Printemps is a French chain of department stores with a focus on beauty, lifestyle, fashion, accessories, and men's wear. Its flagship store, known in French as "le Printemps Haussmann", is located on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, along with other well-known department stores like the Galeries Lafayette. Since 2013, the company has been the property of a Luxembourg-based Qatari-backed investment fund, Divine Investments SA.
Flagship store Printemps Haussmann on Boulevard Haussmann, Paris
An early photograph of the Printemps Haussmann, c. 1865–70
The Printemps Haussmann with its new façade, c. 1889
Share of the Grands Magasins du Printemps, issued 1. October 1905
A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic appearance in the middle of the 19th century, and permanently reshaped shopping habits, and the definition of service and luxury. Similar developments were under way in London, in Paris and in New York City (Stewart's).
Interior of Le Bon Marché in Paris
Sokos department store building in Multimäki, Kuopio, Finland
Harrods illuminated exterior at night in Knightsbridge, London
Au Bon Marché