What: Hermione Retail announces the closure of its 10,000-square-metre Galeries Lafayette franchise at Rosny 2 shopping mall, despite recent debt restructuring.

Why it is important: This closure, following recent Marseille announcements, signals an acceleration in department store network optimisation, reflecting the challenges faced by both franchised and company-owned locations.

Hermione Retail, which operates 26 Galeries Lafayette franchised stores across France, has announced the closure of its Rosny 2 location. The 10,000-square-metre department store, situated across two floors in the Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield shopping centre, currently houses nearly 500 brands and employs approximately 100 people. The closure, scheduled for January 2026, comes despite Hermione Retail's recent financial restructuring, which saw its plan de sauvegarde approved in court in March 2024. This development is part of a broader transformation in the French retail landscape, where Galeries Lafayette is actively reshaping its network of 57 stores, comprising 19 company-owned and 38 franchised locations.

IADS Notes: The closure of Galeries Lafayette's Rosny 2 location reflects broader challenges in the French department store sector. In March 2024, Hermione Retail, which operates 26 franchised Galeries Lafayette stores including Rosny 2, secured a crucial debt relief plan that cleared 70% of its EUR 28 million debt. The Rosny 2 closure follows a pattern of strategic consolidation in the French retail landscape, where both franchised and company-owned stores are being evaluated for long-term viability.

Galeries Lafayette’s affiliate Hermione Retail to close a store