SPOTLIGHT ON DEPARTMENT STORE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

For the Christmas holidays, the windows of department stores are adorned with lights. Each of them offers a different theme each year.

The festivities began on October 28 at Le Bon Marché, on November 8 at La Samaritaine, BHV-Marais and Printemps Haussmann followed on November 9, while Galeries Lafayette Haussmann closed the march on November 16.

The Good Market

Located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, at the Sèvres Babylone metro station, the Bon Marché Rive Gauche is a pioneer in the celebration of the end of year celebrations.

Considered the oldest, most elegant and most selective in the capital, it has several contemporary spaces: the Entretemps, the Théâtre de la Beauté, the Appartement de la Mode, Balthazar and the Grande Epicerie de Paris. It brings together all the most prestigious brands in all fields. The history of Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche began in 1838 with the opening of a shop selling fabrics, accessories, umbrellas and bedding by the Videau Brothers. It was in 1852, after their association with the Boucicaut couple that the store grew. In 1984, it was bought by the LVMH group. In 198, the Grande Epicerie de Paris became the largest food store in the capital. In 2012, the store celebrated its 160th anniversary with great fanfare with showcases staged by Catherine Deneuve,

Every year, at Christmas, a very large range of decorations is available to customers, the windows stage which amaze young and old, decorated Christmas trees are found in the middle of the stores. In 1928, the Bon Marché presented its Christmas show for young and old. For the 2022 edition (October 2-December 25, 2022), the store is staging « Au Bonheur des Dames », an immersive play inspired by the work of Emile Zola? to see every Friday and Saturday evening. The magical Christmas theme of the store is « La Fabrique de Boules de Noël » where little Jolijou elves settle in a wonderful Christmas ball factory and take you behind the scenes of this enchanted machinery.

The Samaritaine Paris Pont Neuf

La Samaritaine, which reopened its doors in summer 2021, after 16 years of closure and work, is taking advantage of the end-of-year celebrations to showcase the Christmas windows of its new store.

An emblematic place classified as a historical monument, all of its 4 stores date from 1900. store no. 2 is now called Samaritaine Paris Pont Neuf. On 80,000 m², the « New » Samaritaine consists of a palace (Le Cheval Blanc), a restaurant, offices, a nursery, the largest swimming pool in Paris, social housing and shops of all kinds, all in a Belle Epoque setting.

Founded in 1870 by Ernest Cognacq, La Samaritaine grew after his marriage to Marie-Louise Jay in 1872. Stores 2 and 3 were opened in the 1930s. In the 1960s, La Samaritaine became the largest store by its area of ​​48,000 m², in front of Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. In 2001, LVMH took over the store but became loss-making, it had to close its doors in 2005 for refurbishment and safety reasons. It will not open until June 2021 with a new style and still its facade on the Seine and on rue de Rivoli with the windows.

To highlight the windows (from November to January 1), the theme chosen for Christmas 2022 is « Paris leads the dance », the modern and contemporary history of dance since the 1930s. On the facades, we can see stars luminous, varied choreographies adorn the windows (disco, rock, breakdance…) floors. In the store, a giant Advent calendar appears on the balconies of each floor of the staircase. Other activities are on the program such as the « Groove du Père Noël » to dance in the aisles or dance lessons provided by Studio Dancefloor Paris.

The BHV – Marais

Located near the Hôtel de Ville » in the heart of Paris, in the trendy Marais district, the BHV, formerly a « DIY store » has now diversified and modernized.

Founded in 1856 by François-Xavier Ruel, the BHV Marais, a bazaar in reference to Persian businesses. The name « Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville » appeared in 1860 and the sign was intended to be « The cheapest in all of Paris ». On the death of the creator, work was carried out by his grandson, including the creation of the rotunda in 1912. The store became SA in 1931 then paid on the stock market in 1960. After the Second World War, the basement of the store was used for the « tools » section. In 1989, the Nouvelles Galeries group was the main shareholder, then Les Galeries Lafayette acquired the BHV-Nouvelles Galeries group. From 1954, new technologies were adapted to the store such as escalators, parking with direct access to the store, delivery, installation, customer service, credit and the latest innovations in electrical appliances for domestic use. In 1975, the BHV extends its offer to interior fittings.

