French luxury store shuts Beijing flagship after 13 years as China spending weakens
Key takeaways
- French luxury retailer Galeries Lafayette closed its flagship Beijing store on Wednesday after 13 years, underscoring weak consumer spending and changing shopping habits in China.
- The six-floor emporium three kilometres (1.8 miles) west of the Forbidden City was being emptied of handbags, clothing, shoes and children's toys before it locked up indefinitely.
- "Don't be sad, this is not goodbye forever," the store said in a social media post this month announcing its Beijing closure.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
French luxury retailer Galeries Lafayette closed its flagship Beijing store on Wednesday after 13 years, underscoring weak consumer spending and changing shopping habits in China. Shoppers snapped up final bargains as staff cleared unsold goods and dismantled displays at the six-floor department store before its indefinite closure.
By: FRANCE 24 Shoppers with their purchased goods walk by a luxury cosmetic store at an outdoor shopping mall, in Beijing, Monday, April 14, 2025 © Andy Wong, AP Major French luxury department store Galeries Lafayette closed its first China flagship branch on Wednesday, over a decade after opening, pointing to sluggish domestic consumption and shifting spending habits.
A steady stream of shoppers browsed for last-minute deals as employees packed away unsold merchandise and mannequins on the penultimate day of Galeries Lafayette operations in Beijing, which has been open for 13 years, AFP journalists saw.