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Hall of Fame Biographies

Aristide Boucicaut

Bon Marché

Aristide Boucicaut was born in 1810 and created what is considered to be one of the original department stores. Born in Bellême, the son of a banker, he began as a simple clerk in his town of birth before he left in 1829 and settled in Paris, becoming a textiles salesman in Petit St Thomas, rue du Bac. Although he set up shop in 1838, it was in 1852 that he joined the owner of a haberdashery store and novelties under the banner of Bon Marché, located on rue de Sèvres, and started the modern retailing that, in the space of a few years, revolutionised retailing in France. In 1863 he bought the shares of his partner Paul Videau and became sole owner of the business. Bon Marché quickly expanded to become the largest department store in the world with 1,788 employees.

His big idea for the concept of the department store came to him at the Universal Exhibition of 1855. Seeking to recreate the experience of a profusion of goods he invented the concept of free access to the consumer with no obligation to buy, fixed price labelling, a massive assortment, a policy of low prices and a fast turnover of goods, the opportunity to return and exchange merchandise, plus sales at regular intervals.

Bon Marché also offered many amenities to its clients: the store was equipped with lifts, it had home delivery, a buffet area and free newspapers, and balloons were given out to children. In 1856, the first mail order catalogue was launched.

Boucicaut diversified his lines of merchandise. He started by selling only piece goods, and expanded to offer dresses, ladies' coats, underwear, and shoes. Boucicaut also invented the principles of commission on sales and profit-sharing for company employees.

Boucicaut commissioned a new building to house his emporium, with LA Boileau as architect and Gustav Eiffel as engineer which would open in 1887 as a 52,800-sqm store. However, he did not live to see its completion and upon his death in 1877, his wife, who continued his business, also took his social initiatives further, offering staff a savings fund for their retirement and recreational activities such as language courses and music.

Boucicaut was apparently the model for the main character Octave Mouret in the novel in the series Rougon-Macquar, Au Bonheur des Dames by Emile Zola. A Paris subway station is also named after him.