Title: Mapping entrepreneurs' types in a Brazilian informal clothes retailing cluster

Authors: Julio Araujo Carneiro-da-Cunha; Dennys Eduardo Rossetto

Addresses: Department of Management, Nove de Julho University (UNINOVE), Av. Francisco Matarazzo, 612, Água Branca, São Paulo, 05001-100, Brazil ' International Management School, Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing (ESPM), R. Dr. Álvaro Alvim, 123, Vila Mariana, São Paulo, 04018-010, Brazil

Abstract: Informal economy represents an expanding sector of economy activity worldwide, especially in Latin American counties. This includes Brazil, where high levels of informal entrepreneurships compose the country economy background. These informal entrepreneurs may act in clusters. One of these cases is the Brás' informal garment trade markets. The objective is to map the different kinds of entrepreneurs co-existing inside this specific informal cluster in Brazil, considering possible advantages and disadvantages they might have. It was identified four main types of entrepreneur sellers in the retail cluster: 1) formal sellers from sidewalk tents; 2) informal sellers with no tent set up; 3) formal retail stores; 4) informal sellers located inside warehouses. It was also proposed that risks related to governmental inspection and security issues could serve as antecedents of each entrepreneurship types incidence at Brás. This is an institutional mechanism that could be used by policy makers.

Keywords: informal economy; entrepreneurship; informal entrepreneurs; retail clusters; clothing industry; apparel industry; garment industry; entrepreneurial types; Brazil; clothes retailing; Brás.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2015.071318

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2015 Vol.26 No.1, pp.21 - 42

Received: 09 Jan 2015
Accepted: 11 Jan 2015
Published online: 20 Aug 2015 *

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