Félix-Potin store, witness to the prosperity and style of the early 20th century

Magasin Félix Potin, 51 rue Réaumur angle Adresse : 95 Bd de Sébastopol, 75002 Paris

Téléphone : 01 42 33 36 15

LE MAGASIN DU BOULEVARD DE SÉBASTOPOL

Built by Charles Lemaresquier (1870-1972) in 1910 at the corner of Boulevard de Sébastopol and Rue Réaumur, it is emblematic of the Belle Époque taste for architectural polychromy. Topped by a dome often referred to as “La Poivrière” (the pepper pot), this post-Haussmannian building highlights the splendor of this enterprise. Built in the neo-baroque style, visitors can admire the polychrome corner rotunda and the decorative elements in the round: garlands of fruit, caduceus, attributes of Hermes. Charles Lemaresquier (1870-1972), its architect, built relatively few structures, but his works were always ambitious. He is also famous for his position as a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he guided many students to the Prix de Rome. His other works in Paris include the Palais Berlitz and the Hôtel de Rochechouart.

At the corner of Rue Réaumur and Boulevard Sébastopol, the opulent store bears witness to the prosperity at the beginning of the century of this distributor, which closed all its stores in 1996 (it is now a Monoprix). Built in 1910, the large dome is typical of the bourgeois buildings of that period. The department store is also notable for its facade decorated with vibrant colors and bees, symbols of commerce and abundance.

Polychrome corner rotunda, decorative elements in the round: garlands of fruit, caduceus, attributes of Hermes. Former headquarters of the Félix Potin chain of stores. Félix Potin opened his first store in Paris in 1844. From then on, he applied four principles that would be the key to his success: selling by weight, quality products, low profit margins, and prices displayed in store. In 1860, he opened the first two-story supermarket on Boulevard de Sébastopol in Paris. After Félix Potin's death in 1871, his heirs registered the Félix Potin trademark in 1886. Everything fell into place and the business grew. A Félix Potin factory was built in La Villette. It was expanded in 1864 to include a distillery and a chocolate factory. The store on Boulevard Malesherbes opened in 1864 and a home delivery service was launched in 1870. The Paris factories had 1,800 employees in 1906 and 8,000 in 1927. The Félix Potin company had 70 branches and 10 factories. The slogan that made the chain of stores popular was “Félix Potin, we keep coming back!” In 1956, the 1,200 stores became mini-markets, which were bought by André Mentzelopoulos (1915-1980) in 1958. Poorly managed, the company went into decline and was liquidated in 1996. Currently, the ground floor and first floor are occupied by a Monoprix store.