 In 1848, the Petit Saint-Thomas closed.Boucicaut had made the acquaintance of Paul Videau, who owned a nearby variety store called Au Bon Marché Videau.He became Videau's partner, and put his new novel ideas of marketing to work; buying in bulk and selling with very low profit margins; fixed prices; allowing the customers to browse and touch the clothing; seasonal sales; reduced prices on selected items, elaborate window displays, and newspaper advertising.