The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-01
DEPARTMENT STORES.
The Two Most Famous Establish
ments in the World.

Keystone.
The business OF ths Bon Marche. in Paris.
amounts annually TO $4,000. 900 francs, or
about $50. 900 900. IL is an ideal store from
every modern point OF view; and in one par.
ticular IL Is unapproached by any other store
in the world. That special feature Is the
loyalty Of it's employees. aud the great personal
interest they take in the business. 1t is prob
ably this fact. more than any otb~- one rea-
son. TO which must be aScr,s ed its pre-
eminencs in the world Of trade. The Bon
Marche Is run I'm q patsrnsi sort Of way. and
its employees all seem TO be memhers Of one
big family. They oil eat in tho store, and
all the unmarried sleep in q building near by
so that all their interests are centsrsd in the
store. All are required to be indoors by 10
O'Clock, except when by special permission
any are allowed su hour or two OF grace; but
the doors are locked ct ls o'clock. and every
permitted" ono must be in by that hour.
Very strict rules govern all the employees out
OF business hours as well ss during store
hours. These severe restrictions. which IL
would bs impossible to enforce in this coun-
try from the conviction Of the American clerk
or salesman that his personal liberty was
being infringed upon. have their compensx-
cause: good behavior and improving capacity
90 salesman make the position . life engage
ment; strikes are unknown. as all questions
are arbitratsd in spirit Of mutual good will
and fairness; old age entities the deserving
employe to a pension. This close alliance Of
store and employee makes their interests
mntusl.a MI leads 60 an enthusiastic devotion
on the pars OF the salesman which iuures to
L.. a A.
explains why the store. which began in a very
small way on the very outside of the stream
OF trafiie. has developed colossal business.
and now easily leads the world in this extent
Of its retail operations.
pecuffarfty or the business fs that ft Is
strictly cash. and payment is required for all
purchases on delivery.
The greatest English department store is
whitely's of London. There is practically
nothing that he does not furnish. The story
is told that = foreigner made q bet that
Whitley could not furnish anything asked for.
Tho wager was accepted. Tho foreigner gave
the order: "kn elephant 10 he sent TO my
hotel before evening" Whitley sent ont TO q
circus that was exhibiting in the city, bought
the elephants and delivered it as requested.
Whitley has an immense farm, provides his
own dairy products for customers puts ny
preserves and jellies. runs great meat mar
kct. conducts number umnibus lines. and
has q dozen OF enterprises which converge
into the store and augment his great retail
trade. He makes a speciality Of providing
houses and furnishing them complete. The
customer merely informs him Of the locality
in which he would like TO live. and how much
total investment he desires 10 make. and
Whitley buys the house, furnishes il in every
detail-even TO stocking ths cellar and pantry
with things to edt-snd presents his bill. 1t
is said that the facilities which he employs
enable the customer TO make a very consider
able saving over the price which he would
have to pay II he bought the house ana fur
nished Vt with the greatest economy. within
the limit of his estimates.
Tho methods which both tho Bon Marcha
and Whitley employ would be entirely I'M
practicable here. just as this methods of our
great retail stores would not be successful in
Paris and London. Each appeals to different
national spirit: each must reach the genius
Of peoples trained under different traditions
and environment. American self. appreciation
unhesitatingly declares in favor OF our own
ways IA against the ways of the "blssted
furriners"-but the Bon Mare he does $50 600, :
000 of business annually. nevertheless!