Bon Marché was a

department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store mad ...

based in

Brixton Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England. It was the first purpose built department store in the city. The store was founded in 1877 by James Smith of

Tooting Tooting is a district in South London, forming part of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is located south south-west of Charing Cross. History Tooting has been settled since pre-Anglo-Saxons, Saxon times. The name is of Anglo-Saxon ori ...

after he won a fortune at

Newmarket races Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of ...

. The store was named and modelled after

Bon Marché Bon or Bön (), also known as Yungdrung Bon (, ), is the indigenous Tibetan religion which shares many similarities and influences with Tibetan Buddhism.Samuel 2012, pp. 220–221. It initially developed in the tenth and eleventh centuries but ...

in Paris. The store was not successful and Smith went bankrupt in 1892. The new owners were more successful, eventually acquiring nearby stores

Quin and Axtens Quin may refer to: * Quin (name), including a list of people with the name * Quiñ, American singer Bianca Quiñones * Quin (Sigilverse), a fictional planet * Quin, County Clare, a village in County Clare, Ireland * The Quin House, nickname for ...

and

Pratts of Streatham Pratts was a department store located in Streatham High Road, London. Established in the 1850s it became part of the John Lewis chain before its closure in 1990. Early history George Pratt arrived in Streatham from Silchester at the age of 13 t ...

. Eventually the group was bought by

Selfridges Selfridges, also known as Selfridges & Co., is a chain of upmarket department stores in the United Kingdom that is operated by Selfridges Retail Limited. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge in 1908. The historic Daniel Burnham-designed Self ...

. The building went on to be used as a market, retail units, a pub, and a business centre. The store had two buildings: the main building on the corner of Brixton Road and Ferndale Road, and Topland House opposite. Topland House was originally built as staff accommodation and currently houses The Department Store bar and restaurant.

Violette Szabo Violette Reine Elizabeth Szabo, GC (née Bushell; 26 June 1921 – February 1945) was a British-French Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent during the Second World War and a posthumous recipient of the George Cross. On her second mission i ...

, an SOE secret agent during the Second World War and posthumous recipient of the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational Courage, gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, ...

, was working at Bon Marché when the war started.

References

{{Coord, 51.46368, -0.11498, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Defunct department stores of the United Kingdom Defunct retail companies of the United Kingdom Former buildings and structures in the London Borough of Lambeth History of the London Borough of Lambeth John Lewis Partnership Selfridges Brixton