Market

Markets have existed since ancient times.  Open air, public markets were known in ancient Babylonia, Assyria, Phoenecia, Egypt and on the Arabian peninsula. In antiquity, markets were typically situated in the town's centre where they were surrounded by alleyways occupied by skilled artisans, such as metal-workers, leather workers and carpenters. These artisans may have sold wares directly from their premises, but also prepared goods for sale on market days.  Across ancient Greece market places (agorai) were to be found in most city states, where they operated within the agora (open space). 

In ancient Rome market places and shops were situated in the forum.

In the Middle-East, documentary sources suggest that a form of bazaar first developed around 3,000 BCE.

Early bazaars occupied a series of alleys along the length of the city, typically stretching from one city gate to a different gate on the other side of the city. The bazaar at Tabriz, for example, stretches along 1.5 kilometres of street and is the longest vaulted bazaar in the world.

Moosavi argues that the Middle-Eastern bazaar evolved in a linear pattern, whereas the market places of the West were more centralised.

Between 550 and 350 BCE, the Greeks organised trade into separate zones located near the city centre and known as stoa. The stoa was a freestanding colonnade with a covered walkway. The stoa was both a place of commerce and a public promenade and was situated within or adjacent to the agora. [9] At the market-place (agorai) in Athens, officials were employed by the government to oversee weights, measures, and coinage to ensure that the people were not cheated in market place transactions. The difficult, rocky and mountainous terrain in Greece made it difficult for producers to transport goods or surpluses to local markets, giving rise to a specialised type of retailer (kapeloi) who operated as an intermediary purchasing produce from farmers and transporting it over short distances to the city markets.

In ancient Rome, trade took place in the forum. Rome had two forums; the Forum Romanum and Trajan's Forum. The latter was a vast expanse, comprising multiple buildings with shops on four levels. The Roman forum was arguably the earliest example of a permanent retail shopfront.

In antiquity, exchange involved direct selling via merchants or peddlers and bartering systems were commonplace.