India has long history, interest in craftsmanship: Galeries Lafayette

The Parisian luxury retailer's flagship in Mumbai will mark its India debut, bringing over 200 global brands under one roof

Galeries Lafayette is set to open its doors in India for the first time next month, following its exclusive partnership with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL) in 2022. The Parisian luxury department store’s first Indian flagship is located in the historic Turner Morrison and Voltas House buildings in Kala Ghoda (Mumbai). The store spans 90,000 square feet across five levels. In an exclusive online interview, Arthur Lemoine, chief executive officer (CEO) of Galeries Lafayette Group; Ashish Dikshit, managing director of ABFRL; and Sathyajit R, CEO of international brands at ABFRL, speak with Sharleen D’Souza about their plans after opening in India. Edited excerpts: 

Why did Galeries Lafayette choose India as its seventh market? 

Lemoine: Galeries Lafayette is a 130-year-old company, born in Paris. Our Parisian store welcomes 37 million visitors a year, including many Indian customers. We began our international expansion in West Asia and China, and then turned our attention to India because it is a key luxury market with immense growth potential. But finding the right partner was crucial. A few years ago, we met Aditya Birla, and through this partnership, we saw the perfect opportunity to expand in India.

 

Where does India stand for Galeries Lafayette as a luxury market, and how do other luxury brands view India? 

Lemoine: India has a long history and genuine interest in know-how and craftsmanship. Indian customers already shop for luxury brands overseas — in Dubai, Singapore, the UK, and of course in Paris, including at Galeries Lafayette. Some also shop domestically in existing malls. But there’s a gap: India does not yet have a true luxury department store. We saw a real opportunity here. Studies indicate that the luxury market in India is expected to quadruple in the coming years, making this the right time to expand.

 

What is your expansion plan in India? 

Lemoine: We are opening our first store in Mumbai, followed by a store in Delhi, and then other key cities.

 

Sathyajit: Over the next five years, we aim to be present in at least four of the top six cities. These will be our first priority markets. In addition, we plan to launch our omnichannel and e-commerce platform within the next few months, giving customers pan-Indian access to Galeries Lafayette’s brands and products.

 

How do you expect Galeries Lafayette to impact the revenue contribution from the luxury portfolio? 

Dikshit: Currently, our luxury portfolio — which includes The Collective and other luxury designers — contributes about 7–8 per cent of revenue. With Galeries Lafayette and upcoming stores, we expect this to rise to 15–20 per cent over the next four to five years.

 

With Galeries Lafayette expanding, more than 200 brands will make their Indian debut. How did you convince these brands to enter the market? 

Sathyajit: This has been a long journey. Close collaboration between our teams and Galeries Lafayette’s buying and merchandising teams allowed us to have multiple conversations with brands. We also kept the preferences and tastes of Indian customers in mind. The process started back in 2023, and over the past two to three years, we have carefully assembled the portfolio.