Today, with 45,000 m² redesigned in a contemporary layout, a refurbished facade, 900 brands on offer and events, the BHV also offers spaces for culture, household equipment (from the 2nd to 6th floor), fashion (designers and exclusive brands …), kitchen (3rd floor with delicatessen) and of course DIY.. A few steps away, the BHV Homme on 5 floors and 5 dedicated spaces, the POD with its snacks and restaurants, Do not forget the « Perchoir Marais », the rooftop which offers one of the most beautiful views of Paris, from Wednesday to Saturday from 8:15 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

In order to sublimate the new facade, the windows allow for the holidays, beautiful decorations on the theme « A Christmas in Provence » which evokes the rituals and traditions during this period in Provence (from November 9 to December 31). We discover the tradition of wheat planted on December 4, St. Barbe’s Day, the 3 cups representing the Trinity with seeds placed on cotton soaked in water to germinate and adorn the New Year’s Eve table. A symbol of prosperity, wheat is a good omen for farmers. To celebrate Ste Barbe as in Provence, and its traditions, events are practiced within the store (distribution of wheat seed sachets, scratch tickets allowing you to take advantage of a wind of abundance.

For moviegoers, an ephemeral Provençal-style cinema is open at the Observatory throughout the holidays. Young and old can discover a black and white film by Marcel Pagnol. every Saturday and Sunday morning at 11 a.m. The rest of the week, royalty-free documentaries on the writer are screened.

Haussmann Spring

Printemps Haussmann is one of the jewels of the department store district of the 9th arrondissement. Like every year, it inaugurates its showcase on a new theme in the presence of one or two famous guests. This year, on the theme of the circus, it is Isabelle Huppert and Naomi Campbell who replaced Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber retained in the United States for reasons beyond their control. They kicked off the illuminations on 9 November. Inside, a large golden tree and entertainment. Window illuminations end on January 1, 2023.

Galeries Lafayette Haussmann

Another big name in the district, the Galeries Lafayette were the last to participate in the illumination of the windows. It was on November 16 at 6 p.m. that model Cindy Bruna, chef Jean Imbert, actor Malik Benthala and singer Louanne kicked off the festivities on the theme: « Planète Sapin » We discover 11 paintings around the world of the tree…
The 4 personalities require the association « Cékedubonheur » which aims to amaze even more children and teenagers. Galeries Lafayette are committed to this association, as are the Boulanger Foundation, Amazone, LEGO, Célio and Hasbro.

Unfortunately, the event has been canceled and postponed to a later date, not communicated for the moment., following a demonstration in front of the Galleries, organized by store employees, demanding an increase in the value sharing bonus, from 400 to 1,500 euros.

Inside, a magnificent fir tree which has stood under the dome for 50 years and entertainment offered to visitors.

CHRISTMAS BOULEVARD HAUSSMANN

Boulevard Haussmann rhymes with department stores. It is characterized by the presence of Printemps and Galeries Lafayette stores. Each year, their windows are adorned with a thousand lights and offer animations on original themes.

For 2022, the festivities began on November 9 for Printemps and November 16 for Galeries. to end at the end of 2022.

Haussmann Spring

Printemps Haussmann is one of the jewels of the department store district of the 9th arrondissement. Like every year, it inaugurates its showcase on a new theme in the presence of one or two famous guests. This year it was Isabelle Huppert and Naomi Campbell who replaced Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber retained in the United States for reasons beyond their control.

The 2022 opus had the theme « The circus » which was represented in 11 paintings featuring clowns, animals, trapeze artists, jugglers and other circus artists. To create these paintings, it took 650 hours of assembly, with 40,000 decorative elements and automatons for a scenography created by Julie Ducat. This project required 4 months of production, 6 months for the characters (about a hundred with unique and specific costumes) and 3 weeks for the installation.

