Merchandising from the modern Ottoman to the early Republican era and the founded and development of Orosdi-Back Stores

Orosdi-Back stores are the economic and social projection of the retail sector in the Ottoman Empire. Orosdi-Back stores, a result of the personal initiatives of Adolphe Orosdi and Hermann Back, were first opened in Galata in 1855 under the name Ömer Efendi. The company spread over a wide geography by branching out in a short time; has made significant progress in wholesale and retail trade. This study aims to introduce Orosdi-Back company and its stores, about which there is no comprehensive study until now. Thus, it is planned to make a modest contribution to the change of modern consumption habits in Istanbul in particular and in the Ottoman lands in general. The study consists of three parts. In the first part, information is given about the Orosdi and Back families, the founders of the store. Later, the process of these families coming together to establish Orosdi-Back is mentioned. In addition, evaluations were made about the incorporation process, working system and branches. In the second part of the study, the effects of Orosdi-Back on social life are emphasized. In this section, the public's approach to OrosdiBack stores, the effects of the stores on consumption habits and the company's personnel employment policy are evaluated. In the third and last part, the process of closing the branches of Orosdi-Back stores in Turkey is covered. The negative effects of strikes, boycotts and ethnic problems, the first examples of which were encountered in the last period of the Ottoman Empire, on Orosdi-Back and the attitude of the company managers to the events were evaluated. Finally, the nationalization policy in the economy implemented in the republican period was explained and then the process of transferring the Istanbul branch of Orosdi-Back, the last branch in Turkey, to Sümerbank, within the scope of this policy. During the preparation of the study, many sources, especially the State Archives, were used. In this context, Taha Toros Archive, Salt Research, Wikilala, Atatürk Library et al. Visual materials were obtained from catalog archives. Source works in the catalogs of Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Library, Islamic Studies Center (İSAM) Library, Presidential National Library and National Library were used. The numbers of Annuaire Oriental (Oriental Trade Yearbooks) published between 1891-1921 were examined. Relevant scans were made from the periodicals of the period and the data found were evaluated. In addition, memoirs, letters and souvenirs were examined. Annual reports about Orosdi-Back were reviewed and annual statistics were derived from the numerical data in these reports. In addition, information about Orosdi-Back was obtained from many foreign sources, especially GALLICA. Keywords: Orosdi-Back, Store, Company, Trade, Bazaar.