The new Victorian middle classes liked to shop. New technology created both the wealth to do this and a vast array of products to buy.

Soon every suburb had convenient local shops, while new public transport helped make the area around Wine, Castle, and High Streets a shopping destination.

On Saturday evenings the gas-lit streets were crowded with people. Shop windows promised everything from toys to kitchen gadgets, while hawkers and taverns offered food and drink. Whole families came for an evening out, lured by the spectacle of the sellers and the parade of shoppers.