Holding Ground Against Winds of Change: The Story of the 122-year-old RA Bailey Store in Palapye, Botswana

Abstract

Palapye is a village or town that has become well known for a retail explosion that has seen high-class
malls spring up throughout the village, jostling for both the increasingly wealthier local population and
abundant AI highway traffic. At every strategic intersection in the village, a new shiny mall is rising,
millions of Pula being spent on modern designs and finishes. The billboards and insignia of trendy retail
brands are emblazoned at the malls, indicative of the fierce competition being waged for the hearts and
minds of consumers.