For decades, Indian luxury consumers experienced Galeries Lafayette while travelling abroad. With its debut in Mumbai's Kala Ghoda, the iconic Parisian department store has brought that experience home. But its India strategy extends beyond opening another luxury retail destination. From blending French heritage with Indian culture to investing heavily in experiential marketing and positioning itself as a gateway for global luxury brands entering the country, Galeries Lafayette is looking to shape the next chapter of luxury retail in India. In a conversation with IMPACT, Apeksha Gupta, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer, Galeries Lafayette India (Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Ltd.), discusses consumer behaviour, storytelling, marketing strategy and the future of luxury retail.
What made this the right time to bring Galeries Lafayette to India, considering Indian luxury consumers have traditionally experienced the brand while travelling abroad?
Indian luxury consumers have travelled extensively, not just to Paris but also to London, Dubai and many other global shopping destinations. Over the last 15 years, through The Collective, we've gained valuable insights into how luxury consumer behaviour has evolved and what shoppers increasingly expect.
The pandemic also significantly changed buying habits, with many consumers choosing to shop within India. So, in many ways, any time is the right time. We're incredibly excited and proud to bring such an iconic brand to the country, and we're looking forward to seeing how this journey unfolds.
India's luxury market is increasingly driven by younger consumers. How is Galeries Lafayette making itself relevant to this new audience?
Galeries Lafayette is a 130-year-old Parisian brand built around the spirit and lifestyle that Paris represents. Bringing that heritage to India had to feel authentic as well as relevant.
Our choice of Kala Ghoda was deliberate because it represents not just luxury but also art and culture. The building itself is part of Mumbai's heritage, making it the perfect setting for our first store.
Today's consumers are incredibly well informed. Through Instagram and international travel, they already know the brands they aspire to own. Our biggest opportunity is giving them access to those brands in India.
Luxury has also become far more approachable than it once was. The way we design our store experience, train our teams and engage with customers reflects that change. We want the experience to resonate not only with younger consumers but with everyone who walks through our doors.
Galeries Lafayette is globally recognised, but awareness in India was limited. Was building familiarity with the brand a marketing challenge?
Galeries Lafayette may not have been familiar to everyone, but Paris certainly is. Paris has an unmistakable charm and romance, and our objective was to bring not just the brand but also a slice of Paris to Mumbai.
Indian consumers are already accustomed to shopping at large international department stores while travelling abroad. As India's first large luxury department store, our goal was to recreate that immersive experience while capturing the elegance and mystique associated with Paris.
That's the journey we hope our customers will experience with us.
How do you balance Galeries Lafayette's Parisian identity with Indian culture across the store experience and marketing?
We interpret Paris through Indian eyes. Many elements inside the store, from the entrance mural to the artwork behind the escalator, are Indian artists' interpretations of Parisian life and culture.
The same philosophy extends to our experiences. While our inspiration comes from France, everything is designed for Indian audiences. Whether it was hosting the French presidential delegation during the India-France Innovation Year or organising a Monaco Grand Prix screening, we adapted these moments in ways that felt relevant to consumers in Mumbai.
Our communication follows the same approach. Across architecture, storytelling and Instagram, we celebrate the elegance and lifestyle associated with Paris without relying on obvious symbols. It's subtle, nuanced and designed to resonate with well-travelled Indian consumers.
With quick commerce becoming central to Indian retail, do you see luxury goods ever moving in that direction?
Quick commerce solves the problem of convenience. Luxury fulfils a very different consumer need.
People don't expect the most expensive watch to arrive in ten minutes. They want to see it, understand it, experience it and engage with it. Luxury is built around emotion and sensory experiences, and those can't be replicated through instant delivery.
For that reason, I believe luxury will continue to be centred around immersive experiences rather than quick commerce.
Has this philosophy also shaped your marketing strategy? Where does your advertising investment go today?
Luxury isn't about avoiding mass media. It's about reaching the right audience wherever they are.
Our customers spend time on Instagram, Meta platforms and YouTube, so naturally those channels are an important part of our strategy. Our marketing is centred on storytelling because we have so many stories to tell, from our heritage to the brands we curate and the experiences we create.
At the same time, a significant portion of our investment goes into experiences inside the store. Creating memorable moments that encourage people to visit and engage with the brand is central to our approach.
Experiential marketing is absolutely the driving force behind how we build a sense of belonging with our customers.
What role do you see Galeries Lafayette playing in shaping India's luxury market over the next five years?
We see ourselves as a bridge between global luxury brands and Indian consumers. For customers, we offer access to brands they may never have experienced before. For international brands, we provide an opportunity to understand the Indian market with a much lower entry barrier.
We've already introduced around 250 brands and have the potential to bring many more. We want Galeries Lafayette to become the platform where consumers discover new brands and where global labels confidently begin their India journey. That's the role we hope to play in shaping the future of luxury retail in the country.
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