The Relevancy Read

Hot takes, early calls and astute observations, carefully curated.

A Sampling

Fresh findings from Paris.

July 05, 2023

Department stores are centers for culture, creativity, and amusement.

La Samaritaine brings Magic City, an old Parisian amusement park, back to life across its store, capturing childhood wonder through activities like ball pits, dart boards, claw machines, fun house mirrors, and hidden prizes. The exhibition includes a partnership with Musée des Arts Forains, spotlighting the history of entertainment and fairground arts with pieces on loan from the museum. At Galeries Lafayette, a mixture of old-school gaming consoles and arcade games are featured on the floors, while Printemps Haussmann has been transformed into “Printemps Land” with old and new games also available for use and purchase. On their sustainability-focused floor, a rotation of designers and expert panels is available for customers to enjoy, while a podcasting and recording studio is available to rent. The Co. flagged the need for retailers to rethink IRL engagement a while back. Reach out to brainstorm sticky strategies specific to your business.

Paris is a well-oiled secondhand shopping machine.

Department stores work together. Galeries Lafayette started a “go for good” tagging program that other stores adopted so shoppers can easily recognize sustainable brands wherever they go. Galeries Lafayette [re]store and Printemps modernize consignment with elevated floor space and services dedicated to secondhand. BVH Marais features a vintage shop-in-shop and passes out Fripe Me With Style flyers showing where to buy secondhand throughout Paris. Veja’s features a “clean, repair, collect” drop-off box as window display, while Arket accepts everything from home textiles to product packaging at in-store recycling stations. Take this as a cue to up your secondhand game.

Personal touches prove promising when engaging customers.

Customization is officially back and has gone global, unmissable across Paris. Citadium features an Atlier Amelot activation allowing shoppers to make custom tees in as little as 10 minutes, in addition to a Levi's tailor shop and Oakley design room. At Galeries Lafayette, jewelry brand Persee offers custom laser-cut chains, while Le Bon Marche promotes personalized pen and pencil engravings. At Printemps Haussman, shoppers can make custom Veuve Cliquot champagne holders or personalized Fiagret men’s shirts. Consumers are increasingly expressive and want to make their mark on the items they’re purchasing. Invest in strong personalization services for a simple way to win over customers.

Grabbing our attention and wallets: skincare brand Aime.

A French-founded brand making its way to the U.S., Aime takes an inside-out approach to skincare and cosmetics, combining treatments with nutrition, supplements, and wellness. Its Paris boutique stands out with aesthetics matching its clean, simplistic packaging and products, a “Glow Studio” spa, and a café featuring menu items for healthy skin. Treatments include facials, lymphatic drainage, sauna sessions, and an LED bar for light therapy. Popular supplements address concerns like redness and sensitivity, hormone fluctuations, and drainage and detox. Wisely capitalizing on increasing demand for holistic beauty and wellness with a retail model that blends shopping with services, this brand is one to watch.

Download Industrious Thinking: Beauty & Wellness

Lacoste's flagship has cool-factor.

Tech-forward features and thoughtful design at Lacoste Arena provide the makings of a must-see store. Upon entering, a circular display depicts the history of the tennis racket with vintage equipment and a background movie on the wall. AR design features bring Lacoste’s crocodile logo to life and let shoppers kick around virtual tennis balls. Select merchandise is curated in a faux “serve-yourself" fridge, while a rotating polo carousal showcases the offering without cluttering the selling floor. Fit-tech screens and customization facilities help shoppers find and create perfect, personal styles. Been on your feet all day? Kick back in retro folding lounge chairs and watch a tennis match projected on the wall. As consumers return to retail, consider this store an exemplar in display, discovery, and engagement.