Galeries Lafayette to Close Landmark Beijing Xidan Store at End of May
French luxury department store Galeries Lafayette has announced the closure of its Beijing flagship store on May 27. Following the shutdown of its Chongqing location, this move further reduces the brand's physical footprint in China to just two stores in Shanghai and Shenzhen. The closure reflects ongoing operational pressures in China's high-end retail market and a demographic shift in the Xidan shopping district toward younger, more price-conscious consumers.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 19, 2026 at 11:35
- 🔍 Collected: May 19, 2026 at 12:01 (26 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 19, 2026 at 12:08 (6 min after Collected)
Taipei, May 19 (CNA) – The French luxury department store brand Galeries Lafayette recently announced that its Beijing store will cease operations on May 27. This follows the closure of its Chongqing store in 2025, marking another contraction of the high-end overseas department store brand's physical presence in China, which will now be limited to two stores in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
According to Chinese media outlets such as China News Service and Jiemian News, Galeries Lafayette announced on the 14th that its Beijing store would officially close on the 27th. Regarding member benefits, the announcement stated that after the Beijing store closes, customers can continue to enjoy full membership rights at other Chinese stores (such as the Lujiazui Center store in Shanghai and the UpperHills store in Shenzhen). Accumulated points in member accounts will be retained according to their original validity period, and customers can also contact customer service to process card cancellations.
Galeries Lafayette first entered Beijing's Wangfujing shopping district in 1997 but hastily withdrew after only one year of operation for various reasons. In 2013, it returned by selecting the Xidan shopping district in Beijing, embarking on a second round of market exploration. The store covered an area of about 48,000 square meters with over 300 brands, once becoming a landmark high-end department store in the Beijing commercial area.
Subsequently, the brand underwent several expansions, opening a store in Shanghai's Lujiazui in 2019, followed by stores in Shenzhen and Chongqing in 2022 and 2023, respectively. At its peak, it had four physical stores in China.
However, Galeries Lafayette has faced continuous operational pressure in China in recent years. The Chongqing store officially closed on March 31, 2025. The store had opened as an anchor tenant of Chongqing InCity on September 28, 2023, operating for only about a year and a half.
China News Service reported that many shops inside Galeries Lafayette are now displaying signs such as "Closing Down Sale, Up to 50% Off," attracting numerous consumers. An employee at a European clothing brand said that the store rarely holds such significant discount events and that there has been a large influx of shoppers in recent days, including both regular customers and new ones drawn by the discounts.
Many Beijing residents, upon hearing the news of the store's closure, have been visiting to "check in" and commemorate the occasion. A consumer surnamed Wang, born after 2000, said that he frequently visits the nearby Xidan Joy City and Hanguang Department Store, and the 16th was his first time visiting Galeries Lafayette. "The mall has been trending on social media these past few days, so I came to check it out of curiosity."
Some industry analysts point out that the Xidan shopping district, where Galeries Lafayette is located, has been gradually shifting towards a "younger, more affordable" profile, attracting mainly tourists and students. (Edited by Lu Jia-rong / Chen Kai-yu) 1150519
According to Chinese media outlets such as China News Service and Jiemian News, Galeries Lafayette announced on the 14th that its Beijing store would officially close on the 27th. Regarding member benefits, the announcement stated that after the Beijing store closes, customers can continue to enjoy full membership rights at other Chinese stores (such as the Lujiazui Center store in Shanghai and the UpperHills store in Shenzhen). Accumulated points in member accounts will be retained according to their original validity period, and customers can also contact customer service to process card cancellations.
Galeries Lafayette first entered Beijing's Wangfujing shopping district in 1997 but hastily withdrew after only one year of operation for various reasons. In 2013, it returned by selecting the Xidan shopping district in Beijing, embarking on a second round of market exploration. The store covered an area of about 48,000 square meters with over 300 brands, once becoming a landmark high-end department store in the Beijing commercial area.
Subsequently, the brand underwent several expansions, opening a store in Shanghai's Lujiazui in 2019, followed by stores in Shenzhen and Chongqing in 2022 and 2023, respectively. At its peak, it had four physical stores in China.
However, Galeries Lafayette has faced continuous operational pressure in China in recent years. The Chongqing store officially closed on March 31, 2025. The store had opened as an anchor tenant of Chongqing InCity on September 28, 2023, operating for only about a year and a half.
China News Service reported that many shops inside Galeries Lafayette are now displaying signs such as "Closing Down Sale, Up to 50% Off," attracting numerous consumers. An employee at a European clothing brand said that the store rarely holds such significant discount events and that there has been a large influx of shoppers in recent days, including both regular customers and new ones drawn by the discounts.
Many Beijing residents, upon hearing the news of the store's closure, have been visiting to "check in" and commemorate the occasion. A consumer surnamed Wang, born after 2000, said that he frequently visits the nearby Xidan Joy City and Hanguang Department Store, and the 16th was his first time visiting Galeries Lafayette. "The mall has been trending on social media these past few days, so I came to check it out of curiosity."
Some industry analysts point out that the Xidan shopping district, where Galeries Lafayette is located, has been gradually shifting towards a "younger, more affordable" profile, attracting mainly tourists and students. (Edited by Lu Jia-rong / Chen Kai-yu) 1150519