“Buying European”: The Marshall Plan and American Department Stores 1

• Published in: Diplomatic history 2015-01, Vol.39 (1), p.45-69
• Main Author: Amerian, Stephanie M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0145-2096; 1467-7709
• DOI: 10.1093/dh/dht130

This article examines collaborations between Marshall Planners and American department stores during the early years of the Cold War to persuade American consumers, especially women, to buy European imports. Specifically, it analyzes four elaborate imports fairs held in 1950 and 1951 by Gimbel’s in Philadelphia, Macy’s in New York City, and Jordan Marsh in Boston. The purpose of the promotions was twofold. First, Marshall Planners hoped that American consumers would help alleviate Europe’s “dollar gap” to provide it with the dollars needed to buy essential American raw materials and manufactured goods. Second, the exhibits served a public relations goal, as Marshall Planners tried to sell Americans on the tangible benefits of the European Recovery Program to their everyday lives. By “buying European,” Marshall Planners hoped that Americans would not only assist in European economic recovery, but would also realize the value of liberal internationalism to the postwar world.