La Samaritaine, Paris

Established by 1869 by Ernest and Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ, La Samaritaine is now under the ownership of DFS the travel arm of LVMH. In a project that was part rebuild and part renovation, the luxury conglomerate hired a host of international architects and designers to reimagine the complex of four neighbouring buildings at a cost of €750m.

Today’s store occupies just 20,000m² of what is now an interesting 70,000m² mixed use site, with the remaining space housing a Cheval Blanc hotel (also owned by LVMH), offices, a nursery and social housing.

The store could now be described as Paris’ smallest department store, though it is possibly Paris’ largest concept store with its highly curated selection of women’s and men’s fashion, jewellery, watches, beauty (Europe’s largest beauty hall, after Harrods), five beauty experiences and a diverse hospitality offer. It will also play host to an ever-evolving roster of pop-ups, such as the famed Parisian Galerie Perrotin.

La Samaritaine is home to over 600 brands, including a number from the house of LVMH. Many of the brands featured are exclusive to the Paris store, making it a destination of ‘must haves’ for the luxury consumer who has (almost) everything. Ensuring service is at the heart of their offer and the store employs 1,700 staff to look after their visitors’ every need.

Alongside, the fusion of food and fashion is central to the La Samaritaine store experience, with twelve restaurants strategically placed throughout the store’s departments.