Commemorating the life and work of Professor Ross Davies, 1940-2005

Purpose - To introduce a commemorative collection of articles by colleagues and former students of the late Professor Ross Davies, a leading UK academic in the field of retail management. Design/methodology/approach - Outlines the development of Ross Davies' career and enumerates his particular contributions to the development of academic studies of retailing. Summarises the objectives of each paper in the collection. Findings - The paper identifies the link between the authors of papers and Professor Davies' work. Originality/value - Demonstrates the ways in which an academic was able to relate sound scholarship to the practical needs of retailers, service companies and public sector agencies.