Point of purchase
Subtitle: how shopping changed American culture
By: Sharon Zukin.
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2004
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 325
Subjects: Consumption (Economics) -- Social aspects -- United States; Shopping -- Social aspects -- United States -- History; Consumer behavior -- United States -- History
Description: "An historical account of modern shopping, Point of Purchase traces the incredible impact of consumer culture on public life from the five-and-dimes and mail-order catalogs of the mid-nineteenth century to today's eBay, Amazon.com, and Zagat guides. Unlike other social critics, Sharon Zukin does not condemn Americans for being obsessed by shopping opportunities. Rather, she explores why shopping has become so central to our lives: our being surrounded by too many stores, our never-ending quest for better values, and shopping's uncanny ability to make us think we are getting "the best.""--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [279]-312) and index.
Table of contents: title: A brief history of shopping; title: Julia learns to shop; title: From Woolworth's to Wal-mart; title: "The perfect pair of leather pants"; title: B. Altman, Ralph Lauren, and the death of the leisure class; title: Artemio goes to Tiffany's; title: Consumer guides and the invention of lifestyle; title: How Brooks brothers came to look like Banana Republic; title: The Zen of internet shopping; title: Zagats' 'R' us.