romikgosai/squad_modified huggingface dataset:
Before the 1950s, the department store held an eminent place in both Canada and Australia, during both the Great Depression and World War II. Since then, they have suffered from strong competition from specialist stores. Most recently the competition has intensified with the advent of larger-scale superstores (Jones et al. 1994; Merrilees and Miller 1997). Competition was not the only reason for the department stores' weakening strength; the changing structure of cities also affected them. The compact and centralized 19th century city with its mass transit lines converging on the downtown was a perfect environment for department store growth. But as residents moved out of the downtown areas to the suburbs, the large, downtown department stores became inconvenient and lost business to the newer suburban shopping malls. In 2003, U.S. department store sales were surpassed by big-box store sales for the first time (though some stores may be classified as "big box" by physical layout and "department store" by merchandise).

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What is one type of competition department stores face? 
A: specialist stores', '
Q: What types of stores have created even more competition? 
A: superstores', '
Q: What factor lead to a decrease in department store shoppers?
A: residents moved out of the downtown areas to the suburbs', '
Q: In what year were department store sales beaten by larger stores?
A: 2003']
Since the opening policy in 1979, the Chinese department stores also develops swiftly along with the fast-growing economy. There are different department store groups dominating different regions. For example, INTIME department store has the biggest market presence in Zhejiang province, while Jinying department stores dominate Jiangsu Province. Besides, there are many other department store groups, such as Pacific, Parkson, Wangfujing，New World，etc., many of them are expanding quickly by listing in the financial market.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What began the influx of Chinese department stores?
A: opening policy in 1979', '
Q: What area does INTIME department stores have the most influence in?
A: Zhejiang province', '
Q: What department store has the most success in Jiangsu Province?
A: Jinying', '
Q: How are these foreign department stores expanding so quickly? 
A: by listing in the financial market.']
The first department stores Lane Crawford was opened in 1850 by Scots Thomas Ash Lane and Ninian Crawford on Des Voeux Road, Hong Kong Island. At the beginning, the store mainly catered visiting ships' crews as well as British Navy staff and their families. In 1900, the first ethnic-Chinese owned Sincere Department Store was opened by Ma Ying Piu, who returned from Australia and inspired by David Jones. In 1907, another former Hong Kong expatriate in Australia, the Kwok's family, returned to Hong Kong and founded Wing On.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What year did Lane Crawford open? 
A: 1850', '
Q: Who established Lane Crawford? 
A: Scots Thomas Ash Lane and Ninian Crawford', "
Q: What was the store's original target customer base?
A: visiting ships' crews as well as British Navy staff and their families", '
Q: Who opened the first Chinese-owned department store? 
A: Ma Ying Piu']
In Denmark you find three department store chains: Magasin (1868), Illum (1891), Salling (1906). Magasin is by far the largest with 6 stores all over the country, with the flagship store being Magasin du Nord on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. Illums only store on Amagertorv in Copenhagen has the appearance of a department store with 20% run by Magasin, but has individual shop owners making it a shopping centre. But in people's mind it remains a department store. Salling has two stores in Jutland with one of these being the reason for the closure of a magasin store due to the competition.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What are the 3 main department store companies in Denmark? 
A: Magasin (1868), Illum (1891), Salling (1906).', '
Q: Currently, what is the largest department store chain in Denmark? 
A: Magasin', '
Q: Where is Magasin\'s "flagship" store located? 
A: Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen', '
Q: How many stores does Salling have in Jutland? 
A: two']
France's major upscale department stores are Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps, which both have flagship stores on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris and branches around the country. The first department store in France, Le Bon Marché in Paris, was founded in 1852 and is now owned by the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH. La Samaritaine, another upscale department store also owned by LVMH, closed in 2005. Mid-range department stores chains also exist in France such as the BHV (Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville), part of the same group as Galeries Lafayette.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What are two main department stores in France?
A: Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps', '
Q: What year was the first department store open in France? 
A: 1852', '
Q: Who currently owns Le Bon Marche?
A: LVMH', '
Q: What apartment store in Paris was closed in 2005? 
A: La Samaritaine', "
Q: What French department store is part of the same group as Galeries Lafayette?
A: BHV (Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville)"]
The design and function of department stores in Germany followed the lead of London, Paris and New York. Germany used to have a number of department stores; nowadays only a few of them remain. Next to some smaller, independent department stores these are Karstadt (in 2010 taken over by Nicolas Berggruen, also operating the KaDeWe in Berlin, the Alsterhaus in Hamburg and the Oberpollinger in Munich), GALERIA Kaufhof (part of the Metro AG). Others like Hertie, Wertheim and Horten AG were taken over by others and either fully integrated or later closed.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What cities influenced how department stores in Germany operated? 
A: London, Paris and New York.', '
Q: What department store was taken over by Nicolas Berggruen in 2010?
A: Karstadt', '
Q: What major department store operates in Berlin? 
A: KaDeWe', '
Q: What store is a part of the Metro AG?
A: GALERIA Kaufhof']
The middle up segment is mainly occupied by Metro Department Store originated from Singapore and Sogo from Japan. 2007 saw the re-opening of Jakarta's Seibu, poised to be the largest and second most upscale department store in Indonesia after Harvey Nichols, which the latter closed in 2010 and yet plans to return. Other international department stores include Debenhams and Marks & Spencer. Galeries Lafayette also joins the Indonesian market in 2013 inside Pacific Place Mall. This department store is targeting middle up market with price range from affordable to luxury, poised to be the largest upscale department store. Galeries Lafayette, Debenhams, Harvey Nichols, Marks & Spencer, Seibu and Sogo are all operated by PT. Mitra Adiperkasa.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: Where did the Metro Department store originally begin?
A: Singapore and Sogo from Japan', '
Q: When did Seibu, located in Jakarta, re-open? 
A: 2007', '
Q: Where did Galeries Lafayette open in 2013, inside Indonesia? 
A: Pacific Place Mall', '
Q: Who operates the wide range of department stores in these areas?
A: PT. Mitra Adiperkasa.', '
Q: What store led the Indonesian markets until 2010 when it closed? 
A: Harvey Nichols']
Parkson enters by acquiring local brand Centro Department Store in 2011. Centro still operates for middle market while the 'Parkson' brand itself, positioned for middle-up segment, enters in 2014 by opening its first store in Medan, followed by its second store in Jakarta. Lotte, meanwhile, enters the market by inking partnership with Ciputra Group, creating what its called 'Lotte Shopping Avenue' inside the Ciputra World Jakarta complex, as well as acquiring Makro and rebranding it into Lotte Mart.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What store did Parkson buy in 2011? 
A: Centro Department Store', "
Q: Where did Centro open it's first store of 2014?
A: Medan", '
Q: Who did Lotte partner with? 
A: Ciputra Group', '
Q: Where is the "Lotte Shopping Avenue" located? 
A: Ciputra World Jakarta complex', "
Q: What was Makro re-labeled as after it's purchase? 
A: Lotte Mart"]
Ireland developed a strong middle class, especially in the major cities, by the mid-nineteenth century. They were active patrons of department stores. Delany's New Mart was opened in 1853 in Dublin, Ireland. Unlike others, Delany's had not evolved gradually from a smaller shop on site. Thus it could claim to be the first purpose-built Department Store in the world. The word department store had not been invented at that time and thus it was called the "Monster House". The store was completely destroyed in the 1916 Easter Rising, but reopened in 1922.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: When did Ireland begin to see a growth in its middle class?
A: mid-nineteenth century.', "
Q: What department store was founded in 1853?
A: Delany's New Mart", "
Q: In what city was Delany's New Mart opened? 
A: Dublin", "
Q: What was Delany's originally called? 
A: Monster House", '
Q: In what year was the store destroyed? 
A: 1916']
Mexico has a large number of department stores based in Mexico, of which the most traditional are El Palacio de Hierro (High end and luxury goods) and Liverpool (Upper-middle income), with its middle income sister store Fabricas de Francia. Sanborns owns over 100 middle income level stores throughout the country. Grupo Carso operates Sears Mexico and two high-end Saks 5th Avenue stores. Other large chains are Coppel and Elektra, which offer items for the bargain price seeker. Wal-Mart operates Suburbia for lower income shoppers, along with stores under the brand names of Wal-Mart, Bodega Aurrera, and Superama.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What Mexican department store typically caters to high-end goods?
