Before the existence of department stores in China, people bought different things in different shops.

For example, they go to grocery stores for food, visit a tailor for clothes, and engage carpenters to custom-make furniture. Some big towns even had streets that specialized in certain items.

Nanjing Road in Shanghai is probably the most well-known shopping street in China, which can be traced back to 1845 when it was called Park Lane. At the beginning of the 20th century, eight big department stores and a series of franchised stores stood along the street. It became the shopping center of the Far East.