The book is made distinctive by the presentation of practitioner insight allied with academic underpinning to create a powerful new framework of unusual breadth and depth. The book communicates contemporary retail thought from the perspectives of both senior international retailers and expert observers.

It is structured around four sections:
* Section I : retailing in an international context
* Section II: chapters from faculty at Templeton College in Oxford outlining the key issues with review questions, discussion topics, assignments and further reading.
* Section III : A unique series of in depth interviews with senior executives in the world's major retailers conducted by the Oxford Institute of Retail Management. Each case is backed up by company and sector information to demonstrate the changing retail and global environment.
* Section IV: A summary and overview with further exercises assignments and recommended reading.The book is an innovative and highly effective new text for both students and executives needing to understand the complexities of the latest global developments and thinking.