“Such stuff as dreams are made on” – William Shakespeare

The Paris exposition in 1900 gives birth to the pivotal union between imaginative desires and material ones (Crowley & Heyer 2011). As the evolution of non-materials needs was being fulfilled somewhat by religion and art up to the nineteenth century, the transcendence of imagination into reality through consumerism had not yet completely come of age. The untapped nature of consumerism was emancipated by the flamboyance and ingenuity of the French among others. Notable is the association of all things being magnificent when the French, fashion, art and design are present. By the end of the nineteenth century consumer goods, rather than the usual suspects of culture became obtainable objects of desire (Crowley & Heyer 2011).

During this period of time department stores became palaces of pleasure for the emerging movement of consumerism. The mid to late nineteenth century introduced societal changes. The shopping experience became an interaction of freedom and liberty to indulge in dreams. Department store magnates recognised the opportunity for business practices never implemented before this time. Price fixing replaced a societal expectation of negotiation or bartering. Interchange of communication between retailer and consumerism took the place of a passive or mute response of consumer to things (Crowley & Heyer 2011). The civilising process of consumerism began, and in present day with the aid of technology and the desire for technology – the leap from that point to the obsessions of today’s consumer society, are insurmountable.

Crowley, D & Heyer, P 2011, Communication in history: technology, culture, society,6th edn, Pearson, Sydney.