Printemps (; , ) is a French chain of department stores (, ) with a focus on beauty, lifestyle, fashion, accessories, and men's wear. Its flagship store, known in French as "le Printemps Haussmann" (), is located on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, along with other well-known department stores like the Galeries Lafayette. Since 2013, the company has been the property of a Luxembourg-based Qatari-backed investment fund. As of 2023, Printemps operates twenty stores in France (including three in Paris), as well as one international location in Doha, Qatar. The company was a founder of the International Association of Department Stores as well as one of its members from 1928 until 1997.
Early history (1865–1940)
The first Printemps store, now commonly known as "le Printemps Haussmann", was opened on 3 November 1865 under the name "les Grands Magasins du Printemps" (abbreviated as "le Printemps") by Jules Jaluzot his wife Augustine Jaluzot and Jean-Alfred Duclos. The store was located on the corner of Rue du Havre and Boulevard Haussmann in Paris, France. In 1874 the store had a large expansion and elevators (some of the first) from the 1867 Universal Exposition were installed.
The policies of Printemps revolutionised retail business practices. The store marked items with set prices and eschewed the haggling based on customer appearance that had previously been standard in retail shopping. Like other (, department stores), Printemps used the economies of scale to provide high quality goods at prices that the expanding middle class could afford. They also pioneered the idea of discount sales to clear outdated stock, and later the use of window models to display the latest fashions. Printemps was noted for its branding innovations as well, handing out bouquets of violets on the first day of spring and championing the new Art Nouveau style, with its nature inspired motifs.
In 1881 the store caught on fire causing the entire building to be destroyed, but after the fire the store was rebuilt with the new building designed by architects Jules and Paul Sédille. The store also became the first to use electric lighting with the rebuild and customers were even able to observe the power station behind a glass wall.
The store became one of the first department stores with direct metro access when the Métro was connected in 1904. Also in 1904 a near collapse of the business led to the resignation of Jules Jaluzot with this he was succeeded by Gustave Laguionie, who announced the construction of a second store in 1905. The second store designed by architect René Binet, the store was opened five years later and dominated by a glass domed hall 42 meters in height and an Art Nouveau staircase which was later removed in 1955.
The first store outside of Paris was opened in 1912 in Deauville.
Pierre Laguionie, the son of Gustave, took the helm of the store in 1920, rebuilding it after another large fire in 1921.
In 1923 with the reconstruction of the Haussmann store an elaborate cupola was installed above the main restaurant.
Pierre Lagionie was the first president of the International Association of Department Stores in 1928, a position he held again in 1937 and 1952. Jean-Jacques Delort was president in 1981.
In the 1930 a store opened in Antananarivo, Madagascar, the store was later converted into a Prisunic.
In 1931, Printemps created the discount chain Prisunic. In 1939 to avoid the risk of the cupola being destroyed in bombing attacks it was dismantled and stored at Clichy It was restored in 1973 by the grandson of its original designer, using plans that had been kept in the archives of the family business. In 1975, the façade and cupola of the building were registered as historical monuments.
The figures of the Four Seasons on the façade were sculpted by French sculptor Henri Chapu.
Expansion (1970–1989) By 1970 there were 23 Printemps locations and 13 Prisunic discount outlets. The oil-price driven French economic crisis of the early 1970s significantly threatened Printemps business model, in response the firm was transformed into a limited corporation with a controlling interest acquired by Maus Fréres, a Swiss holding company. During the 1970s Jean-Jacques Delort led the company on a turnaround strategy creating specialty stores and brands (such as Armand Thierry clothing) and branching out into different areas such as food and mail.
In 1981 the company started an international expansion by franchising stores it started with the opening of a location in Kobe, Japan, they continued the expansion a year later opening a store in Sapporo.