Roche’s research had a significant impact on the historical study of the Enlightenment and 18th-century France in general. He has made significant use of hitherto ignored notarial archive sources such as post-mortem inventories, which have yielded insight into the basic material culture of Paris and the rise of consumerism during the 18th century. Roche has largely defined the study of ‘everyday items’ (les choses banales).

The social changes that took place over the course of the Enlightenment in France figured prominently in Roche’s research. The broad scope of Roche’s research into the Enlightenment included diverse areas such as public institutions and clothing worn by the popular classes.