Paris chic

The French market leader Leroy Merlin is always a good bet to spring a surprise. It is hard to keep up with the reports of all the new openings with unusual formats, such as the DIYers' workshop rented for a few weeks in Paris, or new stores with the "wow" factor, like the first large-scale store in South Africa.
Last year was no different. With its fourth store in the city centre of Paris ("intra-muros", as the Parisians say, or within the city walls) Leroy Merlin once again pulled off a coup, because the location of the new outlet is pretty prestigious.
Situated on the Place de la Madeleine (named after the monumental church directly opposite) in the chic 8th Arrondissement, the store opened in June 2018. The area is also called the Arrondissement de l'Élysée, and is where the President of France resides. "If there is any quarter in which one can least imagine a Leroy Merlin store, then it is the Madeleine quarter," was the comment in the French press at the time of the opening. The neighbourhood is awash with upmarket fashion stores, and Tesla has a salesroom here too.
The building is also redolent of Parisian elegance. It was formerly the Palacio Garages de Paris, a Parisian dealer gallery in an architectural style typical of the 1930s.

The new store faithfully replicates the ambience of its surroundings. One of its attractions is the reproduction of a typical apartment in the Haussmann style, which still characterises the image of the "capital of the 19th century" with its magnificent boulevards up to the present day. On an area of 70 m² Parisian customers can see how they can bring their city apartment (which doesn't always cater to modern demands and habits) up to the desired standard.
Overall the store has a retail area covering over 5 000 m² spread over three floors, with space for a range comprising 30 000 SKUs. The intention, however, is to offer 100 000 items for sale, and these are made accessible to shoppers via 30 Internet stations. Here customers can order products from the store chain's complete range, naturally also with the option of home delivery.
In the basement, valuable Paris city centre retail space has been devoted to another idea. There's a workshop here where customers can rent workplaces by the hour.
To ensure that visitors…