What: Galeries Lafayette has recruited a former Lyon hotel general manager to open and run Nouvelles Galeries Bron, its new lifestyle destination in East Lyon.

Why it is important: The appointment moves the €100 million+ Lyon-Bron "Nouvelles Galeries" project from construction to operation, and it shows how Galeries Lafayette intends to run its regional sites: as places to spend time, not just to shop.

Citynove, the property company of the Galeries Lafayette Group, has named Agnès Razanaka to lead Nouvelles Galeries Bron, a newly created position. She will oversee the site's opening, scheduled for early 2027, before taking charge of its development and day-to-day animation. She aims to make it a must-visit East Lyon destination with high hospitality standards, unconventional events and a strong collective spirit with tenants.

The project is designed to go beyond premium retail and create a lifestyle space combining shopping, discovery, culture, sport, health, leisure and dining. Confirmed tenants include H&M, Normal, Picard, Maxi Zoo, On Air and Palomano, alongside food outlets Popeyes, Chamas Tacos and Ice Cream Coffee. Razanaka cites Citynove's people-centred approach and the aesthetic ambition of its sites.

Aged 37, she holds a master's degree in international hospitality and restaurant management from iaelyon School of Management. After starting at Cook & Go in Lyon Confluence, she joined Louvre Hotels Group in 2014, ran the four-star Silky by Happyculture hotel from 2019 and Eklo Lyon from 2022 to 2024, and led the opening of Océania Lyon in 2025. She has sat on the board of the Club Hôtelier Lyonnais since 2020.

IADS Notes: The appointment marks the final stage of a transformation that began when Galeries Lafayette Lyon-Bron reopened with a 9,200 m² extension. That first phase set out plans for a 60-unit shopping centre with restaurants, a medical centre and a gym, backed by more than €100 million of investment (Mes Infos, October 2024). The project then took shape as the "Nouvelles Galeries" concept: the site grows from 21,000 to 37,000 m², adds over 80 boutiques with a strong proximity-retail focus, and aims to double annual footfall, following the Annecy model of more than 3 million visitors and 20% sales growth (Fashion Network, May 2026). Bron sits within a wider regional programme that includes the €6 million flagship-inspired renovation of Nice Masséna, as the group elevates its regional stores into destinations (Nice Matin, June 2026). Choosing a hospitality executive to lead the site reflects a sector-wide shift: department stores such as Selfridges, John Lewis and Harrods now compete for consumers' leisure time through food, services, workshops and cultural programming rather than product range alone (The Retail Bulletin, July 2026).

Galeries Lafayette appoints a hotel executive, finalising Nouvelles Galeries Lyon Bron store