Chapter 626: Experience the Future!
An hour later, Joseph emerged from the reception hall, his expression relaxed.
Just now, Beaumont had agreed to sign a "contract agreement," entrusting 266,700 hectares of church land to the Minister of Agriculture. The fee would be 6% higher than the current tenant farmer rent, though the specific parcels of land were to be chosen by the Minister of Agriculture.
While Beaumont couldn't command archbishops in other regions, if he deemed it feasible, the others would generally accept it.
Joseph climbed into his carriage and quickly made his way to Versailles.
Spring wheat and spring barley in France were typically sown in March. He had to finalize the "contracting" of church land with Vergniaud as soon as possible, ensuring farmers switched to sugar beet before planting season.
In fact, Joseph also intended to use this "contracting" opportunity to gain a foothold in the church's landholdings.
If he could continue to control church land through contracts, he could gradually abolish the tenant farmer system on these properties. After a decade or so of implementation, it would become an established custom, and the Church wouldn't be able to reverse it.
Following that, he would find excuses to reduce the contract fees, eventually achieving his goal of reclaiming church lands.
However, the French Church held over 13 million hectares of land. Contracting all of it would certainly be a very long process.
However, all of this would have to wait until French society had stabilized across all levels before any action could begin.
...
Bavaria.
Munich.
The usual clanging and hammering sounds were absent from the Old Berlant Ironworks. The workshop owner, Walter Berlant, stood before his gate, his face grim as he gazed at the bustling crowd across the street.
Lively music played there, and colorful ribbons occasionally drifted over people's heads, creating a festive atmosphere.
Berlant knew that Munich's first "French Department Store" was holding its grand opening celebration there.
"Damn Frenchmen! Hmph!"
He cursed bitterly, spitting forcefully onto the ground.
For the past year, the street across had become a central marketplace for French merchant caravans. Almost every two weeks, a French caravan would arrive with a large quantity of French goods, setting up stalls to sell them.
Whenever they appeared, both nobles and commoners from Munich would flock there, sweeping up the goods as if they were free.
Berlant admitted that those French goods—whether ironware, wine, mechanical products, furniture, cosmetics, or paper—were all of superior quality and cheap. Even the hawkers' cries were distinctive, very effective at enticing people to open their purses.
However, ever since those French merchant caravans began appearing regularly, his workshop's business had steadily declined.
The French caravans sold almost all the items he manufactured: farm tools, kitchenware, knives and scissors, shelves, and similar goods. Moreover, the quality of iron used in French products was far superior to what he bought from Bavarian ironworks, and their prices were lower.
This meant that, except for items needed urgently, people would choose to wait for the French caravans to arrive before making their purchases.
In fact, even Berlant's own home was already filled with various French goods—furnished with French particleboard furniture, using French soap, and drinking French wine...
But his workshop was on the verge of going out of business. Last week, he had dismissed two apprentices, barely managing to break even. However, an even more serious situation had quickly arisen: the French Department Store across the street was complete.
He had seen the French Department Store in Vienna on a previous visit. Inside, there were rows of neat counters, each staffed by two attractive female salesclerks and one male cashier.
Behind the glass of the counters, various French goods were displayed, with prices clearly marked.
The salesclerks would charmingly introduce products to customers. After a customer selected an item, it would be carefully packaged in an exquisite paper box.
The cashier nearby would issue a sales receipt after collecting payment. If any product had issues within its warranty period, the department store would even provide free repairs.
Berlant had heard that even those beautiful packaging boxes had become collector's items among Vienna's citizens.
Every Sunday, long queues would form outside that department store, taking a long time to enter. Even if the goods there were slightly more expensive, people still preferred to shop there.
Berlant knew that such a store had now appeared directly across the street from him.
From now on, his workshop would receive even fewer customers; he would likely face bankruptcy...
Joseph had, of course, replicated the department store model based on future designs. He had initially considered supermarkets, but factoring in the moral standards of the era, he ultimately opted for the department store format. After all, wages for workers were low, especially for female salesclerks, who could be hired for half the pay of men, so the cost hadn't increased significantly.
This novel business model had originally emerged during the mature phase of the Industrial Revolution, around the 1840s. Joseph had introduced it to the public half a century ahead of schedule.
Compared to the common single-business shops and unremarkable general stores of the era, the French Department Store boasted beautiful decor and spacious interiors. Even if one didn't intend to buy anything, simply wandering through it was a pleasant experience—after all, in the cities of that time, there really weren't many places to go besides parks, taverns, and coffee houses.
At the same time, the goods in the department store were incredibly diverse, mostly high-quality French products, but also some items from other countries, ranging from luxury goods to daily necessities. Furthermore, thanks to the low tariffs mandated by the Rhine-Seine River Treaty, the prices of these goods were very affordable.
Coupled with the salesclerks' friendly and enthusiastic service, and after-sales guarantees, the French Department Store quickly dominated the local retail market wherever it appeared.
Moreover, these department stores even featured food courts and children's play areas, making them truly captivating.
Over the past year and a half, major cities across South Germany had largely seen department stores established. Caravans replenished stock, continuously funneling French goods to all corners of Germany.
The music from across the street ceased, and after a flurry of drums, the onlookers began to surge frantically into the department store—it was officially open.
Berlant was coldly observing the frenzied shopping through the department store's glass windows when a carriage suddenly pulled up beside him.
A square-faced man in the carriage leaned out the window and waved to him, saying:
"Walter, hurry to Wisgen Street to gather. We move in an hour. Oh, and remember to bring the effigies and banners."
Berlant nodded vigorously, then turned to call his two sons. Without a word, they picked up their prepared items and hurried towards Wisgen Street.
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