PARIS — Galeries Lafayette is poised to launch an immense wellness division this summer season.
The house — house to merchandise, providers, a fitness center and a restaurant — might be located on the minus-one ground of the division retailer’s essential constructing on Boulevard Haussmann and open in mid-July.
Galeries Lafayette has been finishing up widespread renovations over the previous 18 months, all through the coronavirus pandemic.
“We continued to enhance buyer journeys with the creation of a 3rd set of escalators,” stated Alexandre Liot, basic supervisor of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann. “We renovated our historic cupola, which had not been redone since its creation.”
Different initiatives included opening (Re)Retailer, dedicated to round and second-hand vogue within the womenswear division.
“After which, we took the time to see what the patron tendencies had been and — above all — their expectations,” stated Liot. “We realized our prospects didn’t simply wish to purchase items, however in addition they wished to do good for themselves. That’s what guided us on this undertaking.
“The [post-COVID-19] division retailer strikes again, with all the things — innovation, expectation, exclusivity — underneath the identical roof, which is its historic energy,” he continued.
Liot stated Galeries Lafayette has all the time had a strong “conventional” beauty enterprise.
“In wanting on the market’s evolution — notably in america, which remains to be very a lot prematurely when it comes to well-being, and in addition Japan — we stated to ourselves ‘the beauty of tomorrow’ is now not nearly promoting merchandise, but additionally about doing your self good,” he stated.
Additional, customers at the moment predict differentiation and innovation from bodily shops.
Galeries Lafayette’s minus-one ground, among the many most frequented, was previously the shoe division, which was relocated to the fourth ground. That meant 32,290 sq. ft of house turned out there.
“We actually wished to create and be the reference for well-being and wellness in Paris — and even in Europe,” stated Liot, who maintains nothing of this sort exists anyplace else there. “We selected the most effective of their areas of experience current on [French] territory, or completely unique ideas not but in France.
“We balanced the 2,” he teased, with out naming names of the particular manufacturers chosen. “We could have all the merchandise that correspond to well-being — dietary dietary supplements, lotions, hair merchandise. It is going to actually be the temple of wellbeing.”
Remedy rooms are to supply the likes of therapeutic massage and various medication. The fitness center, internet hosting health lessons, might be open earlier than and after retailer hours.
Athleisure is to be offered on this ground, too, and there might be a restaurant serving meals conceived with well-being in thoughts. (Additionally on the culinary entrance, Galeries Lafayette, in its Maison et Gourmand constructing, will add a supplementary ground devoted to eating places in September.)
“For this house there are codes completely completely different from these of the division retailer, from what one is used to seeing on the opposite flooring,” the chief stated of the well-being division.
The wellness market has monumental potential, having doubled in measurement globally over the previous 4 years, in line with the World Wellness Report. But the class stays extremely segmented and accessible to solely a small variety of individuals in France.
“The spirit of Galeries Lafayette is it’s everybody’s division retailer, and we actually need this universe to be accessible to everybody,” stated Liot, including massages and different therapies might be out there for 45 euros to 400 euros. “So it actually democratizes entry to well-being.
“We all the time attempt to be one step forward of the environment and in addition of our rivals,” he stated. “Additionally it is necessary for us to proceed placing into apply our philosophy — specifically, that prospects and guests want experiences, and continually renewed experiences. It’s a leitmotif we’ve had for a really very long time.”
Liot cited the division retailer’s historic slogan: “One thing is all the time occurring at Galeries Lafayette.”
“We proceed to reside that at the moment, with this undertaking,” he stated.
For extra, see:
Galeries Lafayette Names Arthur Lemoine Director of Buying Division
EXCLUSIVE: Galeries Lafayette Unveils Circular Fashion Space
