CNN Travel: World's oldest department store feels like the streets of Paris

March 10, 2020

As the cradle of high fashion, Paris gave the world designers like Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, who in turn gifted the world some of fashion history's most enduring iconography, including the LBD, or little black dress.

But there are two other French figures who don't get nearly as much credit in the fashion and retail world as they should, given that they are probably more relevant to the average household than Chanel and Dior.

At Le Bon Marché department store in Paris, which was founded in 1852 and holds the title of the oldest and longest-running department store in the world, Aristide and Marguerite Boucicaut pioneered retail concepts many people probably take for granted.

The husband and wife team were revolutionary in this fast-changing industry called retail.

The practice of returning merchandise for a refund? Le Bon Marché lays claim to the concept.

Mail order catalogs à la Ikea and J. Crew?

In fact, the Boucicauts published the world's first department store catalog and included fabric swatches for customers to select the color and material of their attire. They enabled — and empowered — shoppers to customize their designs.

More at https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/le-bon-marche-paris-department-store/index.html