Robert Peston Goes Shopping

Documentaries are a definite guilty pleasure of mine - and a series I came across recently really caught my attention.

Robert Peston, a British journalist, has created a three part series - this post being focused on the first!

In part one he charts how shopping in Britain was transformed from a chore to be endured in the 1950's into our favourite pastime by the 1980's. 

The retail industry employs 1 in every 9 of us making it a nation of shoppers and shopkeepers - Great Britain is quite frankly in love with if not addicted to shopping.

Peston covers the misogynistic values of the 50's when shopping was deemed 'a woman's job'.

Before self service stores were introduced, everything was served over a counter meaning hour long queues - not convenient in the slightest!

Self service was first introduced in the 1950's by now supermarket giant Sainsbury's - making shopping quicker, easier and more convenient for housewives across the country.

After the time of caution and rationing was abolished in 1954, employment was on the rise along with an increase in wages - this meaning consumers had a higher amount of disposable income.

This kick started the trend of people shopping around for cheaper deals - putting small independent food shops at serious risk of closure. 

Peston also covers the issues surrounding British manufacturing and how it slowly but surely disappeared over time due to a certain lack of skills and the inability to compete on price. 

The key message to be portrayed is that as a whole retailers became much more sophisticated in the 1960's and 70's, gaining a certain knack for identifying consumers needs and then working to fulfil them in as little time as possible.

In all honesty - who isn't guilty of spending money on things they don't reeeeealllyy need?
I'll hold my hands up and admit I definitely am!

The second episode focuses on the price of goods reducing which has resulted in 'fast fashion' and the third on the revolution of shopping and how the high street is coping with online shopping and the recession.

These episodes may still be available on BBC iPlayer but if not I'm sure they'll be lingering on YouTube somewhere - definitely worth a watch!

Love, Lana Skye x 

Photo Credit: Google Images.