Shopgirls: The True Story of Life Behind the Counter
2014 · BBC Two · 60 min · 1 season
S01E03 · The New Cool
Wed, 9 July, 6:00 am
Dr Pamela Cox charts the history of the shopgirl. She looks at how shopgirls threw off their staid reputation to become hip in the second half of the 20th century.
About
Today, it is taken for granted that many shop assistants are women, but 150 years ago, being served by a shopgirl was a strange new phenomenon, and the story of how an army of women swept on to shop floors is a fascinating one. Dr. Pamela Cox presents this three-part series following the journey of the shopgirl from an almost invisible figure in stark Victorian stores, to being the beating heart of modern shops. With retail the biggest private sector employer in the UK today, this series charts how shopgirls have been central to Britain's retail revolution and at the cutting edge of social change.
Episodes
- E01
Here Come the Girls
Wed, 25 June· 60 minDr Pamela Cox charts the history of the shopgirl. She begins in the mid-19th century, when shops were owned and staffed by men.
- E02
Revolution on the Floor
Wed, 2 July· 60 minDr Pamela Cox charts the history of the shopgirl. Revealing how the life of the shopgirl was revolutionised in the early 20th century.
- E03
The New Cool
Wed, 9 July· 60 minDr Pamela Cox charts the history of the shopgirl. She looks at how shopgirls threw off their staid reputation to become hip in the second half of the 20th century.
Cast
Pamela Cox
Presenter