How French Department Stores Court the 1 Percent

PARIS — A night at the Paris Opera; a visit to the Louis Vuitton workshops near Paris; a helicopter ride to a Bordeaux vineyard: Paris department stores are pulling out the stops to woo high-spending clients with the kind of exclusive experiences previously linked with the rarefied world of haute couture. Private salons, personal shoppers and valet parking are par for the course these days at Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and Le Bon Marché. But for those with deep pockets, they are willing to go the extra mile: think tickets to fashion shows and private soirées at museums, or even organizing your surprise birthday party. Catering to that clientele, especially Europeans, is likely to be even more of a priority for the near future as tourism from the all-important Chinese consumer slides due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, which is expected to have a significant impact on luxury goods spending over the next few months. “The idea is to give our customers access to things that are out of reach even to people with a lot of money,” said Laurent Schenten, director of the customers and services division at the Printemps flagship on Boulevard Haussmann. Competition is about to become even fiercer, with the

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