Paris 2024 Olympics: shopkeepers on the legendary Champs-Elysées avenue get a makeover

Shopkeepers on the Champs-Élysées in the midst of a transformation for the 2024 Olympics

As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approach, retailers on the famous Champs-Élysées avenue are racing against the clock to provide the best possible welcome for visitors from all over the world. This intense period of preparation is marked by numerous projects to renovate, modernize and enhance the avenue's iconic stores, cafés and restaurants.

Ecological and aesthetic renovation

The project led by architect Philippe Chiambaretta and his agency PCA-STREAM calls for a number of changes in the run-up to the Olympic Games. The objectives are multiple: to reduce heat islands, improve soil permeability, increase and unify green spaces, and promote soft mobility. The aim is also to enhance the value of existing assets while limiting the consumption of new resources. By meeting these challenges, the Champs-Élysées will not only be able to grow sustainably, but also to invent new financing models and partnerships to support this ecological and aesthetic transition.

These urban renovations also aim to improve the visitor experience, and retailers want to ensure that their establishments live up to these new expectations. The avenue's ecological and aesthetic transformation is prompting retailers to rethink their strategies for attracting and retaining customers.

Luxury boutiques, department stores, cafés and restaurants are investing heavily in modernizing their spaces. Facades are refreshed, windows redesigned to catch the eye of passers-by, and interiors redecorated to offer a welcoming, modern atmosphere.

Over the past two years, 48 openings and renovations have taken place on the world's most beautiful avenue. These include

Sephora renovates its flagship

Sephora recently inaugurated its new flagship store on the Champs-Élysées. This completely renovated store retains the brand's DNA, while incorporating innovative elements that skilfully marry the physical and the digital. The flagship features sophisticated visual merchandising, with spaces dedicated to trendy social network brands and exclusive selections such as Fenty Beauty and Rare Beauty.

Sephora's phygital approach manifests itself in interactive and immersive experiences, combining the strengths of the physical store with the advantages of digital to offer an enriched customer experience. This strategy is designed to attract more visitors and boost sales, illustrating how Sephora is adapting its retail model to new consumer expectations.

Lacoste's merchandising totally renewed

Another example is Lacoste, located at number 50 avenue des Champs-Élysées, the flagship of the crocodile brand has covered an impressive 1,600 square meters since last May. Lacoste has undergone significant evolution in recent years, with the development of various sectors such as leather goods, textiles and footwear. 

This outlet brings together all the brand's cultures in a single location. In this former Gaumont cinema, 9,500 items are on offer, covering such varied fields as sports (tennis, golf, fitness) and ready-to-wear collections for women, men and children, as well as shoes and areas dedicated to customization and personalization. "Lacoste Arena" embodies the two pillars of Lacoste's strategy: fashion and sport. 

Customer relations take an omnichannel, high-end approach: 

• a "scan & pick-up" application for purchasing shoes, allowing you to choose your size in just a few clicks.
• Eight mobile payment terminals are distributed to simplify the purchasing process.
• Advisors, equipped with tablets, can access warehouse stocks and place orders quickly in-store or for home delivery.
• A customization and personalization workshop is available.
• The Croco Wall, an interactive artwork complemented by a photo booth, allows customers to see themselves integrated into an installation symbolizing "the inclusiveness of the crocodile".

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The visual merchandising is meticulous and innovative, and the customer journey is enriched by new technologies. As a result, conversion rates are quite high, and the average basket is well above that of the rest of the network.

Using technology to optimize layout

This is wheremerchandising software comes into its own. Thanks to this technology, concept managers can visualize and adjust their new store concepts in virtual reality before rolling them out. This makes it possible to test different layouts, imagine the optimal customer journey and optimize sales space for maximum efficiency. This innovative solution is proving to be an invaluable asset for deploying new concepts quickly and efficiently.

In short, retailers on the Champs-Élysées are fully committed to this phase of transformation, capitalizing on the opportunities offered by the 2024 Olympics to reinvigorate their businesses and offer a memorable experience to the millions of visitors expected.

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