Article: Someone Else's Department; Stores That Once Had Everything Are Now Missing Something

I frequently go to department stores looking for something specific -- makeup, kids' clothes, shoes -- but I rarely head to one when I simply want to shop. If I'm just browsing and looking for something wonderful through pure serendipity, I find department stores confusing and, usually, disappointing.

It makes me wonder what the role of department stores is today for the American shopper. How do we use them? How do department stores expect to be used?

As the name implies, the big draw of department stores used to be that they had so many different types of merchandise under one roof: clothes, home goods, books, stationery, appliances, electronics, auto

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