A: El Palacio de Hierro', '
Q: What company is responsible for over 100 stores in the country? 
A: Sanborns', '
Q: What company operates Sears Mexico? 
A: Grupo Carso', '
Q: What chains typically cater to bargain shoppers? 
A: Coppel and Elektra']
The iconic department stores of New Zealand's three major centres are Smith & Caughey's (founded 1880), in New Zealand's most populous city, Auckland; Kirkcaldie & Stains (founded 1863) in the capital, Wellington; and Ballantynes (founded 1854) in New Zealand's second biggest city, Christchurch. These offer high-end and luxury items. Additionally, Arthur Barnett (1903) operates in Dunedin. H & J Smith is a small chain operating throughout Southland with a large flagship store in Invercargill. Farmers is a mid-range national chain of stores (originally a mail-order firm known as Laidlaw Leeds founded in 1909). Historical department stores include DIC. Discount chains include The Warehouse, Kmart Australia, and the now-defunct DEKA.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What sorts of goods do the most popular department stores in New Zealand offer? 
A: high-end and luxury items', '
Q: What city is Arthur Barnett in? 
A: Dunedin', "
Q: Where is H & J Smith's flagship store?
A: Invercargill", '
Q: Where are H & J Smith stores typically located? 
A: Southland', '
Q: When was Laidlaw Leeds first established? 
A: 1909']
Panama's first department stores such as Bazaar Francés, La Dalia and La Villa de Paris started as textile retailers at the turn of the nineteenth century. Later on in the twentieth century these eventually gave way to stores such as Felix B. Maduro, Sarah Panamá, Figali, Danté, Sears, Gran Morrison and smaller ones such as Bon Bini, Cocos, El Lider, Piccolo and Clubman among others. Of these only Felix B. Maduro (usually referred to as Felix by locals) and Danté remain strong. All the others have either folded or declined although Cocos has managed to secure a good position in the market.

Questions and answers:
["
Q: How did Panama's department stores originally begin? 
A: as textile retailers", "
Q: When did Panama's Department stores first start? 
A: at the turn of the nineteenth century", '
Q: What department store is often called "Felix" by the local population? 
A: Felix B. Maduro', "
Q: What store has managed to survive despite much it's competition going under? 
A: Cocos"]
The first department store in the Philippines is the Hoskyn's Department Store of Hoskyn & Co. established in 1877 in Iloilo by the Englishman Henry Hoskyn, nephew of Nicholas Loney, the first British vice-consul in Iloilo. Some of the earliest department stores in the Philippines were located in Manila as early as 1898 with the opening of the American Bazaar, which was later named Beck's. During the course of the American occupation of the Philippines, many department stores were built throughout the city, many of which were located in Escolta. Heacock's, a luxury department store, was considered as the best department store in the Orient. Other department stores included Aguinaldo's, La Puerta del Sol, Estrella del Norte, and the Crystal Arcade, all of which were destroyed during the Battle of Manila in 1945. After the war, department stores were once again alive with the establishment of Shoemart (now SM), and Rustan's. Since the foundation of these companies in the 1950s, there are now more than one hundred department stores to date. At present, due to the huge success of shopping malls, department stores in the Philippines usually are anchor tenants within malls. SM Supermalls and Robinsons Malls are two of the country's most prominent mall chains, all of which has Department Store sections.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: When was the first department store in the Philippines opened?
A: 1877', '
Q: Who opened some of the first department stores in the Philippines? 
A: Henry Hoskyn', '
Q: Where were some of the original Philippine stores located?  
A: Manila', '
Q: What historical event led to many department stores in the area being destroyed? 
A: Battle of Manila in 1945', "
Q: When were the companies Shoemart and Rustan's established? 
A: 1950s"]
In Puerto Rico, various department stores have operated, such as Sears, JC Penney, Macy's, Kmart, Wal-Mart, Marshalls, Burlington Coat Factory, T.J. Maxx, Costco, Sam's Club and others. La New York was a Puerto Rican department store. Topeka, Capri and Pitusa are competitors on the Puerto Rican market that also have hypermarkets operating under their names. Retailers Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue also have plans to come to the Mall of San Juan, a new high-end retail project with over 100 tenants. The mall is set to open in March 2015.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What department store in Puerto Rico is named after an American city?
