Luxury conglomerate LVMH shut the 151-year-old emporium overlooking the Seine river in 2005, when safety inspectors discovered widespread risks including antiquated wiring. Gone is the hunting gear, housewares, tools and toys, despite the historic signs still on the facade. Instead, think designer fashion labels, an entire floor dedicated to swank watches, two concept stores and a vast beauty and cosmetics department in the basement. “You’ll no longer find everything at La Samaritaine, but you will find all of Paris at La Samaritaine,” said Eleonore de Boysson, Europe director at LVMH’s DFS retailing arm. Opened in 1870 by Ernest Cognac, a travelling salesman, and expanded with his wife Louise Jay, the four Samaritaine stores became a fixture of Paris culminating in a 1930s golden age.

Source: The Local June 22, 2021 10:45 UTC