Galeries Lafayette to spread wings with new stores

28 Dec '05

2 min read

Retail group Groupe Galeries Lafayette is keen to spread wings with the launching of new stores in the coming two years, as its €200 million store restyling programme was nearing its end.

The Paris-based retail giant is looking to open at least three new stores by autumn 2007 and targeting new openings abroad.

The new store will open in Belle Epine in March and in Rosny in September next year whilst the opening of a four-storey, 15,500 square metre store will follow in autumn 2007.

Paul Delaoutre, head of the Galeries Lafayette chain, said, "It is our long-term goal to have some ten Galeries Lafayette stores in the Paris region. But, we also believe there is room for another store in Marseilles."

The group also looking to open stores outside France but remained silent about the possible locations. In March, Galeries Lafayette stated it could imagine opening a store similar to the Berlin store in Asia.

The group is poised to convert all "Nouvelle Galeries" stores to Galeries Lafayette stores in 2007. It has invested €100 million last year and another €100 million this year for providing more fashion offering at stores and given them an individual layout that fits best to location in the city or province.

Galeries Lafayette is considering its three specialist concepts to target young people at home and beyond Paris. Recently opened in Marseilles, a five-storey, 9,000 square metre store was converted into a store dedicatedentirely to young people aged between 15 to 35.

The group, in the short term, also plans to open three more "VO" youth-oriented openings as well as 11 "Lafayette Maison" home stores.

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