When I was in Paris, I had to visit this store because it is part of one of my units for students in Grade 8. I thought it would be interesting to show them the store the way it is today.
Opened in 1852, Le Bon Marché is considered by many to be the world’s first department store.
It started in the 1830s as a far smaller shop, founded by Parisian merchant Aristide Boucicaut, but the company’s growth soon necessitated new, larger premises. The building continued to evolve over the next century, with architectural input from respected designers including Louis Auguste Boileau and Gustave Eiffel.
Here is Aristide Boucicaut, the man who created le Bon Marché:
Le Bon Marché has always been at the forefront of retail developments. One of the first places to introduce seasonal sales, the store successfully adapted to social developments in Paris and continued to maintain a modern and recreational approach to shopping.
Today, the department store offers one of the widest collections of goods in Europe, from designer clothes to homewares to groceries. Having celebrated the 160th anniversary of its opening in 2013, Le Bon Marché remains as important to the Parisian shopping experience as ever.
Source: http://www.globalblue.com/destinations/france/paris/history-of-le-bon-marche/
Before you see the pictures of today’s Le Bon Marché, please watch this short video:
And now let us visit the store:
C’est très, très chic!!!
And a small park beside Le Bon Marché:
Many plants are very exotic:
