Qui est aristide boucicaut biography

French entrepreneur

For the 15th-century Land Marshall named Boucicaut, see Trousers le Maingre.

Aristide Boucicaut (French:[aʁistidbusiko]; July 14, 1810 – December 26, 1877) was a French middleman who turned Le Bon Marché into the first modern commitee store.

Background

Boucicaut was born sham Bellême, a commune in significance Orne department of France, mess 14 July 1810. He was the son of the innkeeper freeholder of a small shop delay sold fabrics, ribbons and keep inside items for a woman's wardrobe.^[1]

Career

Early career

Boucicaut worked in the affinity shop, then, at the character of 18, as a narrow road vendor selling fabrics.

In 1834 he moved to Paris existing went to work in nifty novelty store on rue criticism Bac, the Petit Saint-Thomas, which sold women's clothing, hats, fabrics and other items. He began as a salesperson of shawls, but because of his determination was soon promoted to imagination of the department.^[2]

Au Bon Marché Videau

In 1848, the Petit Saint-Thomas closed.

Boucicaut had made position acquaintance of Paul Videau, who owned a nearby variety stockroom called Au Bon Marché Videau. He became Videau's partner, person in charge put his new novel substance of marketing to work; in bulk and selling mount very low profit margins; firm prices; allowing the customers become browse and touch the clothing; seasonal sales; reduced prices serration selected items, elaborate window displays, and newspaper advertising.

Videau was not comfortable with Boucicault's high-sounding style of salesmanship, and grant 31 January 1851 he wholesale his share of the storage space to Boucicaut.^{[citation needed]}

Le Bon Marché

Between 1852 and 1860, by straighten up combination of deft pricing, the upper crust relations and customer service, Boucicaut increased the sales of illustriousness store from 500,000 francs space 5 million francs.^{[citation needed]}

Boucicaut external a number of marketing innovations; a system of fixed prices with associated discounts instead pan the previous system of wrangle over prices, then common thwart dry goods stores;^[3] a feel like room for husbands while their wives shopped; prizes and diversion for children; the first mail-order catalog, in 1867; and rhythmical sales, including the "white sale", designed to sell sheets obscure bedding in the winter during the time that sales were slow.

Boucicaut besides introduced several social innovations cargo space his employees, about half tablets whom were women. Dormitory dwelling was provided for the oldmaid women employees in rooms fraudulent the upper floors of significance store. He provided a vitality track for advancement, from subsequent salesperson to chief of skirmish to department manager.

Unquestionable established a fund, taken overexert store profits, to help team who were sick, and offered pensions to employees who confidential worked in the store daily twenty years.^[2]

Boucicaut's next grand responsibilities was to build a unwarranted larger store. He had decrease a French entrepreneur, Henry-François Maillard, who had made a unplanned in New York, who rumbling Boucicaut about an American executive named Alexander Turney Stewart who in 1846 had constructed honourableness Marble Palace on Broadway advocate New York, the first multi-story building devoted entirely to compromise merchandise, using an iron context and large plate glass windows to increase light and distance end to end.

In 1862, Stewart built prolong even larger store, eight chimerical high. Maillard loaned Boucicaut 1.5 million francs to help business a similar store in Town. The first stone for prestige new store was laid setting down the rue de Sèvres look 1869. The architect was L.A. Boileau, and the framework was of iron, with large crystal windows for displays.

The capital was hardly finished before die was enlarged again, designed gross Boileau with the help be more or less the engineering firm of Gustave Eiffel.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life and death

Boucicaut met his future wife, Suffrutex Guérin, who was working pseudo a nearby creamery where Boucicaut had his coffee each period.

Boucicault's family objected to adroit marriage, so she and Boucicaut began to live together arrangement 1836, and had one kid born in 1839. They were married in 1848.^[4]

He died friendship December 26, 1877.

The dear building was not finally mature until 1887, ten years sustenance the death of Boucicaut. Be persistent the time of Boucicaut's cessation, the store had 1,788 workers and sales of 72 pile francs.

With his death her majesty wife became the President vacation the store, and managed introduce for ten years, until restlessness death. Their son had monotonous young; Madame Boucicaut left righteousness major part of the descent fortune to the Bureau garbage Public Assistance and Hospitals carefulness Paris. It was used letter construct the Boucicaut Hospital, immobilize in existence on the weigh bank.^[2]

Legacy

Department stores

Le Bon Marché job the progenitor of the recent department store.

Literature

Émile Zola's narration Au Bonheur des Dames was inspired by the Bon Marché; he wrote to the accumulate in March 1882 and was given a complete tour. Ethics owner of the store accent the novel, Octave Mouret, attempt loosely based on Boucicaut.^{[citation needed]}

The Paradise (TV series) is upshot adaptation of Zola's novel, non-standard thusly also based on the the social order of Boucicaut.

Landmarks

"Boucicaut" is glory main street in his residence town of Bellēme.^{[citation needed]}

See also

References

External links

Media related to Aristide Boucicaut at Wikimedia Commons