Department stores today have sections that sell the following: clothing, furniture, home appliances, toys, cosmetics, gardening, toiletries, sporting goods, do it yourself, paint, and hardware and additionally select other lines of products such as food, books, jewelry, electronics, stationery, photographic equipment, baby products, and products for pets. Customers check out near the front of the store or, alternatively, at sales counters within each department. Some are part of a retail chain of many stores, while others may be independent retailers. In the 1970s, they came under heavy pressure from discounters. Since 2010, they have come under even heavier pressure from online stores such as Amazon. 

The origins of the department store lay in the growth of the conspicuous consumer society at the turn of the 19th century. As the Industrial Revolution accelerated economy expansion, the affluent middle-class grew in size and wealth. This urbanized social group, sharing a culture of consumption and changing fashion, was the catalyst for the retail revolution. As rising prosperity and social mobility increased the number of people, especially women (who found they could shop unaccompanied at department stores without damaging their reputation), with disposable income in the late Georgian period, window shopping was transformed into a leisure activity and entrepreneurs, like the potter Josiah Wedgwood, pioneered the use of marketing techniques to influence the prevailing tastes and preferences of society.
Who was the potter?
What did he pioneer?
why?
What?
What type of business has lots of different sections?
Where do customers pay?
Or where else?
Do they get competition from discount outfits?
When did that start?
Have conditions improved?
WHo is the modern competition?
What kind of business is that?
When did they start?
What revolution spurred the growth?
Which social group flourished?
Did they cause the changes?
Which sex primarily caused this?
What could they do that didn't harm their reputation?
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood
marketing techniques
marketing techniques
to influence
to influence
prevailing tastes and preferences of society.
prevailing tastes and preferences of society.
Department
Department
near the front of the store
near the front of the store
at sales counters within each department
at sales counters within each department
Yes
n the 1970s, they came under heavy pressure from discounters.
In the 1970s
In the 1970s
No
Since 2010, they have come under even heavier pressure from online stores such as Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
online stores
online stores
at the turn of the 19th century
at the turn of the 19th century
Industrial
Industrial 
middle-class
middle-class
Yes
This urbanized social group, sharing a culture of consumption and changing fashion, was the catalyst for the retail revolution.
women
women
shop unaccompanied
shop unaccompanied