The Bon Marché

The Bon Marché
FormerlyBon–Macy's (2003–2005)
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryRetail
GenreDepartment stores
Founded1890 (1890) in Seattle, Washington, United States
Founders
  • Edward Nordhoff
  • Josephine Nordhoff
DefunctMarch 6, 2005 (2005-03-06)
FateRebranded by Federated Department Stores
SuccessorMacy's
HeadquartersSeattle, Washington, United States
Number of locations
50 (2004)
Areas served
Products
  • Clothing
  • footwear
  • bedding
  • furniture
  • jewelry
  • beauty products
  • housewares
Parent

The Bon Marché (colloquially The Bon) was an American department store chain founded in 1890 by married couple Edward and Josephine Nordhoff. It was based Seattle, Washington, and served working-class families in the Northwestern United States.

The name was inspired by the Parisian department store Le Bon Marché. The store was known for their catchy jingles, such as the following to the tune of "The Banana Boat Song": "Day-o, One Day Sale, One day only at The Bon Marché! Save 20, 30, 40 percent (example savings)! Saturday only at the Bon Marche. Prices are down in every department! Saturday only at the Bon Marche!..." In the 1960s, it also used some cuts from PAMS' Series 23 jingle package, "Ani-Magic" in the 1960s.

The Bon Marché was acquired by Hahn Department Stores in 1929, which itself was acquired by Allied Stores in 1934. Federated Department Stores purchased Allied in 1992; it rebranded the chain as Bon–Macy's in 2003, and dissolved The Bon Marché completely with its full conversion to Macy's in 2005.