Is a retail institution more than a place to shop? A tradition-based cultural approach is used to explore the meaning of a long established retail institution in a tradition-based culture. Semistructured interviews were conducted with both marketplace buyers and sellers in Jordans central marketplace in Amman. Four themes relating to the central marketplace were identified from the exploratory research: (1) self-identification, (2) personification, (3) societal organization, and (4) social function. This research highlights the importance of cultural integration of retail establishments and indicates a potential for resistance to adoption of new retail institutions. Implications for global marketing managers are discussed. 1998 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
