General Chat

Genuine question, no tricks! Just interested to know your thoughts as it may help solve a problem at work. Will explain further once you've started to reply but don't want to pre-empt what you may write.

A store which sells a variety of goods not necessarily related to one another! Did that make any sense? Julie xxx

A store of any size which is divided into sections each 'division' selling similar items, but all the sections not necessarily selling related items. dictionary definition Department Separate part of a complex whole. Ann Glos

I think it needs more than a wide range of goods - I would never think of Woolworths as a department store. It needs to 'feel' fairly posh, perhaps because it has been round a long time, perhaps because it seemed 'different' when you went in as a kid. Ideally, it is on several floors, with separate departments - perhaps this is why Woolworths, M&S etc do not qualify.

Mmm, ok....I've always thought of 'House of Fraser', Debenhams etc as being dept stores as they are on several floors and (I think) can contain smaller stores within them. But would you classify say, Woolworths as being one? Judging by your replies so far, it would seem that I shouldn't just classify a dept store as being somewhere that has multiple floors. Sorry Geoff, only just saw your reply after typing out mine. :-S

The dictionary definition of department store is: Shop with many departments. But you are right, i wouldn't have thought of woolworths as a department store. maybe it is what we now perceive a department store to be and common usage means that we think of large stores such as debenhams etc. Our Woolworths is on two floors but each floor can more or less be seen from the door. If you think of the larger department stores they tend to be in 'rooms'. Ann Glos

We have A '' Westgate'' ( basically Co-op) House that sells most things......china, Glassware toys, clothes, household goods, white goods, Beds, Furniture,Clocks, has a banking area, opticians, Think that that might qualify? John Lewis? Bob

I suppose I should explain a little that part of my job involves categorizing data. Unfortunately, this means that I can't cover my bases by including a store like Woolworths under several categories (e.g. Confectionery, CDs/DVDs, Gifts/Cards etc), it has to fit under one category. By calling somewhere like Woolworths a department store then this does the job but if you're a customer (the end user of our data) wanting to know where the nearest dept store is then you may be disappointed to learn that it is Woolworths - as Geoff pointed out.

Checking it out Woolworths refer to themselves as a High Street store and an all round store (Where the goods are Well Worth it). I think these days Woolworths are becoming more of a department store as they have gone more up market, but our Woolworths still don't have adult clothes departments. ann Glos