Abstract EN:

Commerce, liberalism and europe are the three ideas at the heart of this thesis. Large scale french retail trade in the interwar period consists essentially of three types of enterprise: department stores, chain stores and popular price shops. In 1919, it represents only a small sector of the world of employer organisations. This sector will little by little organise itself in the interwar period, to the stage where it will acquire a real place along side public power. These employer organisations, representing and defending the activities of different sectors such as the groupement d'etudes des grands magasins (1919) and the federation nationale des entreprises a commerces multiples (1937), or the promotion of external commerce and the european idea like the comite d'action economique et douaniere (1925). These organisations together would promote public debate on the economy and europe. Jacques lacour-gayet, their principal representative is an example of a new high level unionised employer organisation official during the interwar period. Across this stand point one helps to maintain an integrated liberal discussion which rejects both the notions of a planned economy and at the same time the temptation of neo liberalism. The circles which are controlled by commerce play an important role during the liberation, in coordinating different pro-european movements with liberal tendencies. The number of these movements increased and organised themselves with the objective of sustaining a solid european based project.