To touch

The phrase you can touch was voted sixth place in 1979 by the Society for German Language when it was voted word of the year . At the time, the phrase was perceived as appropriate, as only goods that were offered for sale were stored behind closed display cases or, at best, could be ordered.

When retailers realized that customers wanted to touch the goods they were being offered, they looked for a catchy expression for this process. At the time, it seemed suitable to touch and was chosen.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b word of the year. Society for German Language , archived from the original on January 3, 2010 ; accessed on January 17, 2020 (in this way the page can also [still] be accessed without JavaScript [completely]).
↑ To touch. (No longer available online.) In: handelsjournal.de. March 16, 2014, archived from the original on December 28, 2014 ; accessed on January 17, 2020 .

[Wort_des_Jahres:_1979-1] word of the year. Society for German Language , archived from the original on January 3, 2010 ; accessed on January 17, 2020 (in this way the page can also [still] be accessed without JavaScript [completely]).

[2] To touch. (No longer available online.) In: handelsjournal.de. March 16, 2014, archived from the original on December 28, 2014 ; accessed on January 17, 2020 .