Printemps to open first foreign store in September

Paris - French luxury department store chain Printemps said Thursday it plans to open its first major shop abroad in Doha in September, shortly before the Qatari capital hosts the World Cup.

It said the store will be located the new upscale Doha Oasis complex that includes a five-star hotel, attraction park, restaurants and luxury apartments.

Printemps said that store would offer at least 550 brands, with more than 30 exclusively for the first time in Qatar.

Printemps traces its history back to 1865 and now has 15 large department stores in France under its own name and nine Citadium stores that cater to a younger clientele, employing 3,000 staff.

Onlike its French rival Galeries Lafayette, Printemps has never ventured abroad.

It decided to do so in 2019, before the pandemic, and had planned to have the first one open by 2021 and targeted five to 10 foreign stores within a decade.

Instead, the pandemic forced it to shut seven stores in France. (AFP)

Image: Printemps