Galeries Lafayette appoints new CEO to seek international expansion

French luxury department store group Galeries Lafayette has appointed Arthur Lemoine as its new CEO. He has to focus on innovation, digitisation and further international expansion.

New phase of development

The appointment of a new CEO is no surprise, as his predecessor Nicolas Houzé became chairman of the group’s board of directors last year. 40-year-old Lemoine is a nephew of the chairman, who has been working for Galeries Lafayette in various key positions since 2010 and knows the company inside out.

His main mission will be to lead the retail group through its next phase of development: he will further expand the brand’s presence both in France and internationally, as well as online. Today, Galeries Lafayette currently has 57 shops in France and eleven abroad.

The challenges are not small: globally, luxury department stores see their position undermined by the growth of e-commerce, an ailing economy and the threat of trade wars.