REPORTAGE
That's it ! Since 11 am Saturday, the Galeries Lafayette have reopened, after almost three months of closure due to confinement linked to the coronavirus. Since their opening in Paris 125 years ago, these department stores have never been closed for so long. Inevitably, the store expected people. And some customers arrived very early in front of the entrance at Boulevard Haussmann, from 8:30 am, two and a half hours before the doors open.
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"I've missed all these months without stores"
"We come to shop because thanks to confinement, we have saved and we want to have fun. Shopping allows you to decompress, to change your mind", explain two young friends who decided to arrive (very ) in advance.
But coming to shop is not just a question of age. Witness the presence of Gisèle, 73, who also wanted to be there. "I was looking forward to that, I missed all these months without stores," she said at the microphone of Europe 1. And despite the fear of a renewed epidemic, she did not hesitated to leave her house. "I take my precautions of course, but I continue to live."
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An important adaptation of the store
Inside the Galleries, wearing a mask is compulsory. To accommodate customers, the whole establishment has adapted, explains Alexandre Liot, general manager of the department store on Boulevard Haussmann. "The big change, compared to usual, is that we have entry doors and exit protes, so that the flows do not cross," he said at the microphone of Europe 1.
"Then there is a marking on the ground to ensure that social distancing is well respected in places where it could be a bit contentious," he continues. Regarding clothes, it is possible to try them on "but if the customer does not want to take it, the product is put aside for 24 hours", reassures Alexandre Liot.
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At the reopening this Saturday, the reunion with this emblematic place of the capital was long applauded by customers and staff. They will be again when the Galleries find all of its customers, and especially foreigners who represent 50% of the turnover of the institution.