The Great American Shopping Experience: The History of American Retail from Main Street to the Mall

Excellent book that covers the history of Department stores and the Malls. Appreciate the great photos and quality of paper is very good.

A surprisingly informative and engaging read. I was expecting a bit of a dry read, kind of a textbook type of feeling. But surprisingly, the author kept me engaged throughout the chapters and I felt my heart plummet when he got to the end of the book and all of the stores closed. It felt Ike I was being transported to the past and living alongside the people of the early 1900s and going shopping with them. By the time I finished, I was completely floored at how historic it is. It’s a great find and well written. 10/10

Information and stories about a wide range of shopping experiences, from the catalogs of the late 1800's, department stores, supermarkets, and dimestores to malls and discounters. This is the first book that I have found which covers such a variety.

An extremely well-researched look at the changing face of retail. It covers the earliest days when immigrant peddlers became merchants who created grand palaces of commerce in downtowns. Then the shift of the population moved stores to the suburbs. And the availability of space enabled malls to be created. The most fascinating are the stories of the origins of the grand department stores and the experiences that were created to make each visit a special time especially during the holidays. The vast consolidation of these stores marked the end of the industry’s growth combined with a change in society resulting in the lack of time to be able to spend shopping. For anyone who works in the retail or shopping center industry, this book should be of high interest. But even if you have no professional connection to the subject matter, this nostalgic look back should delight anyone who simply finds the history of shopping fascinating. And if you've ever wondered what happened to your favorite stores, this book will give you the answers.