When Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian fruit and vegetable seller lit himself on fire in December 2010, the lives of informal retailers became relevant in world politics. In Egypt, too, there was growing frustration and resentment against the government in the retail sector. In Alexandria, like in other parts of the country, informal vendors face a number of challenges which include government interference, declining profits, global influence and increased competition. This paper will elucidate the socio-political anxiety of the informal retail community in Alexandria, immediately before the 2011 Revolution. The informal economy is an important subject for economists and international aid organizations, but little work has been devoted specifically to retailing, consumption and urban culture. One notable exception is Nicholas Hopkin’s research after the infitah into the informal sector in Egypt. Similarly, as part of Michael Hofmann’s research on informal economy in Fayum, he explains the effects of the infitah on local vending. In terms of high end retail, Mona Abaza addresses consumer culture and the social implications of shopping malls and retail shops in Cairo, from the 1960’s to the present, while touching on informal trade. On the other hand, Homa Hoodfar’s research in the 1980’s into economic coping skills of lower class families, elucidates much about the informal retail sector in Cairo. This paper is based on interviews with illegal street vendors, legal informal vendors, suq shop owners and distributors conducted in 2010 and early 2011 and will address the following questions: How is the informal retail sector differentiated? What is the relationship between distribution and mass culture? What is the relationship between vendors and the government? References Abaza, Mona, Changing consumer cultures of modern Egypt : Cairo's urban reshaping. Boston : Brill, 2006. Hoodfar, Homa. “Survival Strategies and The Political Economy of Low-Income Households in Cairo.” In Singerman, Diane and Homa Hoodfar (eds). Development, Change, and Gender in Cairo. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1996. pp. 1-26. Hofmann, Michael. “The Informal Sector in an Intermediate City: A Case in Egypt,” Economic Development and Cultural Change, Volume. 34, No. 2 (Jan., 1986), pp. 263-277. Hopkins, Nicholas. Informal Sector in Egypt (Cairo Papers in Social Science), Vol. 14, Monograph 4. American University in Cairo Press. 1991.