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Aboutique (French:[butik]) is a retail shop that deals inhigh end fashionable clothing or accessories.[1] The word isFrench for "shop", which derives ultimately from theAncient Greekἀποθήκη (apothēkē) "storehouse".[2][3]
Some multi-outlet businesses (chain stores) can be referred to asboutiques if they target small, upscaleniche markets.[4] Although someboutiques specialize in hand-made items and other unique products, others simply produce T-shirts, stickers, and other fashion accessories inartificially small runs and sell them at high prices.
Since antiquity, a boutique has been a ground-floor space opening onto the street, used for storing and displaying the goods sold there. Many boutiques also featured a back room, reserved for related operations. Traditionally, the shopfront was rarely equipped with glass windows and was instead closed with wooden shutters. These shutters were divided into two sections: the lower panel folded down to serve as a counter or display shelf for products, while the upper panel lifted upward, acting as a canopy. In the evening, the shutters were closed and secured with iron bars. Above the lintel supporting the upper shutters, a small glazed transom allowed natural light to enter the interior. At that time, purchases were typically made directly on the street.[5]
Merchants engaged in the same type of trade were often located along the same street. This geographical proximity fostered competition while establishing trust, leading to the formation of specialized marketplaces. Over time, this clustering of similar businesses gave rise to distinct street names derived directly from the predominant trade, such asTannerie (for tanners) orHuchette (linked to a specific commercial activity).[6]
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