Six years after opening in Beijing, the new Galeries Lafayette store located in Pudong business district, offers 25 000 square metres of sales space combining fashion and catering. The group announced its intention to open four new stores in the country by 2025. Philippe Pedone, director of international development, said : "Pudong is a booming business area. For instance, it will host the head office of Alipay."

Galeries Lafayette will offer 250 brands, and 40% of retail space will be devoted to catering for the 60 000 people working in the area. The French Touch will be given by a 300 square metres bakery on the ground floor. The department store will focus on premium labels and not luxury fashion, and it will also sell a selection of French, local and international labels, including those of IT its partner in China.

Galeries Lafayette has not disclosed the amount of the investment or the revenue target but management confirms that the Beijing store has reached its forecasts.

The group is aiming to achieve 20% to 25% of its revenue from international operations, of which China should account for 60%. The group has identified the digital potential of the country and has already launched a mini-program on the WeChat platform used by 1 billion Chinese people.

press release : Galeries Lafayette Reinforces Position as a Leader in Fashion Curation in China