A Glance into the Life of Street Vendors in Sri Lanka: An Overview

Abstract

Street vendors play a vital role in the contemporary business context. However, considerable attention has not been paid to street vendors, and only a handful of studies have been conducted to evaluate the behaviour of street vendors. This study was conducted to analyze the key attributes of street vending in the context of Sri Lanka and the background of street vendors. The triangulation approach, involving qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, was adopted to conduct the study. Accordingly, qualitative tools such as in-depth interviews, observations and disguised customers were used in addition to the survey conducted. The background of street vendors was evaluated in terms of personal & family, educational, social & cultural and economic aspects based on the data gathered from street vendors. Moreover, a few specific features were recognized in the context of street vending in Sri Lanka. As a major outcome of the study, a classification of street vendors was presented based on their behaviour, intention, functions and demographic variables.