ABSTRACT
In 1910, Pathe produced a short film promoting Brussels to foreigners in the build-up to the International Exhibition held that year. The increased retail density was even more pronounced in the second tier of Brussels' most commercial streets, where retail occupancy increased from 61 percent in 1833 to 69 percent in 1878 and 71 percent in 1913. The chapter explores to what extent the social demarcations reflected broader cultural differences. It shows that two shopping districts had taken shape in the central area, each with their own characteristics, yet also bound together by the more general developments in the shopping landscape. In large stores, the infrastructure for and practice of window-shopping could more easily be extended indoors. The encompassing combination of large, evocative window displays visible from the street and the quantities of goods exhibited inside nevertheless significantly enhanced the visual components of the shopping experience.
