Shopping isn't just about what's on the shelves. Some of the world's most famous stores come with backstories as interesting as anything they sell. Here are seven fun facts to bring up the next time you're out browsing.
1. Harrods Has a Latin Motto: London's legendary department store uses the motto "Omnia Omnibus Ubique," which means "All Things for All People, Everywhere."
2. Escalators Once Required Liquid Courage: When Harrods installed one of London's first escalators in 1898, staff reportedly stood at the top offering brandy to shoppers rattled by the ride.
3. Macy's Parade Started as a Store Promotion: The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade marched through New York in 1924, featuring store employees and even live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo.
4. A Paris Bookstore Lets Writers Sleep in the Stacks: Shakespeare and Company has a long tradition of letting traveling writers, nicknamed "Tumbleweeds," stay overnight among the shelves in exchange for helping out and reading a book a day.
5. Portland's Powell's Books Fills an Entire City Block: Powell's City of Books is so big that it hands out maps, with color-coded rooms to help readers find their way.
6. The First IKEA Catalog Came Out in 1951: What started as a small mail-order business in Sweden grew into one of the most widely printed publications in the world.
7. "The Customer Is Always Right" Has Department Store Roots: The phrase is often credited to retail pioneers like Harry Gordon Selfridge, founder of London's Selfridges, and Marshall Field of Chicago.
Who knew a trip to the store could be a history lesson? Happy shopping!