Back to the Future:

Changes in the nation's social climate, the proliferation of different consumer life styles, and changing the consumer needs and expectations explain a good deal about the evolution of store formats-but not all of it. Technological, economic, and competitive factors also play a role. Fortunately, marketing theory provides a number of useful analytical tools for tying these factors together, and this can lead to a better understanding of food retailing's past-as well as future.