traders
in a big building.

Until 1947, shops kept all of their stock behind the counter and you
had to ask the shopkeeper for what you wanted. The Cooperative
opened the first ‘self-serve’ shops where customers could help
themselves to items on sale.

Shopping Malls and Online Shopping

In the 1960s, the first shopping centres were built in Britain. Similar to shopping malls in
America, they had lots of shops on different levels and sometimes restaurants and cinemas.

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
From 1994 onwards, shoppers could buy things on the Internet. This is becoming more and
more popular and some of the shops in town centres are closing down because they don’t have
enough customers.

The Future
What will shopping in Britain be like in the future? It is hard to say but as we have already
seen so many changes, it seems sure to be different!

Did You Know?

Shopping trolleys were first used in
the UK at Sainsbury’s in Croydon
in 1950.

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
 A Brief History of Shopping in Britain from Roman Times

1. What could you find in the Forum in a Roman Town?

2. Can you name two features of medieval shops?

3. Why were hanging signs banned?

4. What do you think would have been good about shopping in an arcade?

5. Can you explain the difference between counter and self-serve shops?

6. Why might service have been quicker in a self-serve shop?

7. What do you think customers might have liked about shopping malls when they were first
introduced?

8. Which came first – online shopping or the first shopping malls?

9. What do you think customers like about shopping online?

10. What do you think shopping in Britain will be like in 100 years’ time?

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
 A Brief History of Shopping in Britain from Roman Times

Answers
1. What could you find in the Forum in a Roman Town?
In the Forum in a Roman town, you would find shops lining the streets and market stalls.

2. Can you name two features of medieval shops?

All of the following were features of medieval shops: hanging signs, stall at the
front, large windows without glass, shutter which folded down to form a counter.

3. Why were hanging signs banned?

Hanging signs were banned because they were making the street too crowded.

4. What do you think would have been good about shopping in an arcade?
If you were shopping in an arcade, you may have enjoyed the
lack of traffic and staying dry under the covered roof.

5. Can you explain the difference between counter and self-serve shops?
In a counter shop, the goods would be kept behind the counter and
you would ask the shopkeeper for what you wanted – in a ‘self-serve’
shop you would choose items for yourself from the shelves.

6. Why might service have been quicker in a self-serve shop?

Self-serve shops would be quicker because the shopkeeper would not have to ask the
customer questions about what they needed and then locate all the items required.

7. What do you think customers might have liked about shopping malls when they were first
introduced?
When shopping malls were introduced, people would have enjoyed some or all of
the following features: they could do everything in one place, parking was easy,
malls were new and different and they were protected from the weather.

8. Which came first – online shopping or the first Shopping malls?

Shopping malls came first – they began appearing in the
1960s. Online shopping did not begin until 1994.

9. What do you think customers like about shopping online?

We can expect that customers like shopping online for some of the following reasons:
convenience, they can shop at any time of day, there is no need to travel, they can
look at a wider range of shops and compare prices more than they could if they had to
walk between stores, they can buy things and return them if they are not suitable.

10. What do you think shopping in Britain will be like in 100 years’ time?
Own answer but should include at least some idea of further change given the history of
shopping to this point.

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
 A Brief History of Shopping in
Britain from Roman Times
Britain has been called ‘a nation of shopkeepers’ but how have shopping experiences changed
over the course of British history?

The Rise of Permanent Shops

In Britain, the centre of a Roman town was called the Forum and was lined with shops. Markets
would usually be held in the Forum too. When the Romans left Britain, permanent shops became
rare. The most common type of shop was a workshop where things were made and customers
were allowed to enter. Produce was sold at temporary market
stalls which were put out each day.

In Medieval times, permanent shops began to reappear on

the streets and even bridges. The most common design
had big arched windows without glass covered by
large shutters. When the shop was opened, the lower
shutter would fold down to form the counter.

There were an estimated 40,000 shops just in

England by the end of the 17th century. Shopkeepers
began to bring their wares onto the streets in front of
their shops and advertise with hanging signs above the
street. There were so many hanging signs that they were
eventually banned in London in 1764.

Self-Serve Shops, Malls and Online Shopping

In the 19th century, shopping arcades and department stores began

to appear. Shopping arcades were covered streets without traffic
and department stores were collections of different traders in a big
building. Department stores were a development of bazaars which
were large open spaces, often warehouses, in which various traders
rented retail space.

Until 1947, most of the goods in most shops were behind the counter until the Cooperative opened
the first ten ‘self-serve’ shops. John and Mary Sainsbury opened their first shop in 1869, selling
just five items of dairy produce in comparison to a modern Sainsbury’s supermarket which will
stock over 30,000 lines – many of them own brand products.

In the 1960s, a new idea arrived in Britain - the shopping mall. Malls originated in America. They

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
were built out of town and had indoor shopping streets on lots
of levels, restaurants, cinemas and other leisure activities. The
first was built in Britain in 1965.

