IADS Exclusive - Lacoste Arena: a case for experiential stores

Lacoste (part of MF Brands Group, owner of Manor) has 1,100 stores in 98 countries but didn’t have any flagship stores until 19 May 2022 when they opened their first one on Paris’ Avenue des Champs-Elysées, which can seem surprising for a company which topped the €2bn sales as early as 2016. 

Dubbed “Lacoste Arena”, the brand new 3-storey store displays on 1,600 sqm no less than 9,500 products, from footwear to ready-to-wear for men, women and kids. The store is all about showing and emphasizing the link between fashion and sport, by balancing experiential spaces, entertainment corners and sales areas, to address all types of shoppers: fashion and streetwear fans, sport addicts or consumers looking for sustainability. 

The IADS had the opportunity to enjoy a private tour of the store. Besides the expected (and now necessary) experiential features, what are the key store highlights? Is this flagship a fair example of what the store of the future could be? How is CSR included? You can also dive in deep by having a look at the store review in pictures here. 

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article from the IADS members-only newsletter date 15 June 2022.