Outside, 3.5 km of light garlands with led bulbs light up the shop windows while inside, stands a gigantic golden fir tree and many activities are created (make-up and disguise workshops, creative workshops to make its Christmas tree, demos of toys and giant board games. An escape game, under the glass dome, allows participants to find Mr Loyal who has disappeared. There are only 20 minutes to solve the enigma. , on the 7th floor of the Printemps de l’Homme, a huge magical marquee welcomes thousands of toys until the end of January.

The history of the Printemps store

The story of « Printemps » began in 1865 when Jules Jaluzot and Jean-Alfred Duclos created at the corner of boulevard Haussmann and rue du Havre (75009), the general partnership « Au Printemps » in reference to the season when everything is synonymous with renewal. The first store is already equipped with large windows and has 17 counters including a complete assortment for clothing and home. After the war of 1870, the activity resumes and the second store is integrated. An iron bridge rests on the 2 buildings, and 2 elevators are integrated. After a fire and a gas explosion, the new building, located on the destroyed site, was completed in 1883, it was equipped with electricity and had 8 floors over 10,000 m². Its neo-classical style is inspired by fortified castles with, at each corner, a rotunda with a dome crowned with a lantern in the shape of a belvedere and a weather vane in the shape of a caduceus. The central nave rises to 24 meters and is overhung by a glass roof.

The 20th century saw the appearance of other enlargements from 1905 with the construction of a staircase with 4 revolutions and the addition of a room in the basement. The inauguration of the « New Stores » took place in 1910 and the store offered a catalog of furniture and tableware from 1912. We witnessed the appearance of mannequins, specially created for « Le Printemps » in the windows during the First World War . The 1920s were characterized by a second fire causing a lot of damage and exhibitions presumed the event as early as 1924. It was also at this time that animated display cases appeared.

In 1944, the dome was completely dismantled to avoid its destruction and at the beginning of the 1950s, the store occupied 4 buildings, 3 of which were for sale, a hairdressing salon, a tea room-restaurant, a theater and travel office. , a photography service and a book rental service. The exhibition « 50 years of Parisian elegance » takes place in 1953.

In the 1970s, the decoration of the windows changed, the automatons were replaced by puppets in 1973. In 1975, the facades and rotundas of the current Printemps de l’homme were listed as historical monuments, then in 1978,  » La Rue de la Mode » was created and a new manager, Jean-Jacques Delort, took over the establishment in 1980, wishing to modernize and develop the stores in each regional metropolis, an exact replica of 10,000 m² both in terms of marketing and of the management. The end of the 1970s also saw the arrival of the promotional operation « Les 8 jours en Or ». which took place during the « Spring Festival during the 1st semester in order to compete with the 3J of Galeries Lafayette. From 1982, the operation was duplicated.

It was at the end of the 1990s that Christian Lacroix designed wedding dresses and in 1999, it was advertised on the internet. Today, Printemps Haussmann comprises 3 buildings covering 45,000 m²: Le Printemps de la femme (9 levels, Printemps for Men (11 levels) and Printemps for Beauty, Home and Children (7 levels).

The 21st century sees new changes:

• 2000: Opening of Citadium
• 2001: Opening of Printemps du Luxe offered on an entire luxury floor, including Haute joaillerie
• 2003: Inauguration of the largest beauty center in the world.
• 2006: 3000 m² entirely dedicated to women’s shoes and a « food hall » devoted to groceries and gastronomy.
• 2007 to 2012: 30 million euro renovation project on the 14,000 m² of facades of the 120-year-old man and 80-year-old woman stores.
• 2008: Bomb alert on December 16, claimed by the FRA (Afghan Revolutionary Front).
• 2011: Creation of the space « La Belle Parfumerie »
• 2018: Opening of Printemps du Goût, a grocery store complete with restaurant areas with a panoramic view of Paris from the 7th to 9th floors of Printemps de l’Homme.
• 2020: Due to the pandemic, stores are closed during periods of confinement, resulting in heavy losses, including foreign customers.
• 2021: Redevelopment of the 7th floor in September to offer responsibly produced, second-hand clothing. French customers represent 16% more than in 2019.

