Los Grandes Almacenes de París

Temple of the fashion, Le Printemps itself by its luxurious offer and its services. Jewel of department stores in the Parisian, the Printemps, knew always how to adapt itself to the evolutions of the French society: it is the first one to have proposed of the male ready-to-wear clothing, in 1930. Today, under an immense multicolored dome of Art deco style, Le Printemps de la Mode offers an experience of the shopping which allows to let go itself in the luxury of the mythical marks as well as trends. Personal Shoper is available by appointment. Le Printemps is to create in 1865 by Jules Jaluzot and Jean-Alfred Duclos, it is about the very first store endowed with vast shop windows and with a big market hall, supported by columns, the inauguration in blessed summer by the priest of Madeleine. In 1881, a tragic fire declares itself, destroying totally the buildings of the Department store of Le Printemps the burned-out part is reconstructed, and the old buildings having survived are too demolished, to assure the harmony and the modernity completes of the new building. In 1905, Gustave Laguionie succeeds the direction, he makes install, in the big hall, a central main staircase and inaugurates in 1910 what is called Les Nouveaux Magasins, combed by a dome and by a terrace. An architectural innovation for time perceived as audacious, which does not go unnoticed and which the visitors amaze. The first models arrive in the shop windows of the Spring during the World War I and are specially created for Le Printemps. From 1924, Le Printemps Haussmann begins to organize exhibitions and to create the event within its buildings by shop windows which make all Paris come, the concept of shop windows livened up by Christmas was born. It is in 1975 when the facade and the dome of the building of Haussmann are classified historic monuments.

The very first Parisian department store! It is enough to push the door of this case refined to understand why it inspired all the others. Of real "maîtres d'hôtel" ready to fulfill the slightest of the wishes, provided you with stylists, valets' service: Le Bon Marché is a sign resolutely high-end. In this elegant and sophisticated store, luxury items are accurately tidied up in various thematic spaces. " le Théâtre de la Beauté " for bodycare, " l’Appartement de Mode " for the ready-to-wear clothing, the shoes and the accessories, " La Grande Epicerie de Paris " a real luxury supermarket of the dishes and the delicacies of the whole world. The first store Au Bon Marché was established in 1838 by the brothers Pauls and Justin Videau under the shape of a big shop of notions also selling sheets, mattress and umbrellas. They join in 1852 with Aristide and Marguerite Boucicaut which dash into the transformation of the store, developing then the new concept of department store with a vast wide and deep assortment, prices fixed to low margin and indicated on a label, a direct access, the principle of the satisfied or your money back and a direction of the goods in a sales area. In 1863, Boucicaut acquires the partnership shares of the brothers Videau, who were frightened by the commercial ideas of the couple. In 1869, thanks to their success, Boucicaut dashes into the enlargement of the store. To attract the feminine clientele, Boucicaut creates the first ladies' room, a lounge of reading for her husbands the time when they made their purchases. After the wives, he targets the mothers by distributing drinks, red balls for their children and also organizes walks with hogback. The middle-class persons to escape from the lodging house and spend of numerous hours in the store to try products. Some of them get into debt or become kleptomaniacs. The respectability of the store being questioned, Aristide Boucicaut makes commit sellers whom he makes live in the superior floors of the store. With a paternalistic management inspired by the Christian socialism of Lamennais, Aristide Boucicaut creates in particular for his employees a contingency fund and a pension fund, a free dining hall, a weekly paid day off. In 1910, on Mrs Boucicaut's initiative, to accommodate his customers nearby, is created the Lutetia hotel which remains the only luxury hotel of the left bank. The group Bernard Arnault's LVMH acquires Le Bon Marché in 1984 to make the department store of the luxury of the left bank.

The Parisian Mecca of the fashion and the luxury for where women of whole world come to get dressed, to use perfume and to take care of their beauty. Galleries Lafayette, hundred-year-old department store of the boulevard Haussmann. All the big names are there present. Of Chanel to Dior, via Vuitton, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and so many others. You can also benefit from advice of a personal shopper. A section shoes and boots, on more than 3 000 m ², proposes more than 150 marks, among which 75 exclusively. A pedicure salon is also present to spoil your feet where you can make adjust your shoes by a shoemaker and taste divine chocolates and Pierre Hermé's macaroons. The amateur husbands of good wine can wait in quite new Bordeauxthèque of the cellar of Lafayette Gourmet. More than one thousand references wait for them in particular a selection of the most exceptional Grands Crus* in a magnificent design frame. The history of the place begins with Théophile Bader and his cousin Alphonse Kahn, Jewish storekeepers coming from the universe of the clothing business while Boucicaut or Jaluzot were previously sellers in stores, join in 1893 to resume a fashion shop and open their first store in 1894 to 1, rue La Fayette. This store made at first 70 m ² and gets bigger as one goes along, until the construction of an immense dome in 1912. Since then, dozens of stores opened, whether it is somewhere else in Paris, in France and even abroad. In 1951, Édith Piaf gives a concert in front of the Galleries of the boulevard Haussmann where is inaugurated the highest escalator of Europe. In August, 1974, the remodeling of the ground floor pulls the removal of the main staircase conceived by Théophile Bader in 1912. * The alcohol abuse is dangerous for the health, to consume in moderation.

The BHV is considered as its vast beam do-it-yourself, but also for its spaces mode and decoration. The star of the Bazar is unmistakably the do-it-yourself. In the basement of this big store, we forget flavors and ready-to-wear clothing to discover the immense beam hardware storefurnished well. Another unusual space also exists: " La Niche ", a place was completely dedicated to the domestic animals, was opened in 2008 to 42 kicks of the Glass factory. A place "Very Important Pet", as it already exists there in Japan and in the United States. This department store possesses a very rich history, the storekeeper Xavier Ruel, arrived from Lyon, begins by making sell some articles of hosiery, by street vendors, in vast umbrellas. He notices that, even by making the sellers turn, the best sales are always realized at the street corner by Rivoli and by the street of Archives. He thus decides, in 1856, to establish his store in this place. In 1880, he still occupies only a small facade on the street of Rivoli. Then the activity extends in a whole island of buildings … In 1855, a little commonplace event is going to strengthen its fate. While empress Eugénie passes in front of his store, the horses of her harness suddenly frightened are furiously carried away. Xavier Ruel throws himself then in the head and succeeds in mastering them. A sum is granted to him for this heroic deed. This reward will be of use to him to enlarge his store which will be baptized the " Bazar Napoleon ". Xavier Ruel dies in 1900, leaving behind him a company counting 800 employees. Henri Viguier his grandson, takes then his succession and completes the work of his grandfather.