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The Origins of American International Retailing: Tiffany of New York in London and Paris, 1837–1914

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2017

Nicholas Alexander  and
Anne Marie Doherty
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Abstract

This article considers the international retailing activities of Tiffany of New York between 1837 and 1914. Using data from the company archive alongside other sources, the findings indicate that five factors were determinants of sustainable international retailing: a centralized organizational structure, a stable ownership structure, existing international engagement, a strong brand identity, and a relevant international retail format. Placing Tiffany's activities in its wider commercial and consumer context, the findings illustrate the organizational changes and asset combination required to support the development of early international retail operations. The article contributes to theoretical understanding of the dynamics of retail internationalization.

Type
Research Article
Information
Business History Review , Volume 91 , Issue 2 , Summer 2017 , pp. 301 - 328
Copyright
Copyright © The President and Fellows of Harvard College 2017 

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93 Ibid. Louis Comfort Tiffany was the son of Charles L. Tiffany, one of the two original partners. Here, Louis Comfort Tiffany recognizes the role of Parisian window display as a means to attract a new and wider consumer market. See Williams, Rosalind H., Dream Worlds: Mass Consumption in Late Nineteenth-Century France (Berkeley, Calif., 1982)Google Scholar.

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