The New Baths

Nothing groundbreaking, but here it is:

By the sheer scale and spectacle of the enterprise, the role of Bonheur des Dames extends far beyond the mere dissemination of merchandise. As clothing and rugs for the rich and poor alike are consolidated under one roof, the department store ceases to be a specialty shop in that it no longer draws a special clientele. It becomes a destination – no longer just one in a series of stops, but a place where sensory overload (Mouret’s rearrangement of the silk display, for example) induces a kind of manufactured euphoria and drives the customer into a buying frenzy. While a single shop may lure a particular clientele in search of particular merchandise, there is no such concrete demographic for this department store. Classes mix freely within the much larger store, and although Mouret expresses concern over not seeing enough customers “wearing hats,” the department store as a destination places all of its customers, rich or poor, on equal footing. Even if Madame de Boves was unable to afford the same scarves as Madame Marty, she was certainly able to “stroke the same designs” and act as though they were in her price range. It appears as though, at least in this context, the role of Bonheur des Dames as a social beacon for the lower and middle classes outweighs the quotidian need for ladies’ wear that it so inefficiently fulfills (the number of systems and incentives put into effect by the managers seems to actually hinder the purchase of merchandise, which might be more efficiently purchased at a local specialty shop).