Generally considered the world’s first department store, Le Bon Marché in Paris spurred a retail revolution when it began its incredible expansion in the late 19th century. The stores that followed on its tails, from Harrods in London and Macy’s in New York to Kaufhaus des Westens in Berlin and Mitsukoshi in Tokyo, have since become truly iconic.
Click through the gallery to discover their fascinating origin stories…
Le Bon Marché's founders, Aristide Boucicaut and his wife Marguerite, started out selling textiles in a small novelty shop in the 1850s, but soon realised there was a market for a new kind of establishment that offered customers more choice. They constructed a 'cathedral to commerce', on the corner of rue de Sèvres and rue Velpeau between 1869 and 1872 – adopting a visionary and daring approach to commerce which included the then unknown concepts of fixed prices, home delivery, exchanges and mail order. Their commercial model was soon being copied all over the world and inspired Emile Zola’s novel Au Bonheur des Dames.
The store continued to expand with Gustave Eiffel (yet to have designed his eponymous tower) employed to work on the project together with the architect, LA Boileau. Their pioneering use of glass and iron allowed natural light to flood into the building, which by 1887 occupied the entire block, and another building across the street. Rebuilt in Art Deco style in the 1920s following a fire, it now houses the Grand Epicerie de Paris, a luxury food store. The two buildings are today linked by a glass walkway and offer a combination of stunning design and amazing shopping opportunities.
Eleven storeys tall and occupying almost an entire city block, Macy’s flagship store in midtown Manhattan is one of the most iconic department stores in the world. Originally founded in 1858 by Rowland H Macy as a small dry goods emporium, by 1924 it had grown into the largest department store in the world, a title it still lays claim to (even though Guinness World Records have other ideas). Famous for its innovative publicity strategies such as illuminated window displays, department store Santas and, of course, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, it was also the first building in America to have modern escalators, some of which are still in use today.
The first Macy’s parade, which took place in 1924, looked very different to the spectacle we know today. More like a circus parade, it featured live bears, elephants, camels and monkeys borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. However, the roars and growls of the animals scared onlookers so much that subsequent parades switched to the famous character balloons, such as Felix the Cat seen here in 1932, which are so beloved to this day. Over the years, the parade has featured in dozens of films and TV series, from Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street to Seinfeld and Friends.
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The American entrepreneur Harry Gordon Selfridge opened his eponymous store in 1909. From the beginning he set out to change the nature of shopping, making it a pleasant experience for everyone. He revolutionised the sale of cosmetics and perfume, previously seen as somewhat taboo, by moving them to the front of the store instead of hiding them away at the back. Even more ground-breaking was his refusal to prosecute Suffragettes after they smashed windows on Oxford Street, and the subsequent opening of in-store restaurants where women could dine unchaperoned.
Selfridges also did its bit during the Second World War when the basement levels were occupied by the US army and housed a secure telex line which allowed Winston Churchill to speak to the American president. Back in the world of retail, Selfridges has continued to remain at the forefront. The iconic yellow bag, launched in 1993, is now recognised the world over. It opened a £300 million ($366m) accessories hall in 2016, the world’s first department store cinema in 2019 and has a constantly evolving selection of designers and innovative new brands. The efforts have not gone unnoticed – it is the only store to be named Best Department Store in the World four times.
Originally founded by Charles Henry Harrod as a modest grocery store with only two employees, Harrods would grow into one of the largest and most famous department stores in the world. Although based on the current site in Knightsbridge since 1849, the original store burned to the ground in 1883 and was replaced by the building currently in use today. The new store pioneered novel innovations such as individual cash desks and escalators (the first in London), which early customers found so unsettling they had to be given brandy to calm their nerves. This 1919 image of the ornately decorated Ladies shoe department is indicative of the store’s exclusive nature.
For a time Harrod’s even offered its own embalming and funeral services, with famous clients including Sigmund Freud and former prime minister Clement Attlee. Until the mid-1970s it also had an exotic pet department which sold everything from alligators and camels to elephants and tigers. The store continued to sell domestic pets such as dogs, cats and smaller animals until the Pet Kingdom department was closed altogether in 2014. Today its name is a byword for luxury and opulence, reflected in its ornate interior and lavish use of space. With a Latin motto meaning 'All things, for all people, everywhere' it now boasts over 300 departments, 20 restaurants, a bank, an estate agents and a beauty salon.
Pictured here in 1907, the year it opened, Berlin's Kaufhaus des Westens (Department Store of The West) is not only the most famous department store in Germany but also the largest in continental Europe. Its stunning building swiftly became a symbol of luxury and prosperity in the German capital, not once but twice. During the Second World War the original building was gutted by allied attacks, with one British bomber even crashing through its ceiling in November 1943, but it was rebuilt in the 1950s and soon became emblematic of Germany’s post-war 'economic miracle'.
