Victoria's Secret and its Italian distribution partner in France, Percassi, decided to drip-feed information about the lingerie retailer’s first Parisian store opening, maximising the impact of their announcement. But FashionNetwork.com can finally reveal that the first of Victoria's Secret’s three planned French openings in 2019 will take place at the Forum des Halles shopping mall in Paris.
Work on the premises has already started. Victoria's Secret chose a slot previously occupied by footwear brand San Marina, plus an adjoining one, and recently put up a teaser panel at the site. However, the US brand and its franchising partner Percassi are yet to reveal the inauguration date. For maximum effect, the date will only be announced two weeks before the opening, though it is likely that the store will start operating by the summer.
According to FashionNetwork.com sources, the 500-square-metre store, which is located on basement level 3 at Forum des Halles, will feature the same interiors concept already deployed in the UK for shopping mall stores. Judging by the wording on the teaser panel, the first Victoria's Secret Parisian store will showcase both the brand's main collection and the Pink line.
The Forum des Halles shop will be the first of the brand’s three planned openings in France, all of them in shopping malls. The next two, at the Val d'Europe and Nice's Cap 3000 malls, are expected to take place later in the year.
For Percassi, these stores will act as a sort of sample test, to determine the US lingerie brand's potential for operating a larger retail network. Victoria's Secret previously approached the French market, more cautiously, by introducing travel retail stores at the Orly, Roissy and Toulouse airports, featuring a streamlined product range, mostly focusing on beauty and accessories. A few weeks ago, the Percassi group appointed François Ginestet as its retail director for Victoria's Secret in France.
According to FashionNetwork.com sources, the US fashion chain will exit France in January, when its Paris flagship will close down, and is working on a job-protection plan for its French staff.
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