History of Department Stores

Department stores stand as iconic pillars of consumer culture, offering a treasure trove of goods under one roof, but turns out their origins remain shrouded in historical debate! What started as a simple investigation exploring what was the first department store, took a turn into following the trails of many small businesses founded over the course of 200 years, each booming alongside one another all around the world into the department stores we know and love today. Delving into the labyrinthine of retail history unveils a narrative rich with innovation, entrepreneurship, and fierce contention over what constitutes the first true department store. From the bustling arcades of Paris to the grand emporiums of London and Tokyo, and the opulent palaces of commerce in America, this exploration transcends borders, offering insight into the evolution of retailing with these giants today.

MITSUKOSHI, Toyko 1673

We begin in Japan. Originally founded in 1673 as a company called Echigoya that sold kimono door-to-door. A decade later founder Mitsui Takatoshi set up a store where buyers could purchase goods on the spot including fabric at whatever lengths his buyers desired, unusual at the time.

LE BON MARCHÉ, Paris 1850’s

Opened in 1838 as a small novelty shop. In 1852, entrepreneur Aristide Boucicaut and his wife Marguerite became investors, transforming it into a sprawling department store. The marketing plan included instituting fixed prices replacing the system of haggling, then commonly used in dry goods stores. Today the bustling department store is owned by LVMH.

FORTNUM & MASON, London 1707

Inventors of the Scotch Egg, a post office before post offices were a thing, and the first to bring canned baked beans to Britain!

HARDING HOWELL AND COMPANY, London 1796

This handsome Georgian shop was divided into four departments, offering furs and fans, haberdashery, jewelry and clocks, and millinery, or hats. It closed in 1820 but is considered a forerunner of department stores.

HARRODS, London 1840’s

Founded in 1849 by Charles Henry Harrod. From its humble beginnings as a small grocery store, the store has grown into a sprawling retail empire, offering a wide range of luxury products and services. Today it is owned by Harrods Ltd, a company currently owned by the state of Qatar via its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority.

FUN FACT: On November 16 1898, Harrods debuted England’s first escalator!

DAVID JONES, Sydney 1838

Founded by (you guessed it) David Jones, a Welsh immigrant who had previously worked as a tailor. Initially, the store was a small drapery shop, but it quickly grew in size and popularity, becoming one of the premier retailers in Sydney by the end of the 19th century and still thriving in Australia today!

A.T. STEWARTS, NYC 1846

Housed in what is now known as “The Sun Building” in lower Manhattan, Stewarts is considered by some to be the USA’s first department store. The Italian Renaissance palace at 280 Broadway contrasted the simplearchitecture in the neighborhood and was the first building in NYC to be clad in tuckahoe marble, which became the standard for high end retailers thereafter.

Today, a 21-story, full-block apartment building stands on the site of the old A.T. Stewart Department Store on Broadway and 10th Street.

A.T. Stewart Department Store building at 70 East 10th Street, 1918. Photo courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York.

ARNOLD CONSTABLE AND COMPANY, NYC 1825

Also considered by some to be the oldest department store in the country…

Starting as a small dry goods store on Pine St, in 1857 the store expanded to a department store in “The Marble House” at the corner of Canal and Mercer Streets. They boasted a product line offering “Everything from Cradle to Grave.”

They operated for more than 150 years, closing in 1975.

As we bid adieu to our journey researching the history of the first department stores, let's tip our hats to these retail pioneers who didn't just sell goods but invented the experience of department store shopping we know and love today. In their wake they left blueprints for wholesale change and innovative retail flair. Escalators! Perfume counters and hosiery in the same store! Food courts! Marble facades, etc. Next time you enter the halls of Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and the likes, we hope you take home not just shopping bags, but a sense of wonder and appreciation for the transformative power of commerce.