Amandine de Souza – BHV, Eataly, Galeries Lafayette
Published on 3 March 2023
Listen to the expert! In this interview conducted on the occasion of the latest edition of Maison&Objet, meet Amandine de Souza, CEO of both the BHV – Paris's most iconic department store – and the French franchise of Italian gastronomy empire Eataly, as well as Head Buyer for the Galeries Lafayette retail Group.
Amandine shares here with us all her secrets of the retail world, drawing on her outstanding multi-skilled experience. She likes to walk the fair’s aisles with her team of buyers in search of the new rising suppliers and fresh brands that will set tomorrow’s trends.
Isn't Maison&Objet Paris, France’s largest department store for a few days? Amandine de Souza is already convinced: nowhere else can unearth in the same place so many references in the leisure, DIY, and home decor categories… Everything is here gathered and at hand’s reach in an ecosystem that places the discovery of high-end craftsmanship at the heart of the buying experience—a singular approach aligned with Amandine’s core values in a market increasingly dominated by e-commerce. Re-enchanting the commercial process by implementing cultural programs and live shows, for instance, transformed the BHV store into a lively place to learn, unwind and immerse in a new retail experience.
For Amandine’s greatest delight, tableware seems to be rising this year! Let’s not forget that the BHV has been established, for nearly 166 years, around “Les arts de la table”, a French passion that now revolves around crafts, furniture and interior design, all now reinvented in a more sustainable approach.
Striding through Maison&Objet Paris as a buyer means knowing how to look to spot the right product, but it is also essential to know how to be seen to be best remembered. On this matter, Amandine has a flamboyant secret to reveal! Can the clothes make the buyer…?
