fjt_05702 - Marchands des Halles n.d.

Covered market shop owners

In Les Halles, in the various markets and circulating through the streets, there have always been quantities of small merchants called regrattiers, resellers, egg cups or simply indicated by this even more vague designation: "those who buy to resell". The traffic of this profession, necessarily poorly classified and open to all, consisted of supply goods, poultry, fish, eggs, butter, cheese, fruit and vegetables. However from the beginning it was regulated or at least there were some among them who put themselves in community and gave themselves statutes; they are the "regratiers de pain et d'esgrun". Installed in a shop and having a known domicile, recognizing apprentices, masters, jurors, buying the King's trade, one can follow their trail among the crowd of merchants doing the same trade without enjoying the advantage of association and regulations.