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A boutique is "a small store that sells stylish clothing, jewelry, or other usually expensive things".〔(【引用サイトリンク】website=Merriam-Webster's Dictionary )〕 The word is French for "shop", which derives ultimately from the Greek ἀποθήκη (''apothēkē'') or "storehouse".〔(boutique ), on Oxford Dictionaries〕〔(ἀποθήκη ), Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus〕 The term "boutique" entered into everyday English in the late 1960s when, for a brief period, London was a fashion capital. Carnaby Street and Kings Road (London) were the focus of much of media attention for having the most fashionable stores of the era.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Historypin - Tours - Carnaby Street, 1960's London. )〕 == Boutique industries == This term can also refer to a specialized firm in other industries, such as a boutique investment bank or boutique law firm. The word is often used to describe a property in the independent sector of the hotel market (such as The Rockwell in London) in order to distinguish itself from larger chains (such as Hilton Hotels). In such cases, the establishment aims to convey the idea that its operation is small, elite and highly specialized. Some multi-outlet businesses (chains) can be referred to as boutiques if they target small, upscale market niches.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Starting a Boutique Business )〕 Recently, the term "boutique" has begun to be applied to mass-market items that are either niche or produced in intentionally small numbers to be sold at very high prices. This can be referred to as boutique manufacturing. For example, before the release of the Wii, a ''Time Magazine'' article suggested that Nintendo could become a "boutique video-game company", producing games for niche audiences rather than trying to compete directly with Microsoft and Sony. Although some boutiques specialize in hand-made items and other unique products, others simply produce T-shirts, stickers, and other fashion accessories in artificially small runs and sell them at high prices. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「boutique」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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