Somewhat tamer lines are found in such venues as Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Printemps.

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''Chansons de Printemps'' was first exhibited at the famous Paris World Exposition in 1889.

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The goal is to drain some of the crowds away from Paris's jam-packed department stores Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.

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An April purchase of 27%--since raised to 33%--of the company by French retail conglomerate Pinault-Printemps-Redoute caused Puma shares to rise 25% in anticipation of an imminent buyout.

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Other leading department stores in Europe include Galeries Lafayette (3.4 billion Euros), Debenhams (3.4 billion Euros), Karstadt (3.3 billion Euros), Manor (2.4 billion Euros), Printemps (1.5 billion Euros) and House of Fraser (1.4 billion Euros).

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This extravagance was all part of a plan to outdo a nearby archrival, Printemps, whose own glass-and-ironwork-covered atrium rose six stories, and the feel of a Byzantine bazaar was intended to urge clients into a buying frenzy within a dreamlike environment.

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