The department store novel published in 1911 is one of the most significant works by Margarete Böhme (1867-1939), yet it was much more recognized at the time in England, France, and America than in Germany. This is all the more surprising given the expertly constructed, tension-filled narrative centered around a Berlin department store and the fictional department store corporation Müllenmeister and Son. Böhme's sharp observations of social conditions are based on precise research and are expressed through detailed descriptions of work processes and employment relationships that affect the powerful entrepreneur Josua Müllenmeister as well as his numerous employees and family members. Shopping frenzy and exploitation, intrigues and love stories create a contemporary social study and reveal the ambivalent effects of economics.