This book investigates the mechanisms and strategies that facilitated the emergence of mass markets for consumer durables in Britain during the inter-war period. Peter Scott, an economic historian, analyzes the intersection of domestic industrial development and the influence of American business models. By examining the transition of goods from luxury items to household staples, the author argues that specific market-making practices were essential to overcoming barriers to mass consumption in a post-WWI economic landscape.

Scholars in the field of economic history recognize this work as a rigorous examination of British consumer culture during the 1920s and 1930s. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which relies heavily on archival data and historical economic theory.