As more shopping malls were built throughout Britain, people

began to visit them more than the high street in the town
centres. As a result, lots of shops closed down including some
big chain stores. There are now around 1 in 10 shops in
town centres that are empty.

From 1994 onwards, online sales started

to change shopping habits. In 1995, Amazon
was founded in a garage near Seattle and sold its
first book over the Internet. About 1 in every 7 things
bought by shoppers in the UK is now bought on the
Internet.

The Future

What does the future hold for shopping? Online sales look set to keep on increasing but lots of
projects are beginning to encourage independent shops back to the town centres. As always, it is
difficult to see into the future but if the past is anything to go by, the shopping experience will
continue to change and evolve.

Did You Know?

Shopping malls are designed to create an alternate reality for customers without natural
light or clocks to keep track of time. Planners hope that this will encourage shoppers to
make unplanned ‘impulse’ purchases.

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
 A Brief History of Shopping in Britain from Roman Times
1. What could you find in the Forum in a Roman Town?

2. What do you think permanent shop means?

3. What was banned in London in 1764 and why?

4. What do you think ‘wares’ are?

5. How would you know you were in a shopping arcade?

6. Why might self-serve shops be able to serve customers more quickly?

7. What do you think customers liked about shopping malls when they were introduced?

8. How do we know that shopping malls have proved to be popular with shoppers?

9. Why do you think customers like shopping online?

10. What do you think shopping in Britain will be like in 100 years’ time?

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
 A Brief History of Shopping in Britain from Roman Times

Answers
1. What could you find in the Forum in a Roman Town?
In the Forum in a Roman town, you would find shops lining the streets and markets.

2. What do you think permanent shop means?

A permanent shop would be one that was of strong
construction and stayed in the same place.

3. What was banned in London in 1764 and why?

Hanging street signs were banned from shops in London in 1764 because
their competition to outdo each other led to congestion in the street.

4. What do you think ‘wares’ are?

‘Wares’ means the items that the shopkeeper has for sale.

5. How would you know you were in a shopping arcade?

You would know you were in a shopping arcade because you would have shops on
either side of you, a roof over your head and there would no traffic of any sort.

6. Why might self-serve shops be able to serve customers more quickly?

In a counter shop, the goods would be kept behind the counter and you would
ask the shopkeeper for what you wanted. Self-serve shops would be quicker
because the shopkeeper would not have to ask the customer questions about
what they needed and would not need to locate all the items required.

7. What do you think customers liked about shopping malls when they were introduced?
When shopping malls were introduced, people would have enjoyed some or all
of the following features – they could do everything in one place, parking was
easy, malls were new and different and they were protected from the weather.

8. How do we know that shopping malls have proved to be popular with shoppers?
We can assume that shopping malls have proved popular with shoppers
because there are now so many of them and they are so large in size.

9. Why do you think customers like shopping online?

We can expect that customers like shopping online for some of the following reasons:
convenience, they can shop at any time of day, there is no need to travel, they can
look at a wider range of shops and compare prices more than they could if they had to
walk between stores, they can buy things and return them if they are not suitable.

10. What do you think shopping in Britain will be like in 100 years’ time?
Own answer but should include at least some idea of further
change given the history of shopping to this point.

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
 A Brief History of Shopping in
Britain from Roman Times
Britain has been called ‘a nation of shopkeepers’ but how have shopping experiences changed
over the course of British history?

In Britain, as in the rest of the Roman Empire, the centre of a Roman town was called the Forum
and was lined with shops. The Forum would usually be the site for regular markets too. After
the end of the Roman occupation of Britain, permanent shops became rarer. Shops were more
commonly workshops that customers could gain access to and
most other shopping was done at temporary market stalls
which were put out each day.

In medieval times, permanent shops began to reappear

on the streets and even on bridges. They were typically
designed with big glassless windows covered by
large shutters – the lower one of which would fold
down to form the counter when the shop was open.

The number of shops continued to grow rapidly

and by the end of the 17th century, there were an
estimated 40,000 shops in England alone. Competition
led to shops bringing stalls to the street at the front of
the stores. This led to a cluttering of the street with hanging
signs to such an extent that they were banned in London in 1764
and quickly afterwards in other towns.

In the 18th century, shops first began to use glass for their windows – initially in small panes
in grids of glazing bars but later in huge sheets which made it easier for customers to view the
window displays. Arcades - indoor streets free from traffic with roofs to provide shelter from
the elements - became popular in Paris and the trend caught on in Britain. Arcades were
often built to grand designs with lofty glass ceilings - many survive to this day.

Department stores were a development of the bazaars of the Victorian era which were
large open spaces, often warehouses, in which various traders rented retail space.
The Crystal Palace was known as the ‘greatest bazaar of all’ and as their popularity
increased, bazaars became more solid and permanent in construction.

