There are diverse representations of retail shops. In a context, retail shops could be strip shopping centers in streets while another context depicts a retail shop as a big shopping mall in a building. Some shopping streets are mainly patronized by pedestrians although to influence more clients some of these retail shops in streets create a better shopping atmosphere especially from harsh weather conditions, some shopping streets have roofs which could be either partial or full. Without shops, retailing still occurs especially with online, electronic and mailing means in place. Some retail stores brand their shops as wholesale outlets attracting customers who accept the notion that they also deal in wholesale prices. A retail store could be a shopping arcade, an anchor store, a bazaar, a boutique. It could also be a chain, cooperative, specialty, convenience, general, concept, variety, warehouse, department, and discount or destination store.

Associated with retailing, is the non-retail activity. This involves marketing to business customers rather than the final consumers alone. Retailing also includes direct transactions from house to house, through vending machines and not just establishments alone. Services are also part of what can be retailed and not just goods alone. People who deal in retailing services such as private healthcare, education and security firms, banking, insurance and legal firms, publishers, transport, tourism, and hospitality services are known as service-providers.

Alaska is also best known for its oil industry and it is the largest state in the United States and is larger than all but 18 sovereign countries, counting territorial waters. The wide sparse of land coupled with the natural features of its myriad island makes space for migrants so retail distribution stores in the state tends to boom. Alaska is a state that creates revenue through service providing especially through tourism. The state’s national park system features 24 units and these parks are collectively visited by 2.6 million people yearly. These visits contribute about $ 1.1 billion to the state’s economy. Alaska has surrounding offshore islands, so the natural and vast landscape, wildlife and culture creates a lot of guided activities such as  whale watching, sightseeing tours,  flightseeing, hiking, rafting, wildlife viewing and fishing for these visitors as well as more revenue, numerous growth and contribution to the state.

Apart from service-providing retail stores, Alaska is surrounded by water bodies thus is as a state blessed with seafood.  So a lot of retail stores in the state deal in seafood and usually provide cheaper rates than ones outside the state. At first when the state was almost totally dependent on the US government and got the rest of their revenue from mostly commercial fishing.Fishing alone accounts for over $ 6 million.

Alaska’s food supply chain usually comes from places miles away from the state and so retail stores that deal with fresh produce tend to struggle to keep these products fresh.  Alaska grocery retail stores find it hard when there are ruptures in the supply chain especially with the inclement weather as well. Therefore consumers in Alaska are increasingly hungry for fresh organic products.