The Greek Agoras - 1500 BCE
Trajan’s Market - 110 CE
The Burling Arcades - 1819 CE
From Neolithic to Modern
The story of retail begins with market places that facilitated the trade of commodities. The oldest record to date, 7000 BCE, is the Neolithic City of Catalhoyuk, which was a large settlement located in southern Anatolia (modern day Turkey). The Greek agoras (1500 BCE) were the next phase in the development of retail. These agoras were both a market place and a public forum. They promoted the exchange of material goods as well as ideas and were the hotbed of Greek life. Taking a leap to the Roman Empire in the year 110, Trajan’s Market was a multi-leveled structure built with alleys and corridors to house a plethora of small stores and offices. It is believed that the higher levels of the structure 18
housed Trajan’s forum, making this market center also a political location. In essence, retail locations began as the center for community life, a place where individuals and families spent time not only exchanging goods but also ideas and conversations. Jumping forward fifteen centuries, we begin to see the development of the modern retail environment taking shape. The history of the American shopping mall traces its roots to the arcades of the 1800s. These arcades were large enclosed spaces containing shops on either side of a walkway. The Burlington Arcade was one of the first arcades built, established in Britain, 1819. From there, the first introduction of the arcade
to America was the Providence Arcade, built in 1828. Moving to the 1850s, the advent of escalators and air conditioning paved the way for large stores that could be vertically built and remain active in the warmest and coolest environments. These large climate controlled spaces provide convenient locations for people to spend time and money. Department stores such as Macy’s took advantage of these newly developed technologies and became the trend setters for the next hundred years. This period between 1850 and 1950 has been marked by the rise of department stores. To go to the city essentially became synonymous with shopping. (Reference: Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping)