La Lingerie at Galeries Lafayette, Paris
Galeries Lafayette Haussmann unveiled its new Lingerie department in March 2020, close to the Women's Contemporary section. The IADS member's flagship store is undergoing major refurbishment, and takes the opportunity of smartly repositioning the Lingerie department from the 4th floor, to propose a new experience for this category.
Lockdown in France led to a change of customers' preferences towards more casual and comfortable leisurewear. In lingerie terms, this means of course new tastes in terms of product offering, but also new expectations in terms of services and look & feel.
Engineered before this change, the 900sqm space, fitted with light wood furniture and white ceilings, is arranged like a cocoon, providing privacy while shopping for underwear. Next to it, the swimwear is presented in a white tiled space, a nod to the Parisian public pools.
In terms of offer, across the big lingerie names such as L'Agent Provocateur, Wolford or Princesse Tam-Tam, a special multi brand space is dedicated to lesser known, more confidential digitally native labels providing a sense of exclusivity while also surfing with on the intimacy those brands already enjoy with their existing customers thanks to their business model. Furthermore, they embrace growing trends which are beneficial to Galeries Lafayette in terms of image: Made in France or Made in Paris (Le Slip Français, Henriette H, Jolies Mômes), sustainability (Baserange).
Additional services are provided by the Kure Bazaar nail bar, proposing to customers a peaceful & refreshing pause during their shopping experience. This completes the feeling of a quietness, voluntarily contrasting with the rest of the bustling store.
Is a cocoon experience enough? DNVBs see their brand claims emphasized only, without additional crosschannel experience. This contributes to renew the store offer assortment, but might disappoint existing customers who already enjoy a personalized relationship with such brands. Only time will tell if a beautifully refurbished and curated store is enough to convince customers who are longing for additional care and comfort while shopping offline.