The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-04-20

New York Sun: Paris, as an object
of the shoppers attention, presents
two faces to those who come to buy.
One is for its own people. The other
is carefully prepared for the stranger
AS most Americans are classed as
strangers this is the aspect of shop.
keeping Paris in which they are in.
| terested.
The thoroughfares radiating from
the Place de rOpera form the center
of the fashionable shopping district,
In this section" says a correspond.
ent of Business, there is no fixed
price on any commodity. There are
plenty of price cards displayed but
every Partisan knows they are for
visitors only The Partisan gets a
discount from these posted prices Of
twenty-five or even fifty per cent
"Of late years it has become bad
form for the merchant in this fashion,
able district to pull customers in from
the sidewalk by what may be politely
termed physical craftsmanship But he
still feels justified in taking a breath
of air at his door when an American
pauses to regard the window display.
An invitation to enter does not then
seem to suggest to the Yankee fly any
suggestion of the spider episode.
"Over most of these shop doors the
motto should be inscribed: Leave
hope behind, We who enter here Sales
menship is not a lost art in Paris.
First, the clerk has chance to see
what he can do; while at q little dis
lance hovers a flocrwalker.
IF the victim succumbs readily and
pays a price that represents a three
figured percentage of profit, well and
good. 1t not, the floorwalker advances
to the attack, his position as supporter
being taken by some one still higher
up. So it goes until, if necessary, the
proprietor himself comes to the res
cue. 1t is a noble exhibition of inten
sive craftsmanship.
I
which every Paris merchant, even tn,
most fashionable, feels at liberty t,
avail himself That is the attractiv
power of a show window. A jewele
in the Rue de la Paix who has yer
narrow show window has used
4 with so much genius that it has col
y tributed not little to his world-wid
reputation. On one occasion when
saw this window it was so drape
that one mad no view of the shop b
hind its was the window and not
n ing else.
BLACK velvet hung in long folds
the background and sides, ,suggestiI
h by its drapery arrangements the i
terror of camera bellows-narrow
the back and of greater width in Il
foreground. In the expanse of blac
velvet lay one object and emera
studded bracelet, that was all
"In the Grand Boulevard shops Il
merchandise is kept within door
nothing being allowed on the sidewal
But the big popular department stor
have no such restriction. Under Il
blue sky, or if the clouds are drippiI
under huge awnings, long counters a
placed, stacked high with goods of {
descriptions. These are manned wi
clerks and patrolled by departing
managers. In many cases these cou
tiers emulate the example of the cat
by stretching clear to the curb line.
IF the customer does not see VIII
he wants, or at least does not br
strong armed department manage
have him inside in no time at a
Even chance passers by, innocent
intent to purchase, are pulled up she
and something is thrust into thu
hands for inspection.
n Artistic Boucicaut founded the b
Marie at the close of the Second e
pire in a very small way. Now t
annual sales run close to $50 MILL
francs. Today the Bon Marche is
little republic, managed since
dyath of Boucicaut by a triumvirs
of employees. One item of the sal
10 tba+ 90 7EO OOO noire IF oIOVaS