Retailers, fascism and the origins of the social protection of shopkeepers in Italy

This article examines the ambiguous relationship between retailers and Fascists that culminated in the introduction of shop-licensing legislation in 1926. It analyses the transformation of shopkeeping under the wartime provisioning regime, the divisions within the retailing stratum, the political cultures of small proprietors and the Fascist desire to protect and educate consumers by 'disciplining' the business practices of retail traders. It suggests that while small traders were aggrieved by the Fascists' piecemeal recreation of a provisioning regime, well-established retailers were able to take advantage of these measures to accomplish their own agenda for the transformation of retailing.