A: La New York', '
Q: When is the Mall of San Juan expected to open? 
A: March 2015', '
Q: How many tenants are expected to set up shop in the Mall of San Juan?
A: 100 tenants', '
Q: What two major retailers have plans to do business in the mall once it opens? 
A: Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue']
The site where the Saint Petersburg Passage sprawls had been devoted to trade since the city's foundation in the early 18th century. It had been occupied by various shops and warehouses (Maly Gostiny Dvor, Schukin Dvor, Apraksin Dvor) until 1846, when Count Essen-Stenbock-Fermor acquired the grounds to build an elite shopping mall for the Russian nobility and wealthy bourgeoisie. Stenbock-Fermor conceived of the Passage as more than a mere shopping mall, but also as a cultural and social centre for the people of St Petersburg. The edifice contained coffee-houses, confectioneries, panorama installations, an anatomical museum, a wax museum, and even a small zoo, described by Dostoyevsky in his extravaganza "Crocodile, or Passage through the Passage". The concert hall became renowned as a setting for literary readings attended by the likes of Dostoevsky and Turgenev. Parenthetically, the Passage premises have long been associated with the entertainment industry and still remains home to the Komissarzhevskaya Theatre.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: When was Saint Petersburg established? 
A: early 18th century', '
Q: Who founded a shopping mall reserved for the most elites of society? 
A: Count Essen-Stenbock-Fermor', '
Q: What famous author described parts of the mall in his books?
A: Dostoyevsky', '
Q: What historical site still operates within the mall? 
A: Komissarzhevskaya Theatre']
Socialism confronted consumerism in the chain State Department Stores (GUM), set up by Lenin in 1921 as a model retail enterprise. It operated stores throughout Russia and targeted consumers across class, gender, and ethnic lines. GUM was designed to advance the Bolsheviks' goals of eliminating private enterprise and rebuilding consumerism along socialist lines, as well as democratizing consumption for workers and peasants nationwide. GUM became a major propaganda purveyor, with advertising and promotional campaigns that taught Russians the goals of the regime and attempted to inculcate new attitudes and behavior. In trying to create a socialist consumer culture from scratch, GUM recast the functions and meanings of buying and selling, turning them into politically charged acts that could either contribute to or delay the march toward utopian communism. By the late 1920s, however, GUM's gandiose goals had proven unrealistic and largely alienated consumers, who instead learned a culture of complaint and entitlement. GUM's main function became one of distributing whatever the factories sent them, regardless of consumer demand or quality.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What group was established in 1921 in response to the clash between socialism and consumerism? 
A: State Department Stores (GUM)', '
Q: When did GUM begin to decline and lose power? 
A: late 1920s', '
Q: Who formed the State Department Stores, AKA GUM? 
A: Lenin', '
Q: When did they first establish the organization?
A: 1921']
In the 21st century the most famous department store in Russia is GUM in Moscow, followed by TsUM and the Petrovsky Passage. Other popular stores are Mega (shopping malls), Stockmann, and Marks & Spencer. Media Markt, M-video, Technosila, and White Wind (Beliy Veter) sell large number of electronic devices. In St. Petersburg The Passage has been popular since the 1840s. 1956 Soviet film Behind Store Window (За витриной универмага) on YouTube depicts operation of a Moscow department store in 1950's.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: Where is the most notable Russian department store located?
A: Moscow', '
Q: In what city is the Passage located?
A: St. Petersburg', '
Q: What movie demonstrates the operation of department stores in the former Soviet Union?
A: Behind Store Window', '
Q: When was the movie depicting soviet department stores filmed? 
A: 1956']
The five most prevalent chains are Lotte, Hyundai, Shinsegae, Galleria, AK plaza. Lotte Department Store is the largest, operating more than 40 stores (include outlet, young plaza, foreign branches). Hyundai Department Store has about 14 stores (13dept, 1outlet), and there are 10 stores in Shinsegae. Shinsegae has 3 outlet store with Simon. Galleria has 5, AK has 5 stores. Galleriaeast and west is well known by luxury goods. These five department stores are known to people as representative corporations in the field of distirution in South Korea. From fashion items to electric appliances, people can buy various kinds of products. Every weekend, people are fond of going around these department stores, because their location is usually easy to visit. As of 2010 the Shinsegae department store in Centum City, Busan, is the largest department store in the world.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What department store chain operates the most stores? 
