Contesting retail space in Italy: competition and corporatism 1915-60

The article traces the course of the contests for retail space in Italy between 1915 and 1960, concentrating on the ways in which the forms of competition between retailers were framed by public policy, notably the introduction of a shop licensing system, and the accretion of powers by retailers' associations that enabled them to exercise a quasicorporate power to limit competition and innovation within the distribution sector. The key elements of this regulatory regime were introduced by the Fascists in the 1920s with the intent of reforming the sector, yet were appropriated by traditional retailers to defend their interests against innovations in the distribution sector.