Marks & Spencer has announced its new flagship store at 100 Avenue des Champs-élysées in Paris will open at 11:30am on 24 November 2011. Marks & Spencer Chief Executive, Marc Bolland, will be joined by international supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to officially mark the retailer's return to France.
Trading over three floors, the 1,400 square metre store is part of M&S' ‘bricks & clicks' strategy, as it returns to the French market with a combined store and e-commerce offer. In October, M&S unveiled its first international website, http://www.marksandspencer.fr/, serving customers across France. The retailer has also confirmed three new full line stores in Paris, with a further two new stores in the pipeline, and has an ongoing search for suitable Simply Food store sites in and around the capital.
Located on Paris' premier shopping street, the new aspirational store will offer customers the very best of M&S' stylish womenswear and lingerie, as well as a specially chosen selection of food.
Marks & Spencer Chief Executive, Marc Bolland, said: “We're delighted to be returning to France tomorrow with our new store at the heart of Paris. We've had numerous requests from consumers in France for our food and clothing, so we're pleased to be coming back to serve French customers once again.
“Our new store on the Champs-élysées will allow us to showcases M&S' products to customers across the capital. Our French website allows customers throughout France to order our products in their own language and currency. We're really looking forward to welcoming customers to the store.”
Actress and face of M&S' Autograph brand, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley said: “It's a pleasure to be part of Marks & Spencer's much anticipated return to France and I'm proud to be associated with this iconic British brand. Parisians are internationally renowned for their effortless style and the M&S Autograph collection embodies the same chic sense of fashion.”
Champs-élysées Store
The store's features will include:
- Womenswear and lingerie – The store will offer this season's latest collections and M&S' exclusive innovations across clothing, accessories, footwear, sleepwear and lingerie. M&S' popular clothing brands at the store will include:
- Autograph – Luxurious, chic and sophisticated, the range embodies understated, international style.
- Limited Collection – Sexy, edgy and confident, the collection knows how to turn heads.
- per una - Alive with romance and drama, the clothes are feminine, vibrant and passionate.
- Indigo Collection – Soft, pretty and co-ordinated casualwear, the collection is perfect for women who need easy style for a busy life.
- M&S Woman – Stylish, dependable but still inspiring, the range brings you the great value clothes you love.
- Food – The store will offer a specially selected convenience range of high quality, innovative food including sandwiches, salads and drinks, as well as some of the most popular M&S chilled prepared meals and groceries including Chicken Tikka Masala, Earl Grey tea and crumpets.
- Touch screen order points – The store will use the latest technology to extend the M&S product range available to customers at the Champs-élysées store. Two touch screen order points and two fixed iPads will make it easy for customers to shop from over 10,000 products available at http://www.marksandspencer.fr/. Dedicated customer assistants will be on hand to help customers place orders directly and all purchases can be conveniently delivered across France.
Future Stores in Paris
As part of its international strategy, M&S will be building a strong presence in Paris to support its Champs-élysées store and complement its French website. M&S has signed leases for a further three full line stores at the following locations:
So Ouest – Due to open in Autumn 2012, the 6,900 square metre store will be M&S' largest store in France;
Beaugrenelle – Located next to Paris' iconic landmark, the Eiffel Tower, the new Beaugrenelle shopping mall will include a 4,500 square metre M&S store opening in Spring 2013;
Aeroville – M&S' 4,700 square metre store at the new Aeroville shopping mall in the North East of Paris is due to open at the end of 2013.
A further two new full line Marks & Spencer stores in Paris are also in the pipeline.
Website
In October, Marks & Spencer launched its first international website, http://www.marksandspencer.fr/, serving customers across the country. Over 10,000 products are available on the French language website, all priced in Euros and with local delivery prices.
Customers can continue to make online orders for Christmas delivery until 21st December 2011 using express delivery.
- Ends -
For further information, or request images or interviews, please contact:
M&S Corporate PR +44 (0) 20 8718 1919
Store trading hours
Monday to Sunday – 10am to 10pm
Store Manager
Véronique Lacombe
Store address
100 Avenue des Champs-élysées
75008 Paris
Customer services telephone: 0800 900 705
Images of the store and opening will be available to download on http://www.mandslibrary.com/
About Marks & Spencer
· Marks & Spencer is one of the UK's leading retailers. M&S sells high quality, great value clothing and home products as well as outstanding quality food. Around 21 million customers visit its stores each week and has 78,000 employees across the UK and 42 territories globally.
· Marks & Spencer was founded over 127 years ago and currently has 703 UK stores and 369 international stores across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
· For more information please visit http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/
Notes to Editors:
· The lease acquisition of M&S' stores in Paris was facilitated by Cushman & Wakefield.
The property at 100 Avenue des Champs-élysées belongs to Generali, the Italian insurer. Generali has a portfolio of nearly Euro25 billion of real estate assets in prime locations mainly in Europe.
Back to press releases index
Back to top