There is a whole cultural history behind it. In the period of modern art, the writers, painters and the political revolution all came together. Today, we are crossing the threshold of a global community, facing great political change, fascinating new technologies and difficult economic challenges. Moving forward, we look to the past with an eye on the future. It would be difficult to understand the past century of retail design without understanding a century of cultural development.
Cultural movement drives retail innovation.
Great art, architecture, literature and painting all blend and co-exist. All are reflective of their times and all have made an impact on retail design. The grand institution that is the department store began with the small dry-goods shops of lower Manhattan in the early 1820s. As immigration surged ahead, so, too, did commerce and industry. These small establishments soon became empires for the wants, desires and appetites of the growing populace.