Department Store

The first department store was the Belle Fardiniere, founded in Paris in 1824 by Pierre Parissot. His publicity and sales methods revolutionalized commercial practice. He insisted that his merchandise be sold at "a fixed price for cash," whereas trade had always been based on two main principles: the negotiation of the price between the seller and the buyer, and buying on credit. Harper's Building, designed by the architect John B.Corlies, opened in New York in 1854, followed in 1858 by the Crystal Palace Bazar, the first department store to be opened in London.