The commerce of comfort : exploring retail trade and consumer patterns in late 18th-century Courland

While several studies have shed light on the emergence of consumer society in Western Europe and the Atlantic world, our knowledge on the spread of new consumption patterns in regions beyond the core areas of European economic development is still limited. To gain insights into patterns of retail trade, distribution chains and consumer behaviour in the Baltic region, this article analyses an account book of a hitherto unknown retail merchant from Courland, written during the 1770s. This account book - the so-called "Mitau Ledger" - is a unique source, as it reveals distribution channels of manufactured goods in the Baltic hinterland from the perspective of a regional trader and offers valuable information on consumer patterns, craft production and fashion trends in 18th-century Courland.