Department stores have had a rough time even before the pandemic and they have struggled to get back on their feet. Often positioned as mall anchors, department stores have seen falling traffic and lost some of the mass appeal that they had in previous decades. With all of these challenges, it is surprising that one of the world’s oldest department stores is making a charge into the United States. Printemps, a 150-year-old French department store, will be opening a flagship location in New York early next year. Printemps has a long history and hopes that their storied name will win over U.S. consumers.

The first Printemps was opened in 1865 by Jules Jaluzot, who became an entrepreneur, had an early career working in department stores around Paris. Part of what set Printemps apart was the chosen location of the flagship store. The store was positioned near an under construction building and a train station. At the time, the area was considered noisy and dangerous. Things would change when the building that was under construction became The Opéra Garnier, one of the most famous Opera houses in the world, and the noisy train station brought guests from all over the world to Printemps’ front door. Printemps was also able to beat out competitors using the novel idea of putting old stock on sale at the store instead of disposing of it. This was a revolutionary idea at the time and made the store a destination for high- and low-income consumers. Printemps became a destination and despite its popularity, travel limitations in the late 1800’s stifled their ability to expand. Printemps countered this by ushering in mail-order catalogs. It was a huge success, and catalogs took over Europe and were sent as far as Japan.

Printemps enjoyed extreme early success and the company continued to push the envelope. In 1878, they became the first department store to be featured at the World Fairs in Paris. The company expanded their clothing line and perfume collection to include men and in 1883 they began using electricity in their stores, a full six years before the city of Paris would adopt its use. Printemps reached new countries every decade and the brand continued to expand their lineup of perfumes, jewelry and clothes to keep ahead of the latest fashions by attracting some of the world’s most famous designers. The brand has been incredibly resilient as their flagship store was burned down twice and was rebuilt with improved design each time. It survived multiple World Wars and most recently survived the pandemic by launching their e-commerce platform.

Printemps is ready to break ground in America and they have their sights set on The Big Apple. Spring 2025 will bring a fifty-story flagship store to One Wall Street in the Financial District. The interior landmark building is a rarity in New York and this new location looks to capture the prestige of the original Printemps store. Department stores have struggled in the U.S., yet Printemps has proven that they are not the average mall shop. Their storied history has proven that they can weather difficult times and their aggressive expansion over the last century has given them international appeal. In a few decades, Printemps could become one of the U.S.’s premier destinations.