A Left Bank shopping session at the Bon Marché
Posted in Discover Paris le
In the Faubourg Saint-Germain, not far from our Hotel de la Motte-Picquet, the Bon Marché department store offers the opportunity for a thoroughly delightful shopping session. This renowned store boasts all the culture and authenticity that is synonymous with the Left Bank. Discover this historic brand that has left a profound impression on the world since being complete revamped by the entrepreneur Aristide Boucicaut and his wife in 1852.
The Bon Marché; 160 years of shopping
The Bon Marché reinvigorated the concept of shopping when it was changed from a lacklustre retail outlet to one of the world’s first modern department stores in 1852. This new lease of life was brought about by Aristide Boucicaut and his wife Marguerite. Both from a modest background, the couple understood the value of offering a wide variety of merchandise at reasonable prices to customers. They created a shop where people could wander at leisure, flitting from one department to another, without being bothered by staff. The successful concept spread throughout the world. Today, Bon Marché has kept its soul, eschewing vulgar consumerism.
The art of shopping
Here, you will find no shoddy goods, but rather a selection of quality merchandise and the biggest brands in the world. The Bon Marché commitment to selective food retailing is demonstrated by its subsidiary La Grande Épicerie de Paris. Shopping can be a form of art when the goods are of superior quality and sourced from passionate and demanding producers. As for art itself, this has been a part of the Bon Marché experience since the beginning. The Boucicauts welcomed, among their other displays, the works of artists who benefitted from contact with the store’s customers. Today, cultural exhibitions continue, and collections of contemporary art are exhibited in the spaces of the store.
The Bon Marché is only 15 minutes from the Hotel de la Motte-Picquet via the number 86 bus service.
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More information:
Hotel de la Motte Picquet, a 3-star hotel close from Eiffel Tower and Invalides