The Bon Marché Arrives in Seattle

          Of all the people The Bon Marché impressed, it was no surprise that Edward Nordhoff was one of them. While he was employed in France, he came across The Bon Marché where he "admired the service, integrity, and merchandising strategy of [the] famous Paris department store."[i] So, in 1889, he and his wife, Josephine, moved to Seattle where they decided to start a business modeled after the Parisian store. Although their reasoning for moving to Seattle is unclear, the best historical guess is that they saw an opportunity in the city (discussed later). They started in 1890 by renting a small shop for $25 per month and naming it The Bon Marché.[ii] Although the store did not clear millions instantly and probably violated several international trademark laws, it would have over $300,000 of annual sales by 1900, which Edward, who died in 1899, unfortunately never saw.[iii] Josephine took over the store and married Frank McDermott in 1901, who ran the business with her until her death in 1920. McDermott and Edward's brother Rudolf Nordhoff continued the business afterwards.[iv] Although the store changed hands multiple times, it always survived because the operation had been built around the store, not the owner. The store "kept true to its pedigree,"[v] which allowed it to survive even under the most strenuous circumstances.