As Luxury Slows, Paris Department Stores Bet Big on Menswear Growth
PARIS — Despite the slowdown in luxury spending and an overall rocky retail environment, Parisian department stores are bullish about menswear.
Printemps recently opened a 2,690-square-foot concept store space on its ground floor dedicated to men’s accessories, beauty, watches, jewelry and home, and Galeries Lafayette is gearing up for a full revamp of its four-floor menswear building slated for 2026.
More from WWD
It’s less a boom in the category than a slow-and-steady post-pandemic climb, said Galeries Lafayette director of menswear Alice Feillard.
“We can see that men began following women’s emotional shopping values” during the pandemic, Feillard said. “Now it has moved from a more rational and functional buying to a more emotional and fashionable buying.”
Men’s habits have changed from seeking basics like T-shirts and sweaters, to more designer-driven creative pieces, formal workwear, statement pieces and a heightened interest in sharp silhouettes. The shift has been consistent across categories including luxury, accessories, contemporary, urban and outdoor, Feillard said.
Copenhagen-based brand Les Deux was virtually unknown in France when it opened a pop-up at Galeries Lafayette three years ago. Now it has seven shop-in-shop outposts in Paris and regional stores. The space at Galeries Lafayette generated “seven-digit revenue” last year alone, reflecting the shopping shift, noted Feillard.
Remote work plays a part, said Les Deux head of sales for France Eric Obré, as men want to “sharpen up a bit” when they are outside of the house.
“Men are becoming a lot more interested in brands. People buy into narrative as much as product now, which I think is a reaction to how much content is around. Everyone wants clothes that represent them and their values, and they find that individuality in the brand universe they relate to. It’s an exciting time for the industry,” Obré said.
Male shoppers are versed in design lingo such as “placket” or “selvedge,” he added. “They’re a lot more aware of how many decisions go into each garment.”
Les Deux is one of Galeries Lafayette’s recent standout success stories, but it’s certainly not alone, noted Feillard. A dedicated menswear corner from French brand Lemaire was originally slated for a six-month run but was so successful it has now been extended through the spring.
Other indie brands that have been a hit with the more fashion-forward male shopper are Ami, Courrèges and Jacquemus. Rick Owens opened earlier this month, and Ami will open an exclusive pop-up there in March. Vintage label Cent Neuf will open its dedicated men’s corner Jan. 29, during men’s fashion week.
Skims is another success story: having opened as an exclusive at Galeries Lafayette in September, it fast became the store’s second bestselling underwear brand for men, trailing only stalwart Calvin Klein. Now it will open its own dedicated men’s corner in July.
With the revamp, Galeries Lafayette will increase its luxury and independent designer offerings, as well as expand its shoe department. The more modern presentation is poised to appeal to the department store’s shifting demographic as it is less reliant on large Chinese tour groups and sees more American, Middle Eastern and local French shoppers come through its doors.
Currently, menswear accounts for 15 percent of sales at Galeries Lafayette’s Boulevard Haussmann flagship, and that proportion is higher in its 18 regional stores. The men’s trend is not confined to Paris, Feillard said. The retailer also revamped the menswear sections in Bordeaux and Strasbourg.
“We’re very strong [in the regions]…we know we have the potential to recruit some local and international customers with a more premium offer,” she said.
The Galeries Lafayette Paris flagship revamp will switch up everything from the layout and flow to the assortment, enlarge the luxury offer and focus on architectural touches such as opening street-level windows to allow more light. It will be a cross-category approach, including lifestyle, skin care and fragrance.
And with luxury growth stalled, there will also be a focus on upscaling contemporary brands, including labels like Casablanca, Officine Generale, Fear of God, Y3, Korean brands System and Solid Homme, plus a multibrand space in the center of the first floor.
“Now that [luxury] brands have increased prices — and they have been very, very high — they need to rethink the different categories,” she said. “We have seen some more accessible categories recruit more aspirational customers that [the luxury brands] lost. It’s definitely an interesting and important opportunity in terms of category.”
Galeries Lafayette’s outpost on the Avenue des Champs-élysées is also seeing an uptick in interest for menswear. That store has more of a focus on experimental and emerging brands, as well as a younger shopper with a higher percentage of American tourists.
Galeries Lafayette has also recently revamped its men’s offerings in regional stores in Bordeaux, Nice and Strasbourg with more fashion-forward and premium offerings, and will continue to develop the category in its 18 regional stores.
The Printemps corner also capitalized on this shift. “For a long time, the men’s business was mainly, if not only, about clothing. In the last couple years, we’ve noticed a shift in customer behavior, with more men buying beauty products, handbags, objects and small accessories,” said Printemps chief merchandising officer Karen Vernet.
“We can see that, especially now, luxury growth is quite complicated for the brands in the women’s market, and especially [women’s] accessories market is a bit more mature,” Feillard said. “There is a stronger opportunity to grow in the men’s category.”
Best of WWD
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
