With all eyes on Paris for the 2024 Olympics, many brands have strategically opened flagship stores in anticipation of millions of tourists visiting during and after the games. Hoka inaugurated its first store in Paris’s Opéra district in May, and Birkenstock followed suit with its first Paris store in the Marais district in July. Established brands like Levi’s and Salomon, which already had a presence in France, expanded their footprint with new flagship stores on the iconic Champs-Élysées.
The goal for these brands is to leverage the increased visibility during the Olympics to grow their direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels. Lucia Marcuzzo, managing director in Europe for Levi’s, emphasized the significance of their new Champs-Élysées flagship store, stating, “Every brand would die to have a store on the Champs-Élysées. Not only is this our pinnacle expression [of the brand], but we are also activating it for this special time in Paris.”
Levi’s, which has been on the Champs-Élysées for over a decade, moved to a prime corner location to enhance its DTC focus. The store features an Olympics-themed art installation and special activations for the games, including limited-edition products like t-shirts, fleeces, and bomber jackets in the colors of the French flag. Marcuzzo highlighted that while the Olympics is an important element, the brand’s primary focus remains on its long-term goals, “Our ambition is to be not only the worldwide denim leader but to really own the denim lifestyle.”
Similarly, sneaker brand Salomon opened a new flagship store on the Champs-Élysées in May, themed around mountain sports. Scott Mellin, global chief brand officer for Salomon, noted that the store represents a long-term commitment and will host events featuring athletes connected to the brand. Mellin highlighted the importance of being involved in the Paris Olympics, the first in the city in 100 years, as part of Salomon’s strategy to boost its international brand awareness.
The decision to open these flagship stores goes beyond just capitalizing on the Olympic games. According to Marina Lavrov, retail director for CBRE in France, many brands initially considered pop-up stores but opted for long-term investments. In 2023 alone, 13 retailers signed new leases on the Champs-Élysées, compared to the usual two or three in a typical year. Lavrov noted, “All these sports brands decided to open flagships, and then it was just a race between each of them to get the better store, the biggest store.”
Visitor projections for the Olympics have been adjusted from 15 million to 11 million tourists, with strict security measures in place and around 1.5 million expected to come from abroad. However, the focus for these brands is on the long-term benefits. The Olympics is seen as a massive marketing campaign for Paris, expected to boost tourism and international attention for years to come. Ermengarde Jabir, director of economic research for Moody’s, compared the potential impact to the 2012 London Olympics, which saw a record increase in visitors the following year.
“The amount of tourism [in London] skyrocketed post-Olympics because the whole world got to see the city from a different angle; Paris is really banking on that,” Jabir explained. The long-term strategy aims to continue attracting visitors and highlighting Paris in a positive way, well beyond the two weeks of the Olympic games.