FRANCE. ‘More than a store – the new Parisian destination.” So said LVMH as it revealed via Instagram the 23 June reopening of La Samaritaine department store in Paris.
The reopening will mark a huge day for DFS Group. As reported, the profoundly ambitious €750 million (US$817.9 million) renovation of the 70,000sq m historic building includes a T Galleria by DFS, offering what the travel retailer describes as “exceptional” collections from Parisian, French and international brands and artisans.
The duty and tax paid range will include beauty and fragrances, fashion and accessories, watches and jewellery, and food, wines and spirits. Eight restaurants, bars and cafes will complete the consumer experience.
La Samaritaine, a Parisian institution since its founding in 1870 by Ernest Cognacq and Marie-Louise Jaÿ, was acquired by LVMH in 2001. Four years later the building was closed for safety reasons, sparking more than a decade of controversy over its proposed design and redevelopment. With all the legal and regulatory challenges long overcome, the scene is set for the grand unveiling of what LVMH describes as “the new Parisian emotion”
The new-look La Samaritaine embraces a cluster of old and new buildings spread over two blocks between the Quai du Louvre and the Rue de Rivoli, adjacent to the Seine river. Besides the DFS store, the project includes a 5-star, 72-room Cheval Blanc hotel; 96 social housing units; offices and a crèche.
