New York toy giant FAO Schwarz arrives in Paris

See my news
Follow Actu Paris

Summer has barely ended and Christmas is slowly being prepared in the boxes of department stores. Here, there is no question of an army of elves or an old red man, but of a well-oiled strategy for to mark the minds of children and their parents.

Opened on May 6, 2024 on the fifth floor of Galeries Lafayette (9th arrondissement), FAO Schwarz has inaugurated its first French boutique. A milestone for this chain of toy stores founded in 1862 has New York. Paris news was able to stroll among the wooden soldiers and thousands of stuffed animals on Wednesday, September 18, alongside Abele Ferrero, manager of the FAO store, and his assistant, Quentin Daireaux.

A toy store but not only

The children’s cries and the slightly clumsy notes played on the piano do not deceive: here the children are kings. Before our eyes, something 650 m² stuffed animals, small cars and other robots delight little ones.

At their side, parents are equipped with their smartphones so as not to miss anything of the experience their toddlers are having. “This place is not just a toy store, it is also the memory that goes with it,” says Quentin Daireaux with a keen sense of the formula. And these moments captured then relayed on social networks constitute a real asset for the advertising of this new point of sale.

Because in a gaming market in poor shapewith a change in value at the end of August compared to last year of -0.6% and in volume of -5.5%, FAO Schwarz has found a way to differentiate itself.

Experiences and personalization

From the entrance, guarded by two large wooden soldiers, a garage of the Majorette brand welcomes children. Behind its workbench, a mechanic offers to assemble their customizable vehicle. Then you have to cross the store, and pass in front of the magician with many tricks, for a new experience.

Abele Ferrero and Quentin Daireaux intend to increase the number of these types of events by organizing regular meetings with young customers. “For years, Galeries Lafayette has organized a ‘Back to School’ day in September with workshops and surprises for children. What we want is to organize these highlights every Wednesday and every Saturday“If all goes well, we will start in October,” announced the deputy.

Next stop: the pink corner of “Barbie styled by you”. This allows little customers to personalize their doll with accessories and outfits that can be found exclusively at FAO.

Role-playing games to captivate children

Right next door, a nursery allows you to adopt your baby doll. To help children in their choice, Aida Sylla, wearing a white jacket and a stethoscope around her neck, plays the role of nurse. “I am the baby nurse and before they leave with their new doll, I make sure she is doing well,” smiles the one who seems to willingly lend herself to role play.

Soft toys are not left out. With “Build your bear”, it is possible to make your own custom-made cuddly toy and with “Bunnies by the way”, to personalize your rabbit (or teddy bear, goose, owl or elephant).

The Jellycat pastry shop completes the whole thing. “It’s the space that attracts the most,” says Quentin Daireaux. All the codes of a real pastry shop are included. Once the plush toy in the shape of a treat has been chosen, the salespeople wrap it in tissue paper and have fun “adding” whipped cream or butter according to the customer’s wishes. Another role-playing game to amuse young and old alike – who represent a large majority of fans of this English brand.

A paradise for children, all this comes at a cost. Expect to pay 40 euros to fully experience the pastry shop (with, in addition to the soft toy, a board of stickers and a pin bearing the image of the chosen cake) – compared to around twenty euros for the soft toy alone. To adopt a baby doll that is more real than life (but without the sleepless nights), you will have to pay 99 euros. The Majorette experience starts at 10 euros and the “Build a bear” experience at 14.90 euros.

‘Everything we have seen since our opening has exceeded our expectations’

In addition to these six spaces, FAO is showing its desire to offer brands that are affordable for all budgets. From Lego to Moulin Roty, the brand has nearly 24 franchises and 20,000 references.

Three months before Christmas, the teams are confident. “Everything we have seen since our opening has exceeded our expectations,” says Abele Ferrero. We are counting on more than 1,000 collections per day.” If at the beginning the clientele was essentially tourist, the balance has almost been reached with the public from the Paris region.

Today, there are around forty employees who bring the store’s games to life, but according to the director, “Galeries Lafayette expects a daily flow of 200,000 people per day in December we will gradually strengthen the teams.”

While waiting for December, activities should be organized for Halloween.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to My News.