Galeries Lafayette Haussmann

Located near the Opera and the Printemps stores, the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann are a benchmark in the global shopping world. They present all the major brands in beauty, perfumery, leather goods and all other fields. Thanks to its notoriety, the operations organized on its premises and its worldwide reputation, the store has a higher turnover than « Harrods in London or Bloomingale’s in New York ». The group has stores in France and around the world (Berlin (1996), Dubai (2009), Casablanca (2011), Jakarta (2013), Beijing (2013), Istanbul (2017), Luxembourg (2019), Shanghai ( 2019), Doha (2019), and Guiyang (2022), 3 other openings are expected in Milan, Kuwait City and 2 stores in India by 2024).

As every year, the windows of Galeries Lafayette are decorated and limited by personalities. Unfortunately the 2022 edition could not take place because of a union movement of store employees on Boulevard Haussmann. They demanded an increase in the bonus and their salary. The event which was to be announced on November 16 at 6 p.m., in the presence of model Cindy Bruna, chef Jean Imbert, comedian Malik Benthala and singer Louanne.

The 4 personalities promised the association « Cékedubonheur » which aims to amaze even more children and teenagers with hospitality. Galeries Lafayette are committed to this association, as are the Boulanger Foundation, Amazone, LEGO, Célio and Hasbro.

The theme of the year revolved around the « Planète sapin », an unpublished tale imagined by the novelist Claire Castillon, a return to literature, 80 years after the writings of Colette. The staging is by Florent Chavoirt and in partnership with Atelier Bournillat. This is the story of Nordmann, inhabitant of Elato, the planet of wild fir trees, sent to earth to save Annie’s Christmas. On a course of 11 scenes, animated puppets lead young and old into the world of Planet Sapin while following Nordmann’s journey, from the preparations for the Sap’tif fair to the journey on earth in a magic vessel and the visit to the Sapou-discotheque.

Inside the store, the huge fir tree shines under the dome. Every 30 minutes, it comes to life with a sound and light show and to better admire it, don’t forget to take the « Glass walk », a glass walkway set up for this purpose. This year, an immersive and interactive experience is open from November 17 to December 23. For this, go to the 4th floor, in the Opéra lounge to live 10 minutes immersed in the heart of the tale and interact with the characters who react to your movements.

The history of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann

The Galeries Lafayette are a creation of 2 Alsatian cousins, Théophile Bader and Adolphe Kahn who joined forces in 1893, to take over a trade in Novelties. This small 70 m² store located at the corner of boulevard Haussmann and rue de la Chaussée d’Antin opened its doors in 1894, 40 years after the first department store in Paris, the Bon Marché.

From 1903, the business grew and it became « the flagship » in 1912, a lavishly appointed luxury bazaar with a 43-meter high neo-Byzantine style stained-glass dome overlooking the main hall. , and a large staircase whose ramp is inspired by that of the Opera, located not far from the store. The latter has 96 shelves, living areas, a smoking room, a tea room and a reading room as well as a terrace at the top.

In the 1950s, new departments appeared after those related to women. There are « men’s clothing, interior decoration, toys and tableware, not forgetting in 1958, the creation of the « 3 J », 3 exceptional days to acquire current and good quality items at affordable prices. very low, for 3 days.

The new store located at the corner of rue Mogador opened in 1969. The « Club 20 ans » presented clothes and various products there, music or drugstore products. Next came men’s fashion. ‘installed in the building then the Lafayette Gourmand. In 1984, luxury boutiques occupied the main hall. The department store subsequently hosts events presenting designers and artists. A space located on the first floor and free to access brings together fashion, art and design, the lounge room offers a Paris Shopping Experience at Galeries Lafayette.

The Galeries Lafayette group includes 290 stores and e-commerce sites. It welcomes more than 60 million visitors each year. Its international recognition is linked to emblematic brands such as Les Galeries Lafayette, BHV Marais, La Redoute, Mauboussin, Eataly Paris Marais, Galeries Lafayette Royal Quart Paris, Louis Pion and Bazar Chic.

Galeries Lafayette are present abroad. The first store opened in Berlin in 1996, followed by Dubai in 2009, Casablanca in 2011, Jakarta and Beijing in 2013, Istanbul and Doha in 2015. It also has 59 stores in France and was considering moving to Milan.

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VERONIQUE YANG

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