What is a department store?

If you love full-service Department stores, then Europe is for you. I would frame it this way: Europe has department stores like we have Walmarts:) Most every major city has multiple competing department stores that make most US Macy's stores look like an old Woolworth:) You could literally spend an entire day at Harrods in London. But as good as European stores are, the department stores in Tokyo are drop-dead amazing!

Department stores were actually invented in Paris, and they have wonderful, elegant department stores that sell not only clothes/makeup/gifts (the Macy's stuff) but gourmet foods.

Go outside the cities, though, and you'll see something depressingly familiar. Although Walmart only has a tiny presence in Europe, Carrefour basically fills the same market demographic in France and the Benelux countries. Germany has it's own version, but I forget the name of the store. The food and alcohol are of much higher quality than Walmart, but otherwise, it's a remarkably similar shopping experience.

Germany had some Walmarts, but they had to close them. The employees would not put up with the oppressive management style. Pretty funny actually.

As to department stores: Germany has several large chains, Kaufhof and Karstadt are the better quality and possibly equivilant to Macys and they also have grocery sections (a lot of gourmet selections), Toom Markt or Real are probably equivalent to Walmarts, and we still have Woolworths, better known as Woolies and very popular.

I don't think Walmart would be called a department store in the UK. We have Woolworths, but that isn't called a department store, it's just considered a normal high street shop.

In the UK we have our high-end department stores like Harrods and Harvey Nichols. Debenhams is probably the most common department store in the UK in that there are branches all over the place. It is more afforable, but still sells premium fragrance and cosmetics.

In the UK...I always felts M & S was close to our Macy's in what's offered and price level. And they seem to be everywhere now.

I usually don't shop at one stop shopping centers like Walmart, but I am excited to experience the European Department Stores....

Well hopefully your trip includes Paris because the stores there are just gorgeous (I forgot to mention the rooftop views and domes). Just look at the websites for Printemps and Galleries Lafayette!

http://www.galeries-lafayette-paris.com/store_guide.htm

http://departmentstoreparis.printemps.com/our_store/index.aspx

Italy has COIN.

Berlin has KaDeWe

European department stores are better than ours. I have such fond memories of going shopping with my mom in them as a kid. And unlike many here, they are not attached to MALLS.

January is a good time to go and hit the sales.

KaDeWe is a wonderful store in Berlin, Sharon is right!
On the top floor, the food is amazing! Foods from all over the world, and so much to choose from! I've never seen any department store in the USA that is as good as what they have in Europe. When I'm in Paris, I'll be sure to check out a department store when I'm there next year!

Macy's Herald Square....NYC.....before it became corporate.

There are department stores in Britain and Germany (the only places I've actually looked for a store). They look pretty much like ours but I can't tell you the names because I didn't pay that much attention.

In Britain they do have Walmart , its called ASDA.

The department stores that are popular are Marks & Spencers, Fortnum & Mason, and Harrods of course. Here is an article about dept stores in Europe :

http://www.visiteurope.com/ccm/experience/detail/?nav_cat=134&lang=fr_GL&item_url=/ETC/pan-european/magasinage-en-europe---grands-magasins-europeens.ja

Why do you ask?

The idea of a department store was to put many different types of merchandise under one roof and one overall management. This was originally a much broader selection than most stores have today and included; clothing (mens, womens, kids, bridal), accessories (shoes, cosmetics, handbags), sundries (notions, sewing, greeting cards, books), and homefurnishings (furniture, appliances). The largest ones also included musical instruments, pet stores, bakeries, food courts, toys, travel agencies, and even a post office.

I remember when Macys, Herald Square, not only sold pianos but also piano roles for player pianos. Today, in the USA, the 'downtown' headquarters type store is pretty much a white elephant and if it still exists at all it has been considerably reduced in size and scope. More of the retail effort has been removed to the mall where the expensive overhead has forced a consolidation of assortment and focus.

It is interesting that in Europe you can still find stores that include a larger selection of merchandise than those in the USA. I suspect that this is because suburban malls are less inportant to the retail mix in European communities than they are in the USA. Seek them out because they are fun to visit and have considerably more individual character than you will find in stores in the USA.

Hey George, sounds like you're talking about the old Wannamaker's and Strawbridge's stores...

The UK also has Peter Jones department stores.

Laura, Here's my opinion. I don't think many Europeans would consider Walmart a department store any more than we would condider Costco to be a department store. Department Stores have "departments", all others have "aisles". Also M&S is more like JCPenny than Macy's.