Grocer
Food shops have been around since antiquity. Originally each type of merchandise had a specialised shop where one would go to buy their goods and wares. Before shops, would people typically obtained goods by the barter method or by purchasing locally grown foods and locally made goods from local sellers. Beginning with Middle Eastern towns in the 7th millennium BCE, retail marketplaces emerged when civilizations created money to allow buying and selling more easily. These open-air markets were the first type of retail outlet that could be called shops. By the 17th century, permanent shops with more regular trading hours were beginning to overtake markets and fairs as the main retail outlet. Shopkeepers were active in almost every market town. These shopkeepers sold general merchandise, much like a contemporary convenience store or a general store. As the number of shops grew, they changed. The shopfronts and layouts became more like what people see today. Before the eighteenth century, the typical retail store had no counter, display cases, chairs, mirrors, changing rooms, etc. However, the opportunity for the customer to browse merchandise, touch, and feel products began to be available, with retail innovations from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. By the Victorian period greengrocers were an everyday part of most English towns. This situation continued pretty much the same until the late Victorian period when shops that offered a wider range of products began to be seen. However, in villages, the population could not support larger shops and the reliance on small trade outlets such as greengrocers, bakers, butchers, and general ware shops was the norm. About the turn of the century corner shops (so-called convenience shops) sprang up as mini supermarkets offering all forms of retail items. In the mid-twentieth century, towns were growing larger as people moved from rural areas to urban areas in search of jobs due to the industrial revolution. This made it possible for supermarkets to thrive. Specialized shops such as the baker, butcher, and grocer began to close. In the first decade of the 2000s there was a decline of close to 3000 registered greengrocers on Britain's streets. In April 1997 there were 6,916 registered greengrocers but this had declined to 3,948 by April of 2008.