La Samaritaine occupies a massive stretch of riverfront defined by its intricate, cream-colored Art Nouveau ironwork and vibrant peacock-blue mosaics. Ernest Cognacq and his wife, Marie-Louise Jaÿ, started it as a tiny shop in eighteen sixty-nine. They grew the business by selling high-quality goods at fixed, affordable prices to the working class. When a dissatisfied customer once demanded a refund for a damaged item, Cognacq famously told his staff to accept it without question, setting a new standard for Parisian retail.
La Samaritaine
monument
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