Galeries Lafayette already occupies space in major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai, but now it has its eyes set on opening its luxurious shopping centres in Chongqing, Shenzhen, and Macau.
Prior to the outbreak and subsequent lockdowns, Galeries Lafayette Paris was a popular spot for Chinese tourists. So much so that Lafayette went as far as launching a Chinese website that supported Alipay. Seeing as most of the tourists went away with the pandemic, Lafayette decided to bring the luxury shopping experience to their loyal customers’ very own stomping grounds.
The Chongqing branch is scheduled to open sometime before the end of 2022 in Chongqing 100 MALL, located in the city’s tallest building (which, standing at 458 meters, is over 150 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower).
Chongqing is an excellent choice of location for the Parisian department store, as the city carries an emerging market for high-end shopping malls and luxury goods. In 2010, Starlight 68 Plaza, was a shopping mall home to over 100 brands and with a heavy focus on luxury. In terms of interior decoration, the Galeries Lafayette China team only disclosed that it would try to adapt to the characteristics of the skyscraper.
In Shenzhen, Galeries Lafayette aims to set up shop in UpperHills, a new international urban complex that offers an upmarket shopping, dining, and leisure experience to all visitors. The department store will be divided into four key sections, including international designer brands, trendy footwear and accessories, beauty/skincare, and food and beverage.
In addition to Shenzhen and Chongqing, Galeries Lafayette will also enter Macau by December of this year in Treasure Island Resort World Hotel.
According to the Galeries Lafayette China team, China remains the core of the group’s international expansion strategy, with plans to increase the number of stores in China to 10 by 2025. Future stores will not only include renowned international brands but also include Chinese independent designer brands.
