Yet another closure in the world of French textiles. Recording financial losses in Marseille, the Galeries Lafayette group has just announced the closure of its two stores, at the Prado and the Bourse center, by the end of 2025.
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News that has the effect of a bomb. The Galeries Lafayette group announced to its employees, this Tuesday, January 21, the closure of two of its Marseille stores, located in the Bourse center and at the Prado, for financial reasons.
The group, owned by the French Moulin family, announced this Tuesday, January 21 at an extraordinary CSE (Social and Economic Committee) to its employees, that it would have to close two of its stores by the end of 2025. A blow a massive blow for the 145 employees of these two stores.
According to managers, Marseille no longer represents an attractive market. “The dynamics commercial space in Marseille having evolved considerably over the last few years, the two stores concerned by the project no longer meet this requirement today, for reasons specific to eachthey write in a press release. These stores have recorded recurring losses for several years which have weakened their financial situation.“
Concerning the store located at the Center Bourse, near La Canebière in the city center of Marseille, opened in 1977 under the name “Nouvelles Galeries”, the group believes that customers frequenting the place are looking for “more accessible products that no longer correspond to the fashion and lifestyle offering and positioning of Galeries Lafayette“. Direct consequences have been observed on footfall and store performance.
-The sign located at the Prado, installed later, in 2018, did not reach the desired clientele, as well as the objectives planned before its installation. “The excessively long commercial vacancy of the center, combined with the difficulty of operating the store in the direct vicinity of the Vélodrome stadium, thwarted this ambition.“, the parent company justifies itself.
If Nicolas Houzé, general director of Galeries Lafayette, assures that the group tried to search “possible alternatives“, none “premium location and space size” Corresponding to this, however, was not found.
The holding company guarantees in its press release that it wants to do everything possible to support the re-employment of the 145 employees of the two stores, within the company or outside it.
This closure is also a surprise for regulars. “I'm shocked. I find it really sad that the city center galleries are disappearinga regular customer tells us. Upstairs, we were told that they were building a gym, that was already a bad sign.“
Offering clothing, accessories and furniture, Galeries Lafayette is the “best French know-how” for one of the customers we met who did not hide his disappointment at hearing the news.
No official closure date has been announced, but consumers will be able to continue shopping in Marseille until the curtains fall for good.
