Galeries Lafayette recently opened in theXidancommercial district in October 2013, bringing the French luxury department store back after its failed first attempt 15 years ago. Truly aspiring to bring French fashion and flavor to Beijing, customers can sense it upon entering the six-story building by its Eiffel Tower installation outside and its oak floors and other distinctive French-inspired details inside. As for brands, there are many, but surprisingly, this store does not carry Cartier, LV, or Chanel.
Getting to Galeries Lafayette, or "老佛爷" (lao fo ye, the nickname of Empress Dowager during the Qing Dynasty), is quite easy. Located between Subway Line 4’s Lingjing Hutong and Xidan stations, it’s just minutes by foot from the eastern exit of Lingjing Hutong station. This all-new department store is situated on the northeast area of the famed Xidan commercial district’s shopping street. You can’t missthe place, a behemoth six-story rectangular building that’s still finishing some details and has a small Eiffel Tower replica outside.
When you enter, you will sense that it’s not like the many large shopping malls in Beijing. A joint venture with Hong Kong fashion distributor IT, the architecture, theme, and attention to detail is truly something else. It’s the second largest Galeries Lafayette after the store in France, and the fifth overall outside France following Berlin, Casablanca, Dubai, and Jakarta. Chinese tourists who’ve visited the store in Paris will notice the reproduction of its trademark glass dome, made up of LEDs. On the basement floor are some stores along with a Food Republic food court, while floors 1-4 house beauty, men’s, women’s and children’s fashion, and floor 5 houses a handful of popular cafes and eateries like Bellagio and Kro’s Nest.
Brands are arranged and work well sharing the floor, with merchandise making the space feel neither cluttered nor bare. Philippe Houze, chairman of the Galeries Lafayette group told reporters that the store offers "a whole range of products with prices going from accessible to premium", explaining the exclusion of Cartier, LV, and Chanel. The store is marketing itself as a destination for fashionistas, not just luxury buyers. That means you can be able to find lesser-known but trendy Paris labels here along with luxury brands.
If you’re curious to learn more about this newly-opened French department store, simply pay a visit the next time you’re in the Xidan area. You’ll appreciate the change from other malls in Beijing.
