The French retailer Galeries Lafayette Group, which operates its 62 stores around the world, opens with 70,000-square-foot on the Champs-Elysées, the largest retail space on the most visited Parisian street.
Their target is the young and cool visitors from all around the world that arrive every day to Paris, “When the opportunity arose, we thought it would complement our Haussmann flagship, because the customer on the Champs-Elysées is completely different” said Nicolas Houzé, chief executive officer of Galeries Lafayette and BHV Marais to BOF.
One of the most surprising facts, they decided to not have any windows displays in this store in comparison to its main store on Haussmann boulevard, that is known for their amazing seasonal windows. Instead, Danish architect Bjarke Ingels turned a potential handicap into what he hopes will prove to be a signature, crafting a vortex-like tunnel from the main street to enter the store instead. The “windows” are inside the store instead: six suspended glass boxes that will change every three weeks and house pop-up installations.
The new flagship is clearly aimed at a younger millennial-driven demographic, with a prevalence of high-end streetwear and the exclusivity that comes with scoring hard-to-find brands. Guests enter the 6,500-square-foot space through an LED-lit tunnel to arrive in the marble-laden rotunda that is turning in one of the most photographed and tagged places on Instagram. “We’re seeing interest in smaller retail environments that are more intimate, where it’s easier to create a relationship with the customer and carefully select a mix of up-and-coming and big luxury brands. The idea that bigger is better is not the trend,” said retail consultant Robert Burke to BOF.
“It’s the only distribution channel that saw dynamism, thanks to tourism — over half of the sales in department stores is generated by customers from abroad — and a shift to higher-end apparel and accessories,” explained Gildas Minvielle, economics director of the Institut Français de la Mode in Paris to BOF.
Galeries Lafayette Champs-Elysées certainly seems to be taking cues from its British peer on more than one level. Like Selfridges, the new store has developed its own hybrid retail model, is knitting experiences like restaurants into its offering and aims to become a cultural destination. “Whether it’s fashion, design, art or music, Galeries Lafayette Champs-Elysees must introduce, stimulate and engage visitors with the most creative minds of our times,” said Galeries Lafayette’s image and communication director Guillaume Houzé to BOF.
Their sales acumen is enhanced by an exclusive “Personal Stylist 2.0” app, which allows them to connect with clients and arrange private bookings. A new patented “smart hanger” allows customers to see additional sizing availability and request to have garments sent directly to fitting rooms with a touch of a button.