In a commerce climate brimming with options, brands and retailers can no longer afford to live by the mantra: “Be everything for everyone.”

Even big-box retailers and warehouse clubs are starting to carve their distinct places in consumers’ lives by creating experiences that serve more granular markets and more nuanced behaviors. Department stores have arguably struggled the most to adapt and complete their evolution. While the Macy’s and JCPenney’s of the world say they have a specific target market, even a particular customer archetype in mind, their store designs, services, and assortments fail to authentically resonate and serve their wants and needs.

As a result, the classic American department store—once a cultural fixture and aesthetic representation of our culture—has lost its relevance. And this struggle continues, even as consumers continue to focus on price and value. 

Printemp’s arrival in New York City’s Financial District during the spring of 2025 marked a pivotal moment in the format’s history. A moment when one of the world’s oldest department stores has used its US entry as a creative touchstone to spark a Department Store Renaissance.

But Printemps is a luxury destination, designed for the ultra-wealthy, you may be silently arguing. That is not a realistic or scalable model to replicate. 

To an extent, you would be right. Not every department store can (nor should) have several champagne and caviar bars. However, Printemps offers a glimpse into how store design and experience teams can embrace powerful worldbuilding and mythmaking principles to truly immerse consumers into their world. The retailer also illustrates how artistic integrity, coupled with a sprinkle of playful eclecticism and intentional technology can equate to a compelling space people actually want to spend their time and money in.

“If you think about the evolution of the consumer and how they want to shop and discover, they want intimacy. Those are the brand experiences they’re gravitating towards. You also need to consider how different generations prefer to shop and the direction they’re heading. Department stores are at a point where they have to think about how they can become a holistic destination for discovery. People want a sense that they’ve actually arrived somewhere.”
- Melissa Gonzalez, Principal of MG2 and Founder of MG2 Advisory

With this Member Brief, we will explore the visual marvel that is the Printemps New York City flagship, which will also serve as a backdrop for a much bigger story focused on the current state, and future, of the modern department store. We will assess: 

• Visual design and aesthetics that bring art to life
• How distinct moods and “vibes” can create equally luxurious and inviting environments
• Why curated merchandise are key to elevating a hospitality-driven model
• Tech integration that is subtle and intentional
  

An Aesthetic ‘Wink’ to French Culture

American department stores, in many ways, have become shells of their former selves. These spaces were initially designed to represent and serve the holistic needs of US families. Presented in a robust yet accessible manner, they were commerce destinations that effectively served everyone, from children to grandparents. Today’s department stores, meanwhile, are crammed with racks of clothes and stacked floor to ceiling with boxes. It’s a volume play in which retailers hope the more categories and SKUs they carry, the more likely they are to win a sale.

That’s what makes the Printemps store so captivating. At its core, it presents a stark contrast to the department store experiences we’ve grown accustomed to. More “luxury” spaces such as Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue have their moments of glimmer and aesthetic delight, but these are still clearly commerce-first spaces. 

Printemps, however, is the visual equivalent of visiting a fashion curator’s home in France; a space brimming with color, texture, and aesthetic touches that are equally high-end and whimsical. 

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“I think it was so important for the industry to see a brand that came through as bold as it did, and taking that hint from French design and leaning into it,” said Gonzalez. “It wasn't just little hints here or there, like you often see. This is such a fully realized expression.” 

This holistic experience encompasses aesthetic, structural, and experiential components, including: 

• Textured and sculptural fixtures that have merchandise thoughtfully placed throughout. (The shoe department in particular is a design revelation.)
  
  
• Muraling and artwork that is reminiscent of a high-end members' club.
  
  
• A colorful fitting-room area, which they call boudoirs, is reminiscent of a luxury hotel. (And without a fluorescent light in sight.)
  
  
• Intimate spaces where consumers can have one-on-one concierge interactions.

Jack Stratten of Insider Trends, a retail trendspotting agency, argues that the aesthetics of the space are “so much bolder than I have ever seen in department stores. It feels like a more modern version of exporting a department store because it's trying to do something different.”

Gonzalez agreed, adding that the Printemps store has such high design quality and creative integrity that it helps validate the experience for consumers. “It adds this sense of trust because they have such a strong eye for design that you at least are curious to explore the brands they’ve curated and showcased,” she said. “That subliminal undertone can go a long way.” 

Tunnels to Distinctive Worlds

Throughout Printemps, there are distinct spaces with distinct moods. When you transition from one space to the next, through aesthetic “tunnels” of sorts, there is a clear shift in vibe. It is abundantly clear what you can expect as you go deeper into a particular space. 

For example, the skincare department is engulfed in white. A minimalist space akin to a Kardashian mansion, it is a blank canvas with textured walls that allow you to focus solely on the products. On the main fashion floor, there is a more whimsical luxury vibe, with clear nods to French heritage and nostalgia. In many ways the space is a love letter to France; an extravagant transplant in a steel, metropolitan mecca. 

But it’s the department store’s shoe department that manages to bring the best of old and new together. When consumers enter at the street level, the immediate shoe section serves as a teaser of sorts. It has futuristic touches like animated, digital art that adds depth and modernism to the overall more vintage feel of the space. Shoppers can then venture down the escalator or stairs to sit in a more massive shoe department, which Gonzalez describes as “an integration of the landmark and heritage of the building intertwined with the nod to French design.”

