Final answer:
Department stores in the 1980's were organized by product categories like furniture, household goods, and clothing, to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience.
Step-by-step explanation:
By the 1980's, department stores organized sales floors according to product categories and increasingly aimed at enhancing the shopping experience. These department stores presented an array of merchandise organized into specialized sections or departments such as furniture, household goods, kitchenware, and various clothing categories (men's, women's, and children's). This organizational strategy affords customers a more controlled shopping experience, with the layout designed to minimize distractions among product categories and to create an intuitive shopping environment. For example, as cited in a Curtisville News report, the general manager of Hometown Corner Store mentioned that by categorizing merchandise, they can help customers quickly familiarize themselves with the store layout, thereby creating a repeat customer base.