Spread over eight floors, the store offers everything from luxury goods to electronics and office supplies, but the top two floors, devoted entirely to food, are probably the most famous. The store’s legendary Delicatessen is a food hall with more than 30 gourmet counters offering around 34,000 different items including more than 3,000 wines and over 1,000 cheeses from around the world. The Winter Garden on the top floor is a 1,000-seat restaurant with 12 distinct 'culinary stations' and a glass roof offering spectacular views over the Berlin skyline.
Mitsukoshi’s origins stretch all the way back to 1673. Founded under the name Echigoya, it was originally a kimono seller in Edo (now Tokyo). In 1683 the firm adopted a new marketing strategy, abandoning door-to-door sales in favour of a fixed location where they displayed their goods with price tags attached. The store grew steadily, gradually expanding its range, and was officially recognised as a department store in 1904. Today it is one of the most prestigious in Japan, famed for its luxury goods and exceptional customer service.
Mitsukoshi’s original flagship store, built in 1914, was badly damaged in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and had to be almost entirely rebuilt. The new building features a spectacular central hall of red and yellow marble beneath a grand skylit ceiling, while the main entrance is flanked by two enormous statues known as the 'Miracle Lions', so-called because they survived the earthquake unscathed. It is said that if you can straddle these lions without being seen by anyone else, your wish will come true.
In 1875, Arthur Lasenby Liberty borrowed £2,000 ($2,440) from his future father-in-law to rent a store on Regent Street. Although he only had three members of staff his ambitious aim was not to follow fashions but to create them. Fortunately, Liberty’s selection of ornaments, fabrics and objets d’art from around the world proved irresistible to a society which at the time was hooked on anything that came from Japan and the Far East. Within 18 months he was able to repay the loan. The store would become synonymous with the Arts and Crafts and aesthetic dress movements, with Oscar Wilde stating that it was “the chosen resort of the artistic shopper.”
Liberty’s magnificent Tudor Revival building on Great Marlborough Street followed in 1924. It was constructed from the timbers of two ancient three decker battleships with their decks forming the shop flooring. In keeping with the Tudor style, the shop was engineered around three atriums, each surrounded by smaller rooms and designed to feel like a home. Liberty’s furniture workshop was responsible for the intricately carved panels and pillars found throughout the store. Today, Liberty’s remains enduringly popular for its combination of designer fashion, homewares and vintage furniture.
Brothers Lyman and Joseph Bloomingdale opened the first Bloomingdales in 1872, although it wasn’t until 1886 that the store moved to its most famous home on 59th Street between 3rd Avenue and Lexington in Manhattan. Subsequent expansions meant that it would eventually span the entire block, becoming one of New York City’s largest and most prominent retail palaces. With a flair for publicity, it was the first North American store to install an elevator, pioneered the development of store window displays and gave the American Red Cross free use of an entire floor during the First World War.
Over the course of the 20th century, Bloomingdale’s developed a reputation as a centre of designer fashion and interior design. Its innovative home display 'Model Rooms' were guest-curated by celebrities such as Frank Gehry and Federico Fellini, while the store held its own fashion shows and pioneered the concept of designer shopping bags and in-store boutiques focusing on up-and-coming designers like Calvin Klein and Jean Paul Gaultier. Pop Artist supreme Andy Warhol once described it as a “new kind of museum for the ‘80s”. The store celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2022 in suitably spectacular style, with designer collaborations and incredible window displays.
Inspired by Parisian department stores such as Le Bon Marché and Samaritaine, El Palacio de Hierro (The Iron Palace) was founded in 1891 by two French entrepreneurs, Joseph Tron and Joseph Leautaud. Bringing a touch of European elegance, luxury and modernity to the historic centre of Mexico City, the original five storey building was the first in the city to be constructed from cast iron (hence the name), and the store went from strength to strength. In 1914, however, tragedy struck when the building was destroyed by fire and had to be entirely rebuilt.
Designed by French architect Paul Dubois, the new store opened in 1921, and with it came a change in focus from a mass market retailer to a luxury goods emporium. Encouraged by the booming Mexican economy it satisfied a growing demand for high end clothing, perfume, jewellery, watches and homewares, and in 1958 even launched the very first store credit card in Mexican history. Today, it operates several branches throughout the country and prides itself on being not the biggest store in Mexico, but the best.
Celebrating its centenary in 2024, the flagship store of Saks Fifth Avenue was the brainchild of Horace Saks and Bernard Gimbel, who dreamt of creating a luxury retail environment offering the finest quality men’s and women’s fashions and unbeatable customer service. The grand facade of this 10 storey neo-Renaissance building utilised limestone, marble and bronze, while the interior decor was all about contemporary elegance and up-to-the-minute amenities. The store was instrumental in turning upper Fifth Avenue, then still a largely residential area, into a world-famous mecca for luxury shopping.
Although Saks now has branches across America, the Fifth Avenue store remains the most iconic. Despite having undergone periodic renovations, the interior retains much of its original grandeur and the building was placed on the list of designated Manhattan Landmarks in 1984. Still a byword for designer luxury, it's famous for its enormous range of fashions and accessories. The shoe department alone occupies the entire eighth floor and is so big it has its own zip code.
