Forget soulless shopping malls. In Paris, this temple of fashion attracts 16 million visitors per year.
At a time when the traditional shopping center model is running out of steam, pushing certain historic addresses like Bercy 2 to close their doors permanently, physical commerce is forced to reinvent itself. No more soulless boxes placed on the outskirts, where we consume in an assembly line under artificial light. Today, with the rise of one-click shopping, we need to offer much more than just stores to attract fashion and lifestyle enthusiasts.
In the capital, an address perfectly illustrates this successful transformation. Far from the stuffy corridors, this complex bathed in natural light has opted for bold architecture, divided into two main islands connected by an immense glass walkway. An atypical configuration which sometimes surprises occasional visitors, who are obliged to scrutinize the plan carefully to find the right exit. But for regulars, it’s quite the opposite: by stretching along the street, with its elegant windows directly accessible from the sidewalk, the place fits perfectly into the city and even takes on the appearance of a “mini Champs-Élysées”.
This new generation shopping spot is Beaugrenelle. Located in the 15th arrondissement, a stone’s throw from the Seine, it attracts nearly 16 million visitors each year. “This is not a classic shopping center. It’s a destination where you come to spend a pleasant time, just like the department store of the 21st century.”confides Audrey Avrane, the director of the center. With its 8,000 square meters of green roofs, people no longer come there just to buy, but to stroll along its airy paths or have lunch on the terrace.
To maintain this attractiveness, management relies on constant renewal. Faced with changes in the sector, we must know how to support brands while knowing “already be two steps ahead of the brands that need to be brought in behind“, specifies Audrey Avrane. Recently, the space has welcomed new brands mixing highly anticipated giants (Pull&Bear, Normal) with ultra-trendy gourmet addresses (Krispy Kreme, Joe and the Juice). Above all, the Parisian address has been able to capture the spirit of the times by focusing heavily on the flourishing beauty and well-being sector, with locomotives like Aroma-Zone or Oh My Cream and even decoration with the latest Maisons du Monde concept store.
But beyond this sharp casting, “what makes us different will always be the customer experience“, underlines the director. A desire to enchant everyday life which also translates into events, essential today to bring customers to the store. This spring, the immense atrium hosts, for example, “Beaugrenelle in Bloom”, a plant-based and colorful scenography signed by the artist Léona Rose. A way of reminding us that, to survive, physical commerce will always have to rely on emotion and surprise.
