This book draws together research on retail management and women s careers. It reveals the factors that continue to be problematic for women s careers and why they continue to be under-represented in the retail management hierarchy. A contextual background is provided in the first five chapters which summarise some wider issues for the non specialist reader. Chapters 6-11 each adopts a different theoretical perspective and so cumulatively a comprehensive understanding of the reasons for women s continued under-representation in retail management positions is gained. The overall findings indicate that the main reasons for women s and men s differential experience in the retail management hierarchy can be located in issues of male control. Retail management is male dominated, male identified and male centred. This can present itself in a variety of different ways, and through overt or covert means of behaviour and underlying organisational cultures. Key theoretical contributions tothe research are located in three sets of theory: the sexual division of labour and the organisation of retail work; the gendered retail career, and work-life balance and multiple role demands.