El Corte Inglés is something of a Spanish institution. The only department store chain in Spain, it takes its name from a tailor shop in Madrid that the chain’s founder, Ramón Areces Rodríguez, purchased in 1935. The original Madrid store expanded and modified throughout the 1940s and 1950s. In the 1960s a second store was opened in Plaza Cataluña in Barcelona (pictured), the prelude to an enormous period of growth. El Corte Inglés introduced its own store card, then a novelty, in the 1960s and its famous 'satisfaction or your money back', guarantee in the 1970s, a policy which has won it many loyal customers.
El Corte Inglés acquired its leading competitor, Galerías Preciados, in 1995, which solidified its position as the dominant retailer in Spain. It now operates 93 stores in the country, including the Madrid Castellana flagship store (pictured). There you’ll find an extensive selection of Spanish and international luxury brands in ready-to-wear, accessories, cosmetics, watches and jewellery. It is also the first department store in the world to have a Michelin star restaurant, RavioXo.
Galeries Lafayette began life in 1893 as a small haberdashery shop on the corner of rue La Fayette and rue de la Chaussée d’Antin, run by two cousins from Alsace, Théophile Bader and Alphonse Kahn. The store’s prime location – near to the Opera and Grand Boulevards as well as the Gare Saint Lazare from which visitors to Paris arrived – meant that it was soon expanding. Bader’s dream of creating a 'luxury bazaar' finally came to fruition in 1912 when the flagship store on Boulevard Haussman was unveiled. The store boasted 96 different departments and a rooftop terrace offering panoramic views of Paris.
It also featured the now iconic stained-glass dome designed by master glass-maker Jacques Gruber. The store continued to innovate, having an Art Deco makeover in the 1930s which included bow windows by René Lalique. However, during the Occupation the business was 'aryanised' and its owners ousted until the Liberation. Fortunately, the store was able to bounce back after the Second World War, undergoing another makeover which included unveiling the highest escalator in Europe in 1951. The Paris store hasn’t looked back since. Around 37 million visitors flock there every year while Galeries Lafayette, still run by descendants of Bader, has developed into the largest department store chain in Europe.
Established in 1838, David Jones holds the title of the world’s oldest continuously operating department store still trading under its original name. Its founder, David Jones (of course) was a Welsh-born immigrant whose store catered to both the Sydney gentry and country settlers, selling everything from buckskins and ginghams to luxury fabrics like silk. His son Edward, who had travelled widely in the Old World, inherited the store in 1873 and transformed it into a European style department store, with hydraulic lifts, a mail order department and even its own factory.
David Jones continued to thrive in the 20th century, opening its flagship branch on Elizabeth Street in 1927 and introducing European couture to Australia via its own in-store fashion shows, including one in 1948 spotlighting Christian Diors’s 'New Look' – the first time Dior had ever shown outside Paris. Another coup came in 1954, when the store’s restaurant played host to Queen Elizabeth II, the first British monarch to set foot on Australian soil. In 2022 the Elizabeth Street branch underwent a massive AUS$400 million (£205m/ $270m) refurbishment securing its legacy into the 21st century.
La Rinascente in Milan’s Piazza Duomo is the flagship branch of a chain that can trace its origins back to the late 19th century. In 1877 the Bocconi brothers opened Aux Villes d’Italie at the Hôtel Confortable in Milan. Modelled on Le Bon Marché, it was the first department store in Italy. A Rome branch followed in 1887 with the Piazza Duomo branch opening in 1889. In 1917 the stores were sold to Senatore Borletti who created the company La Rinascente, with beautiful promotional posters created to celebrate the transformation. The Piazza Duomo store debuted as La Rinascente in 1918, only to be destroyed in a fire a few days later.
The store re-opened in 1921 having been transformed and enlarged. However it was hit by a bomb raid during the Second World War and had to be rebuilt yet again. When it re-opened in 1950 it was the building that is still recognisable today, a magnificent modern day Italian palazzo. Given Milan’s reputation as one of the world’s most important fashion centres it is no surprise that La Rinascente Piazza Duomo, voted the Best Department Store in the World in 2016, is at the forefront in the style department.
Stockholm’s most luxurious department store, Nordiska Kompaniet (The Nordic Company) was founded in 1902 in an attempt to rival similar grand establishments in Paris and London. The imposing granite-clad building of its Stockholm branch, which opened in 1915, was designed by Fedinand Boberg, Sweden’s leading Art Nouveau architect. Inside, the store’s centrepiece is its vast central atrium, with a floor of Swedish marble, brass bannisters on the stairs and a vast skylit ceiling illuminating the space from above.
In the 1920s and 1930s the store was well known for its furniture department, which sold iconic pieces by some of the most renowned Swedish designers of the era, and some of its famous wallpaper designs from the period (by Josef Frank) are still available today. In later years it became the first Swedish store to sell Barbie dolls and jeans, while today it's famous for its mints, which are produced daily in an in-store bakery according to a 100 year-old recipe.
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