Berliquette the fairy, advertisement for 'Le Bon Marche', c.1900 (colour litho)

La Fee Berliquette et Brimborion; the Bon Marché Department stores in Paris were the creation of the French entrepreneur, Aristide Boucicaut (1810-77), responsible for the modern revolution in retailing in France, and the creator of one of the earliest department stores in Paris, which soon became the largest in the world with 1788 employees by 1877; Boucicaut introduced many new selling concepts, innovations and amenities to clients, including catalogues, mail order, home delivery, fixed price labelling, large choice of goods and guarantees allowing exchanges or refunds; families were targeted by giving balloons and attractively produced cards for children; the cards, usually in a series of six and published weekly were extremely popular and acted as an inducement to return frequently to the shops;