Until 1947, most of the goods in most shops remained firmly behind the counter when the
Cooperative opened the first ten ‘self-serve’ shops. They were quickly followed by Sainsbury’s
who began to convert some of their counter service shops. John and Mary Sainsbury opened their

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
 first shop in 1869 selling just five items of dairy produce. Compare this to a modern
Sainsbury’s supermarket which will stock over 30,000 lines – many
of them own brand products.

With modern shops came a contemporary reinvention of

arcades and bazaars – the shopping mall. Malls originated in
America and featured multi-storey indoor shopping streets,
restaurants, cinemas and catered for other leisure activities. The
first was built in Britain in 1965 after which time they
quickly increased in both size and number.

Towards the end of the 20th century, a combination

of recession, the growth of out-of-town shopping
centres and the rise in online shopping led to a
decline in the traditional town centre shopping areas.
In the UK, there are now around 1 in every 10 shops
empty on the high street and several big retailers such as
Woolworths, HMV and BHS have closed down in recent
years.

From 1994 onwards, online sales began to have a huge impact on the nature of shopping
again. In 1995, Amazon was founded in a garage near Seattle and sold its first book
over the Internet. Online shopping now accounts for about 16% of retail sales in Britain
with sectors such as women’s clothing claiming a much larger percentage of the market.
Improvements in the ease of returning items of clothing has encouraged shoppers to see that
they no longer need to try things on in stores.

So what does the future hold for shopping in Britain? Sales figures for online shopping look
set to continue to rise but there are some signs of recovery and regeneration on the high
street in the UK. Various projects are being set up to encourage independent shops back into
town centres and the number of new shops opening is rising each year. Large chain stores
now command less market share than they have done in the past and there is a sense that
consumers are placing increasing value on the levels of support and knowledge available in
independent specialist shops.

As always it is difficult to see into the future but if the past is anything to go by, the shopping
experience will continue to change and evolve.

Did You Know?

Shopping malls are designed to create an alternate reality for customers without natural
light or clocks to keep track of time. Floor plans purposefully make navigation difficult to
ensure that shoppers pass as many shops as possible. The goal of this planning is to
increase the chances that customers will make impulse purchases. These practices of
customer manipulation have a name: ‘The Gruen Effect’.

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
 A Brief History of Shopping in Britain from Roman Times
1. How did shopping change when the Romans left Britain?

2. What do you think permanent shop means?

3. What were banned in London in 1764 and why?

4. How would you know you were in a shopping arcade?

5. Why would glass in shop windows have been an important development for shopkeepers?

6. Which three factors led to shops on the high street closing down?

7. Why do you think town and city councils want to encourage shops back into central areas?

8. Can you add four events from the history of shopping in Britain to this timeline?

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
 A Brief History of Shopping in Britain from Roman Times

9. Can you describe a scenario which might lead to a customer making an impulse
purchase because of the ‘Gruen effect’?

10. Why do you think the author imagines there will be further change in the way we do our
shopping?

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
 A Brief History of Shopping in Britain from Roman Times

Answers
1. How did shopping change when the Romans left Britain?
When the Romans left Britain, permanent shops were less common.

2. What do you think permanent shop means?

A permanent shop would be one that was of strong construction
and stayed in the same place day after day.

3. What were banned in London in 1764 and why?

Hanging street signs were banned in London in 1764 because
competition was causing the streets to be cluttered.

4. How would you know you were in a shopping arcade?

You would know you were in an arcade because there would be
no traffic of any sort, there would be roofed walkways lined
with shops and possibly a grand and spacious design.

5. Why would glass in shop windows have been an important development for shopkeepers?
Glass windows would have been an important development as they
meant that shopkeepers could leave a permanent window display without
fear of theft and regulate the temperature inside their shops.

6. Which three factors led to shops on the high street closing down?
Recession, an increase in online shopping and development of out-of-town
shopping centres all combined to cause shops on the high street to close down.

7. Why do you think town and city councils want to encourage shops back into central areas?
Town and city councils want to encourage shops back into central areas to revitalise
them. Empty shops suggest an area is in decline and are not popular with visitors. New
shops would encourage other new shops and more visitors. (Answers may differ).

8. Can you add four events from the history of shopping in Britain to this timeline?

1869 – First Sainsbury’s

1965 – First shopping mall opened.
store was opened.

1994 – Amazon sold its

1947 – First self-serve shops opened.
first book online.

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks
 A Brief History of Shopping in Britain from Roman Times

9. Can you describe a scenario which might lead to a customer making an impulse
purchase because of the ‘Gruen effect’?
The Gruen effect may result in an impulse purchase if the route a customer
needs to take to exit the shopping mall takes them past a shop they had not
previously planned to visit which may have appealing items prominently
displayed. (Answers may present a number of different possibilities).

10. Why do you think the author imagines there will be further change in the way we do our
shopping?
The author suspects that there will be further changes to the way we shop in Britain
because there have already been so many changes in the history of shopping to date.

English | Year 6 | The Strangest Shop in the World | Home Learning Tasks