/featurist/media/media_files/kEENYlZcDKwZ8EYOb8w2.jpeg)
The 90,000 square feet flagship store in Mumbai, India, is expected to be operational by 2024.
Beauty and fashion enthusiasts have something to look forward to. The Mumbai, India based Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. (ABFRL) has entered into a strategic partnership with Paris, France-based Galeries Lafayette, renowned globally for its flagship location at Boulevard Haussmann in Paris. The two will open luxury department stores and a dedicated e-commerce platform in India. The flagship stores in Mumbai and Delhi will bring more than 200 luxury and designer brands under one roof. “This is a coming-of-age moment for Indian luxury. India is now home to a generation of young and affluent consumers with global exposure, who are willing to spend on the finer things in life. This is visible in the boom and dynamism of the luxury market. The partnership with Galeries Lafayette is a ringing endorsement of India’s significance as a global luxury market and a future engine of growth for luxury brands,” says Ashish Dikshit, MD, ABFRL. “Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail’s deep and nuanced understanding of the Indian landscape on the back of our portfolio of designer brands, combined with Galeries Lafayette’s global experience, will enable us to create a world-class destination for Indian consumers and global luxury brands,” he adds.
In India, Galeries Lafayette will be the first of international multi brand designer stores to launch in the country. For Galeries Lafayette, its India expansion will be the eigth after its international expansion to Indonesia, Luxembourg, Turkey, China, and Qatar and Dubai in the Middle East. “We are proud to expand our international footprint in such a prestigious and refined market as India, where we believe our brand can benefit from a strong potential,” says Nicolas Houzé, CEO, Galeries Lafayette and BHV Marais. “It is also a new illustration of our ambition to reach 20 stores abroad, with a primary focus on China, Asia and Middle East by 2025,” he adds.
The 90,000 square feet flagship store in Mumbai is expected to be operational by 2024. It will be housed across two historic buildings that recently heralded their century at the heritage precinct of Fort, the leading commercial and cultural hub of the city. The building is currently being designed by the architectural firm Virgile & Partners, who have worked extensively on storied department stores globally. Pike Preston is the advisor on-record for this collaboration.
In Delhi, the 65,000 square feet store is expected to be operational in 2025 at DLF Emporio, one of India’s largest luxury malls. Galeries Lafayette, Delhi will complement the current offering at the mall with a set of young, exciting designer brands across multiple categories.
Galeries Lafayette’s experience focused design and proposition around entertainment, technology and engagement will be brought to life through installations, pop ups, innovative events and food & beverage explorations. Backed by personal stylists and omni-channel enabled connected shopping, the stores will provide a 360-degree retail experience that speaks directly to customer’s needs. Galeries Lafayette’s Houze is pleased to be working with the Aditya Birla Group on this project, with whom they share the same values and vision on retail. “We convinced that they are the right partner to enable us to meet the expectations of Indian customers,” he says.