Galeries Lafayette says new Champs Elysee store is struggling as people stay away due to Covid-19

The company will take a €1bn hit as a result of the pandemic's effect and is talking to the finance ministry about a state-backed loan

AChanel luxury corner sales stand sits on the ground floor of the Galeries Lafayette department store on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which chief exShow more

Galeries Lafayette's new outlet on the Champs Elysees is struggling because people are staying away from the famous Paris boulevard due to Covid-19, according to its chief executive, who said the crisis would hit the group to the tune of €1 billion (Dh4.15bn).

The high-end French department store opened the outlet, about a tenth of the size of its flagship store on Boulevard Haussmann, in March 2019 as a retail laboratory to test new sales techniques and fashion labels.

But with borders still closed to foreign tourists and French consumers cautious, France's most famous shopping street is a shadow of its former self following the end of a nationwide lockdown on May 11.

"It is very hard. We reopened the Champs Elysees store on May 11 but we have to face the fact that a lot of customers are missing," Galeries Lafayette chief executive Nicolas Houze said on BFM Business radio.

Mr Houze said that since the reopening of its stores, traffic is down by about 20 per cent compared to normal and opening hours have been shortened for now. He said the crisis would impact the wider group's accounts by €1bn or more.

"International clients may be missing till year-end or beyond and that will weigh heavily because the Haussmann shop gets more than half of its revenue from foreigners," the chief executive said.

He added that the family-owned company, which has 61 stores in France and abroad, was in talks with banks and the French finance ministry about a €300 million state-guaranteed loan.

Mr Houze said a lot of major brands on the Champs Elysees, including the Apple store, had not yet reopened and many hotels and cinemas remain closed.

"Traffic is very low and it is difficult to earn a revenue there. But we are convinced that Galeries Lafayette has a place on Champs Elysees."

The store had already suffered from the "yellow vest" protest movement last year, when the boulevard was repeatedly hit by rioting and looting.