"Inconsistent Directions: The Department Stores and Consumptions in China, 1949-1965"

The objective of this paper is to explore department stores’ transformation and their role in consumption change between 1949 and 1965. In order to study it, this paper addresses on the following research questions. First, how were department stores transformed in the planned economy era? Second, what the role did they play in consumption change at the time? Third, can department stores be called “department stores” at the time?
This paper structured as follows. Following the introduction, the first section primarily takes a general view of the institutional context, the market, and the distribution reforms between 1949 and 1965 in China. Moreover, this section also takes a general view of the daily lives at the time. The second section analyzes the transformation of the existed private department stores under the guidance of the state between 1949 and 1952. The third section explores the second-stage transformation of private department stores and the development of state-owned department stores between 1953 and 1965.
The final section concludes the role of department stores in consumption between 1949 and 1965, and figured out the property of department stores at the time. In accordance with the planned economy system, both private and state-owned department stores improved their service, merchandising, shopping environment, procurement, and product lineup. They aimed at diversifying daily lives under the context of the shortage of supplies, and stagnation of production and consumption. However, they played a limited role in changing consumption and lifestyle at the time.