“Everything in each department feels like its own treasure, but really connected to the experience. In design, we talk about organically taking a customer through a journey, and I think their design does that.” 
- Melissa Gonzalez, MG2 Advisory

Although there are now immediate indicators that US department stores are trying to play from the Printemps playbook, both Gonzalez and Stratten believe there are opportunities to take the store’s opening as a clear learning opportunity. “I’d be amazed if it didn’t inspire some retailers, like Macy's or Bloomgindale's, to take a few key locations, even if it’s just flagships, and find ways to do something bigger and more imaginative,” Stratten said. 

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Merchandising + Curation   

Store fixtures and aesthetics are the foundation of a beautiful store. However, if these spaces are packed with stale and irrelevant merchandise, the design work is all for naught. Gonzalez explained that Printemps’ approach to merchandising enhances the artistry of the space and even incorporates a touch of drama that only the French can provide.

“We talk about retail being therapy, but when you go into some of the larger-format environments, they feel a bit more commercial,” she said. “This felt like you were walking into a mixture of art and retail with the sculptural displays and the immersive elements of it throughout.”

What sets the US Printemps apart from the pack is that this particular store concept is vastly different from the Printemps in France. It is conceptual and experiential. A more curated approach. “The Printemps in France is nine floors; it’s quite massive and difficult to navigate with a huge food court,” he noted. While this location is “a classic, iconic department store,” Stratten believes “the sheer amount of stock is immense.” 

Conversely, the US store’s assortment is highly curated, even minimalist, showcasing products as if they were art; fixtures in a Parisian fashionista’s Manhattan apartment. Crystal bowls are displayed in the couture section, and coffee table books are artfully displayed alongside fashion sneakers. “Department stores have to figure out which customer they’re going to choose and try to reach, and then curate for them,” Stratten noted.

However, like its French counterpart, the US location centers around hospitality, which is a perfect complement to a more minimalist and curated assortment. The retailer’s US site features a section dedicated to “culinary experiences,” which include a cafe for a quick pick-me-up, a Parisian-inspired raw bar, and a fine dining concept. 

“It amazes me that department stores aren’t using spaces more creatively, for events or hospitality,” Stratten said. “There’s a bigger focus on a place bringing people together.” 

Intentional Tech That Elevates the Experience

In the case of Printemps, technology doesn’t currently play a “starring role” in the experience. Rather, it is a silent enabler: a tool that empowers and guides customers through their experience. Gonzalez noted that this is the most interesting takeaway from the experience, especially when many brands and retailers are employing heavy-handed in-store tech to monetize every surface. 

“The luxury category still doesn't bring a lot of technology into the customer-facing experience,” she explained. “And for Printemps, the technology elements on the entry floor and ceiling are more experiential than anything. It’s interesting to watch luxury as a category and see how they're starting to integrate technology that's meant to be high-touch, largely by empowering brand ambassadors or staff to deliver a more personalized experience.”

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At more than 50,000 square feet, the store will start to act as “an incubator” for tech-focused retail innovation, according to Mary Jane Puangco, Chief Experience Officer of Printemps. Successful tests could then make their way back to Europe for further testing and scaling. However, this won’t be glitzy, over-the-top tech; it will be “subtle technology” like the above-mentioned lighting effects, as well as digital signage, wayfinding tech, and an accompanying mobile experience. 

“We only wanted technology that would empower the staff to give better service and screens that enhance the customer’s experience, not pushing information but taking them along and helping them discover,” said Puangco in an interview with Retail TouchPoints.

Experiences ‘Rooted in the Place’ 

Other department stores have tried to export to different countries—and largely unsuccessfully, according to Stratten. The main reason why is that part of the draw of these stores to begin with is the destination; the experience of traveling to London to visit Selfridges, for example.

“The last 20 years have taught us that you can’t just export a historic department store,” he explained. “People go to Gallerie Lafayette, Nordiska Kompaniet in Sweden, or Selfridges in London because it’s rooted in the place. Selfridges doesn’t even do well in Manchester because people want that bit of London. There’s something about that location.”

When people go to Selfridges in London, they want to go to the pub across the street. It’s known well because of Selfridges. “It’s part of the culture,” Stratten concluded. Similarly, Galeries Lafayette’s power is its place in Parisian tourism and culture. 

Printemp is taking a completely different approach to the US store, using it as an incubator of sorts to test new creative ideas and experience concepts. This allows the retailer to create a clear distinction between the store formats and, in turn, communicate the value of the space more clearly to consumers.

Key Themes & Takeaways for Future Experiences 

Printemps and other global department stores are pushing creative limits and redefining what these commercial spaces can really provide. Are department stores truly just transactional spaces to “get everything you need as quickly as possible”? Or is there an opportunity to use consumers’ time-starved existence as a creative vehicle; to design spaces and service experiences so they’re more enthralling and enjoyable?

“Consumers are not visiting as many stores on average, and we're asking them to come to a larger-format destination where they have to trust that we've curated and created an experience that's going to be grand enough that it justifies them not going to a brand destination,” Gonzalez explained. “In Printemps, you can feel the lifestyle. You can feel the experience. There are a lot of ways department stores can lean into this kind of thinking.” 

Even brands can lean into this kind of thinking as they design their own physical spaces. Some key questions to ask include: 

• What is the overarching narrative of our brand? How does this map to the customer experience?
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• What is the psychological mindset of my consumer? Are they time-starved or eager to browse and discover?
  

• What level of services do shoppers expect for the categories we offer?
  

•  How can we weave visual storytelling to create a holistic experience between departments?
  

• What role will technology play? Will it be self-service? Operational? Engagement-driven?