A department store is a retail establishment that offers a wide range of consumer goods in different product categories known as "departments." In large modern cities, the department store had a dramatic appearance in the mid-nineteenth century, and permanently changed purchasing habits, and the definition of service and luxury. Similar developments were under way in London (with Whiteleys), in Paris (Le Bon Marché in 1852) and in New York (with Stewart).
Department stores currently have sections that sell clothing, furniture, appliances, toys, cosmetics, household goods, gardening, toiletries, sporting goods, do it yourself, paint and hardware and also select other product lines as Food, books, jewelry, electronics, stationery, photographic equipment, baby products and pet products. Customers look out near the front of the store or, alternatively, at the 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 were subjected to strong pressure from discount stores. Since 2010, they have come under even heavier pressure from online stores like Amazon.
Department stores, hypermarkets and discount stores are the modern equivalent of historic department stores. Before the malls, the department stores were independent.
India
In India, companies like Big Bazaar, Shopper's Stop, Pantaloon, Ezone, Starbazar and D-Mart are entering the retail market.
Small time stores - or convenience stores, as they are best known in most Western countries - are also nearby. [When?] Although these stores are much larger in size than a full-size convenience store in, say, the US. Much smaller than a regular sized warehouse. Examples include Sabka Bazaar, Big Apple, Spencer and Dailymart. India's LULU hypermarket is considered to be one of Asia's largest shopping stores.