A: Lotte Department Store', '
Q: Where is the "field of distribution" most often associated with?
A: South Korea', '
Q: What store was the largest department store in the world in 2010?
A: Shinsegae department store', '
Q: Where is the largest department store in the world located?
A: Centum City, Busan']
The first department store in Spain was Almacenes el Siglo opened in October 1881 in Barcelona. Following the 2002 closure by the Australian group Partridges of their SEPU (Sociedad Española de Precios Unicos) department store chain, which was one of Spain's oldest, the market is now dominated by El Corte Inglés, founded in 1934 as a drapery store. El Corte Inglés stores tend to be vast buildings, selling a very broad range of products and the group also controls a number of other retail formats including supermarket chain 'Supercor' and hypermarket chain 'Hipercor'. Other competitors such as 'Simago' and 'Galerías Preciados' closed in the 1990s, however El Corte Inglés, faces major competition from French discount operators such as Carrefour and Auchan.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What was the name of the first Spanish department store?
A: Almacenes el Siglo', '
Q: When was the first Spanish department store opened? 
A: October 1881', '
Q: What department store brand now owns most of the market in Spain? 
A: El Corte Inglés', '
Q: When was El Corte Ingles established? 
A: 1934']
John Lewis Newcastle (formerly Bainbridge) in Newcastle upon Tyne, is the world's oldest Department Store. It is still known to many of its customers as Bainbridge, despite the name change to 'John Lewis'. The Newcastle institution dates back to 1838 when Emerson Muschamp Bainbridge, aged 21, went into partnership with William Alder Dunn and opened a draper's and fashion in Market Street, Newcastle. In terms of retailing history, one of the most significant facts about the Newcastle Bainbridge shop, is that as early as 1849 weekly takings were recorded by department, making it the earliest of all department stores. This ledger survives and is kept in the John Lewis archives. John Lewis bought the Bainbridge store in 1952.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What is the former name of John Lewis Newcastle? 
A: Bainbridge', "
Q: What is the world's oldest department store? 
A: John Lewis Newcastle", '
Q: Who partnered with William Alder Dunn to open the first store? 
A: Emerson Muschamp Bainbridge', '
Q: What was the location of the first store? 
A: Market Street, Newcastle', '
Q: When did John Lewis purchase and take over the Bainbridge store?
A: 1952']
Also, Kendals in Manchester can lay claim to being one of the oldest department stores in the UK. Beginning as a small shop owned by S. and J. Watts in 1796, its sold a variety of goods. Kendal Milne and Faulkner purchased the business in 1835. Expanding the space, rather than use it as a typical warehouse simply to showcase textiles, it became a vast bazaar. Serving Manchester's upmarket clientele for over 200 years, it was taken over by House of Fraser and recently rebranded as House of Fraser Manchester – although most Mancunians still refer to it as Kendals. The Kendal Milne signage still remains over the main entrance to the art deco building in the city's Deansgate.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: Who purchased a small shop in 1835, which would eventually become Kendals?
A: Kendal Milne and Faulkner', '
Q: Where was the store located? 
A: Manchester', '
Q: How long did the store operate for? 
A: over 200 years', '
Q: Who eventually purchased and assumed operation of the store? 
A: House of Fraser']
All major cities have their distinctive local department stores, which anchored the downtown shopping district until the arrival of the malls in the 1960s. Washington, for example, after 1887 had Woodward & Lothrop and Garfinckel's starting in 1905. Garfield's went bankrupt in 1990, as did Woodward & Lothrop in 1994. Baltimore had four major department stores: Hutzler's was the prestige leader, followed by Hecht's, Hochschild's and Stewart's. They all operated branches in the suburbs, but all closed in the late twentieth century. By 2015, most locally owned department stores around the country had been consolidated into larger chains, or had closed down entirely.

Questions and answers:
["
Q: When did Garfinckel's begin operating in Washington? 
A: 1905", "
Q: In what year did Garfield's go bankrupt?
A: 1990", '
Q: How many major department stores did Baltimore have at the time? 
A: four', '
Q: By what year had most local stores been assimilated into larger chain operations? 
A: 2015']