The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-08-10
Paris Big Bazaars.

The causes which called these vast
bazaars into being are multifarious.
The first and most prominent of all is
probably the great extension of the re-
tail commerce of Paris. brought about
by the armies of travellers that yearly
come to spend several weeks and much
money in thefair and tempting city.
Another reason for their existence is to
be found in the fact that in the smaller
shops there is no fixed price for any
thing, not even for such staple eommod-
tiles as pins, tape, thread, or buttons.
This abuse the large establishments
have done away with by having every
article, however minute or unimportant,
ticketed with its price in full. Ladies
very soon found out that it would pay
them to make a list of their wants in
the way of small wares and trimmings,
and to wait till the list is long enough to
render journey to the Louvre or the
Bon Marche sensible action. Here is
list, made out by friend of my own,
of the cost of some few things at one of
the small trimming stores on the Rue
DIES Hetits Champs compared with their
price at the Bon Marche:
Small Shop. Bon Mdrchc.
Fancy buttons.......... 60 cts. a doz. 10 cts.
Spool silk ............... 10 cts. a :" 20 cts.
Black ribbon, per yard. % cts. a g 10 cts.
Tape (per piecel. Is cts. a cts.
At this rate it will be seen that the
price of cab is soon economical on a
very few purchases. 1t will be for
tunate day for the residents of Paris if
ever the plan of these immense dry
goods stores is copied in the establish
ment of similar ones for groceries,
hardware, porcelains, and household
furniture. Has1a .1# .sleI.t
These shops are less one huge one each
than conglomeration of smaller ones.
Each department has its chief, who rules
there as independent of any controlfrom
the principal director as is the Governor
of one of the United States from the i'm
mediate supervision of the President
Each of these chiefs has his share in the
annual profits of his department. Tho
statesmen and saleswOmen in their turn
receive each percentage on the amount
of the wares that they sell daily. To
prevent contests. they must take turns
in presenting themselves to serve a Gus
toner, though a personal preference on
the part of the purchaser is always de-
ferred to. This system is carried out
down to the parcel packers, each of
whom receives a percentage upon the
number of packages that he ties up.
The duties of each chief of a department
are various. He not only superintends
and directs the personal and the sales
Of his own division, but he treats with
the wholesale merchant, purchases
goods, and goes on Journeys when the
interest of the business renders it
necessary for him to travel. 1t is a
well-known fact that the heads of the
carpet department. of the Louvre and
the Bon Marche.make annually voyage
to the East. The transactions of each
department are to be counted by mill
ions. The sales at the glove counter
of the Bon Marche on the day of the
annual glove opening amounted this
year to $4,000. Ona similar occasion,
$4,000 worth of dressing-gowns were
disposed of. On another the sales of
perfumery amounted to $1,000. From
$4,000 to 10000 persons have been
known to visit one of these vast establish
ments on one of their opening days.
Each of these two great leading shops
employ 5000 persons, supplying them
with two meals day.-PmiS Cor.
Philadelphia Telegraph.