The Samaritaine, the work of a couple: the Cognacq-Jay

Interview |Closed since 2005, the Samaritaine reopens its doors this Wednesday.A commercial empire in the heart of Paris born of the talents and the vision of Ernest Cognacq and his wife Marie-Louise Jaÿ.With more than half a century of joint work for a work also philanthropic and artistic.

They will borrow almost never.

Ernest Cognacq founded the Samaritaine when they were not yet married and his only loan was 10,000 francs from his half-sister for the important starting work on the first back-shop [Editor's note: 48 m2].In 1872, the married Cognacq-Jay, it was reimbursed, and from there, they absolutely did not borrow.No doubt that on the side of Marie-Louise, this wish not to borrow came from his father, who had sold the family home following loans.He was super indebted, and she had had a very bad memory of the credits.And Ernest was a convinced individualist.He didn't want to depend on anyone.For him, a credit was to be attached to someone, to lose his freedom, and he absolutely wanted to trust, but without any contract.For example, for the Samaritaine, imagine that there has never been a single signed contract!There have been signed plans, but no contract.He trusted.And if he never borrowed, it is because he never wanted to depend on anyone.

Can we talk about a couple of department stores, they bathe in it?

We can especially speak of a complementary couple.This is what is extraordinary with them.They still worked together fifty-three years.At the time, it was considerable.Him, above all the salesperson.It, above all the organizer and especially the one who develops the making within the Samaritaine.However, it was the making for ladies that has drawn the success of the Samaritaine for years and years.

Their success comes from this complementarity and not only from the Samaritaine.These are also philanthropic works and museum works, that is to say the collection of works of art from Ernest Cognacq.The couple made the Samaritaine, and Marie-Louise developed the philanthropic work, when her husband has mostly done the collection.Extremely discreet people, communicating very little, he had nothing to do with honors.It was Marie-Louise who asked for him the Legion of Honor.

Philanthropy (paternalism for some) by Marie-Louise Jaÿ who was linked to the Samaritaine staff.

Yes, but also, more broadly, to all the people who worked in novelty stores.And in these philanthropic works there was initially a retirement home in Rueil.There was a nursery for children up to 3 years old.Social housing also still exist, located in Levallois.And there was then a maternity hospital in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, which, at the time, was the only one in France in which the women who were giving birth had a single room.Marie-Louise had special attention to women and children.She has created almost nothing for men, except the retirement home.

Then, a school was also launched in Argenteuil to train young girls at sewing, with at the start about twenty students.She has become the Cognacq-Jay high school with 600 students now.And always in the minds of Cognacq-Jay, that is to say to help the poorest.This high school, for example, is free for all students.

This philanthropic work is therefore very wide and above all more alive than ever.In a mind originally that was nothing other than helping people in an extremely difficult era.

And the passion for the art of Ernest Cognacq?

It is really his unique work to him.Marie-Louise did not get involved.The Cognacq-Jay Museum in Paris does not completely reflect its collection.He first collected impressionist works, contemporary artists.He collected works from China and Japan that the city of Paris refused when he donated.These pieces have therefore disappeared from the current collection.He remains there what he also loved enormously: his collection of 18th century works of art.But you should not restrict your collection to that.

He had a collector's passion.He first collected cars, then works of art, and during the inventory when he died, 2,000 empty bottles were found at home.

Ernest Cognacq was often found in sales, often outside, much more than Marie-Louise, who held the shop: she visited the counters every day.Strong tensions agitated the couple to find out where the collection would be exhibited.Marie-Louise was more worn on the Petit Palais and Ernest doubted because he said "My collection, our collection will be lost in it".So he wanted a museum to him.And a few weeks after the death of Marie-Louise, even if he was completely collapsed, he said that it would not be at the Petit Palais but a museum that would bear their names.

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It was also he who built relationships with architects like Frantz Jourdain.Jourdain and his innovative ideas were supported for his iron and glass store by Cognacq.He allowed her to realize her dream.It denoted too much in the middle of a stone empire.

But what secrets have made the couple such a success?

Contrary to what we have been able to say, and just as for the good market, the Samaritaine did not invent anything.All the rules that have made the success of department stores already existed: the fixed price, the rendering if we are not satisfied, the catalogs, the advertising, home delivery.

The extremely privileged situation of the store first made its strength: in the center of Paris, at the crossroads of the left bank and the right bank, with the bridge in front, the rue de Rivoli very busy.

Then, with respect for commitments to customers, success came from the extreme rigor in the management and in the management of general costs, which made it possible to sell excellent quality at low prices.At the start thanks to Marie-Louise, before Ernest puts herself in her slippers so that these principles are absolutely respected.There were still stores at the time that sold a little bit of the customer's head.When they arrived in Paris, there were around 400 novelty stores.And at the end, when they died, there were more than a dozen department stores.There has been considerable skimming, precisely because of the rigor of rigorous management and the possibility of developing.

And currently there are four Samaritaine.But when Ernest Cognacq died, Samaritaine buildings also occupied all the islets that go from Place du Louvre to Châtelet, to the odd numbers of rue de Rivoli.Without forgetting on the side of the Louvre, on the peer side, the well -known credit house in the Samaritaine: the sowing of Paris.Ernest Cognacq had the idea of developing his department store all along this street.Not to mention the boulevard des Capucines where the Samaritaine de Luxe was.And at 80, he said: "What I did is nothing next to what I want to do".

And that you learned about this couple who could not have children the family archives to which you have access?

These are the only direct testimonies of their lives, because otherwise we just have a few newspaper articles.This reveals an essentially work life, but not that.With two periods after their marriage in 1872.The first until 1902 shows a couple who was part of the upper bourgeoisie, in the Bottin of all-Paris, at the Automobile Club de France.And suddenly, everything changes.They accelerate Samaritan's constructions and claim to be calicots, tissue sellers and proud to be tissue sellers.Before, it feels like they were ashamed of being traders.

With a common motto about work, engraved on the facade of Samaritaine.

It was per laboram, by, for the work.It was indicated on the store's marques.And by Boutade, we called Ernest Cognacq The Father Laborem.This reputation served them a lot.He was often outside, but to make employees believe that you have to work to get there, obviously, is very practical.

Marie-Louise somehow represented the example by circulating in the counters every day.A reason to be hated, obviously.But they built their reputation around the fact that success is only due to work and not to good management or productivity.