Galeries Lafayette want to franchise 11 of their French stores by relinquishing the walls of most of them, according to a
press
release Wednesday, specifying that this project "
would not have an impact on employment
".
The operation, "
which has just been presented to the employee representative bodies
", must be finalized "at the
start of 2022
", specifies the group, which did not wish to detail its financial scope.
Read also Health pass: at the entrance of Parisian department stores, customers take their troubles patiently
These eleven stores weigh, according to a source familiar with the matter, around 200 million euros in turnover. Seven of them must be affiliated with the Société des Grands Magasins (SGM). This real estate company, which owns and operates around ten shopping centers in town centers in France, would take over the stores located in Angers, Dijon, Grenoble, Le Mans, Limoges, Orléans and Reims. For her, this is "
a rare heritage opportunity
", according to its president Frédéric Merlin, who is delighted in a separate
press
release about this project which "will
anchor (her) group as a committed player in downtown commerce in France
”. “
These seven stores, all of high architectural quality, are located in the heart of cities,
” he explains.
No impact on employment, according to the company
Three other Galeries Lafayette stores, in Pau, Rosny and Tours, are to be taken over by Hermione People & Brands, the distribution division of Financière immobilière Bordeaux (FIB) of businessman Michel Ohayon.
In 2018, the latter had already taken over 22 Galeries Lafayette located in medium-sized French cities.
In Rosny and Tours, the company was a tenant and only the business is transferred, a source familiar with the matter told AFP.
Finally, "
the business of the Avignon store would be entrusted to Philippe Sempéré and Nicolas Chambon, affiliates of the Béziers store
," said the company in the press release.
"
We will continue to promote the brand and the fashion know-how of Galeries Lafayette in the heart of medium-sized French cities, while allowing the stores concerned to regain a local dynamic thanks to the support of very committed partners
," said the director. General of Galeries Lafayette and BHV, Nicolas Houzé, cited in the text.
Read also Friend makes the heart of Galeries Lafayette beat (again)
"
This operation would have no impact on employment
", underlines the company. At the end of this, the group would have 19 directly managed stores and 38 affiliated stores.
