The corner shop

Chepstow Books & Gifts Verified independent store

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Britain is a nation of shopkeepers, and the story of corner shops is the story of us. From Margaret Thatcher, the daughter of shopkeepers, to immigration from Pakistan, Kenya and E astern Europe over the last seventy years, their influence has shaped the way we shop, the way we eat, and the way we understand ourselves. Babita Sharma was raised in a corner shop in Reading, and over the counter watched a world in flux, from the clientele to the products to the politics of shopkeeping. Along with the skills to perfectly mop a floor and stack a shelf, she gained a unique insight into a changing world - and an institution that, despite the creep of supermarkets, online shopping and delivery, has found a way to evolve and survive. Show more