The Galeries Lafayette store on the Allées Paul-Riquet in Béziers is celebrating its 130th anniversary

Les Galeries Lafayette célèbrent cette année leurs 130 ans. Diane Petitmangin

An exclusive capsule collection of designers to celebrate the 130th anniversary. Diane Petitmangin

A boudoir corner for resting or having lunch, near the gourmet corner. Diane Petitmangin

The city center department store is in good health in 2024, as the parent company celebrates its 130th anniversary.

The time when "the locomotive of downtown commerce" was supposed to close its doors ten years ago is long gone. The Galeries Lafayette, on the Allées Paul-Riquet, in Béziers, remains this flagship of ready-to-wear, accessories, leather goods, etc. Fashion in a nutshell!

In this year 2024, when the brand celebrates its 130th anniversary, the Béziers department store and its 4,500 m2 of exhibition space on four levels, now a franchise of the parent company, are in Olympic form. “We have carried out a very qualitative recovery, indicates Philippe Sempéré, the president of Galeries Lafayette Béziers, who has relaunched the business with his partner Nicolas Chambon. And we even managed, a few years ago, to achieve one of the best performances in France".

Eiffel-type iron pillars

To do this, the two buyers have injected 3 million euros into the renovation of the establishment, while retaining the identity of this superb Haussmannian building, with its Eiffel-style pillars and its magnificent windows overlooking the city. “Architect Julien Passerieux has done an exceptional job of preserving remarkable elements, such as the marble floor, which has been repolished, insists Philippe Sempéré.

To the question “are department stores or bazaars as they used to be called” still a viable and attractive economic model today? On the internet, Philippe Sempéré is categorical: “The answer is yes. The advantage of Galeries Lafayette is that it has corners of major brands, sometimes exclusive, and allows its customers to shop from head to toe, for the whole family, while benefiting from advice. You can make an appointment with a personal shopper who will guide you for a special occasion or to redo your wardrobe".

For all budgets

Clothing, shoes but also accessories (socks, underwear, jewelry, bags and belts, etc.) without forgetting the beauty department and its typically French brands, "there is everything and for all budgets. We also come here to discover names in fashion: The Kooples, Gérard Darel, Bash, El Ganso… And our advantage is also to offer casual wear as well as suits or jeans."

Capsule collection for the 130th anniversary

To celebrate this anniversary and this beautiful longevity, the parent company, today run by the Houzé father and son family, has given "carte blanche to iconic creators and designers of today and tomorrow". Many brands have thus accepted to create exclusive capsule collections for these 130 years: Isabelle Marant, Agnès B., Fursac, Zadig et Voltaire, APC…).

"These are truly limited editions, says Philippe Sempéré, "to delight fans and collectors, ranging from T-shirts to sweatshirts and other goodies, from the most minimalist to the most creative". Limited editions to discover until October 1st on the ground floor of the store, in a corner specially designed for the occasion.

For the entrepreneur, “when you walk through the doors of a Galeries Lafayette, you find yourself in an ambiance, a special atmosphere where everything is refined and where you are pampered. We are constantly reworking the scenography. And the viability of this brand is due to the fact that people are at the heart of its success. Moreover, it is probably a sign that we have a new clientele that is much younger". That is all we can wish for this "old lady" !

From the Villa Saint-Pierre to the department stores

Built in a Haussmannian style of good quality, with 6m high windows, the building that today houses the Galeries Lafayette department store, on the Allées Paul-Riquet, nevertheless aroused the ire and disgust of many Béziers residents at the dawn of the 20th century.

Shortly after the death of her grandmother, Mélanie Sicard (born Jany) in 1883, Mathilde Dessalles inherited the Café des Fleurs, an establishment that was a major part of the city's heyday. A luxurious den, which was at once a café, a ballroom or performance hall and a casino, as Jean-Denis Bergasse and Philippe Marassé reveal in their book “A Grand Axis in Béziers from the 16th to the 20th Century.” From Place de la Victoire to the station by the Allées Paul-Riquet and the Place de la Citadelle”.

With her husband Roger Bellaud, she had the Villa Saint-Pierre built, also called the Villa des Fleurs or Château Bellaud, entrusted to the good care of the Montpellier architect Carlier. Widowed since 1888, Mathilde Bellaud-Dessalles devoted herself to her passions, such as history – she also contributed financially to the foundation of the museum of Old Biterrois. “Her work earned her the title of the second woman to be admitted to the Archaeological Society of Béziers after Mlle de Margon”, the two authors emphasize.

In 1908, with her daughter Claire, she sold the Villa Saint-Pierre to a Parisian society that built a large bazaar there called Modern Stores from 1909. “Reading the daily newspaper L’Éclair of May 15, 1908 allows us to gauge the city's dismay at the destruction of this house".

Over the years, the Modern Stores gave way to the Nouvelles Galeries, which themselves gave way to the Galeries Lafayette. In 2015, the brand considered closing the store, which was too old and probably not profitable enough. The municipality then bought the walls and an agreement was reached to franchise the Béziers bazaar and keep its role as the locomotive of commerce in the city center.

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