Chapter 626 Please experience the "future"!
An hour later, Joseph walked out of the living room with a relaxed look.
Just now, Beaumont has agreed to sign a "contracting agreement" to hand over 40,000 hectares of church land to the Minister of Agriculture for management. The cost will be increased by 6% on the basis of the current rent and tax for tenant farmers, but the specific land must be selected by the Minister of Agriculture.
Although Beaumont cannot command the archbishops of other regions, as long as he thinks it is feasible, other archbishops will basically accept it.
Joseph got into the carriage and hurried to Versailles.
Spring wheat and spring barley in France are usually sown in March. He must finalize the "contract" of the church land with Vergno as soon as possible and let the farmers switch to sugar beets before they sow.
In fact, Joseph also wanted to use this "contracting" matter to leverage a corner of the church's land.
If we can continue to control church lands in the form of contracts, we can slowly abolish the sharecropping system on these lands. After it has been implemented for more than ten years, it has become a customary thing, and the church cannot change it even if it wants to.
Then he found excuses to reduce contracting costs, and finally achieved the goal of recovering the church land.
However, the French Church has more than 2 million hectares of land in its hands, and it will definitely be a very long process to contract all of it.
However, the church’s land, and even its assets such as shares and bonds, must be gradually recovered. The church must not be allowed to become a stumbling block on the road to the French Industrial Revolution. It would be best if it could be resolved peacefully, but it is not unacceptable to implement the religious reform as a last resort.
It’s just that all this can’t start until all aspects of French society are more stable.
……
Bavaria.
Munich.
There was no tinkling sound from the "Old Berlant Iron Workshop". Walter Berlant, the owner of the workshop, stood in front of the gate, looking gloomily at the crowds of people across the street.
Cheerful music was playing there, and ribbons would float over people's heads from time to time, making it very lively.
Berlant knew that the opening celebration of Munich's first "Department de France" was being held there.
"Damn French! Bah!"
He cursed bitterly and spat hard on the ground.
Since a year ago, the area across the street has become a centralized sales center for French caravansaries. Almost every half month, French caravans bring a large number of French goods and set up stalls there for sale.
At that time, both nobles and civilians in Munich would flock to the store and sweep away the goods as if they were free of money.
Berlant admitted that those French goods, whether they were ironware, wine, machinery, furniture, cosmetics, paper, etc., were all of high quality and cheap. Even the sellers' shouts were unique, which greatly stimulated people to spend money. Desire for money.
However, once the French caravans began showing up regularly, business in his workshop began to decline.
Almost all the farm tools, kitchen utensils, knives, scissors, shelves and other items he makes here are sold by French caravans, and the quality of the iron used in French goods is much better than what he bought from the Bavarian ironworks, and the price is also high. Be cheaper.
This resulted in people choosing to wait for the arrival of the French caravan before buying items that were urgently needed. In fact, even Berlant's own home is already filled with all kinds of French goods - French synthetic board furniture, French soaps, and French wine...
But his workshop was almost out of business. He just laid off two apprentices last week and is barely breaking even. However, something more serious soon arose - the Department Store de France was built across the street.
When he went to Vienna before, he had seen the French department store there. There were neat counters, and behind each counter there were two beautiful saleswomen and a male ticket clerk.
Behind the glass of the counter are various French products, with prices marked on them.
The salesperson will use a nice voice to introduce the product to the customer. After the customer selects what they want to buy, they will package it in exquisite paper boxes.
The bill clerk next to you will provide a sales receipt after collecting the money. If there is a problem with the product during the warranty period, the mall will repair it free of charge.
Berlant heard that even those beautiful packaging boxes have become collections of Viennese citizens.
Every Sunday, there would be a long queue outside that department store, and it would take a long time to get in. Even if the goods there are slightly more expensive, people are more willing to buy there.
Berlant knew that such a mall had appeared across the street from him.
In the future, his workshop will be even more unpopular, and he may face bankruptcy...
The department store was naturally copied by Joseph according to the model of later generations. He originally planned to build a supermarket, but considering the moral standards of people in this era, he finally chose the shopping mall model. Anyway, workers' wages are low, especially female sales assistants. They can be hired with half the wages of men, so the cost does not increase much.
This novel business model originally appeared during the mature period of the Industrial Revolution, that is, around 184x. Joseph made it appear in front of people half a century in advance.
Compared with the common single-operated stores and inconspicuous grocery stores in this era, the Department Store of France is first of all beautifully decorated and spacious inside. Even if you don’t buy anything, it is very good to come in and take a stroll - in cities of this era, Apart from parks, pubs, and cafes, there really aren’t many places to go.
At the same time, the products in the department stores are also very complete, most of which are high-quality French products, but also some products from other countries, ranging from luxury goods to daily necessities. And thanks to the low tariffs limited by the Treaty of the Rhine-Seine, the prices of these goods are very approachable.
Coupled with the friendly and enthusiastic service attitude of the sales staff and after-sales guarantee, France Department Store can quickly occupy the local retail market wherever it appears.
In addition, these department stores even have food areas and children's play areas, which are really unforgettable.
In the past year and a half, department stores have basically been built in major cities in South Germany. Caravans were used to replenish supplies, and French goods were continuously sold to all parts of Germany.
The music playing across the street stopped, and after a burst of rapid drumbeats, the crowd of onlookers began to rush into the department store crazily—it was officially opened.
Berlant was staring coldly at the shopping scene through the glass window of the shopping mall, when suddenly a carriage stopped beside him.
The square-faced man in the car stuck his head out of the car window and waved to him:
"Walter, quickly go to Wisgen Street to gather. The action will start in one hour. Oh, remember to bring the scarecrow and the slogan."
Berlant nodded vigorously, turned around to greet his two sons, picked up the things he had prepared, and hurried toward Wisgen Street without saying a word.
(End of chapter)