Birkenstock to open first French store on July 20

On July 20, German footwear brand Birkenstock will be opening its first store in France, at 17 rue des Archives, in Paris’s fourth arrondissement. The premises extends on two levels and is located on the corner with rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, in the heart of the Marais district, opposite stores by The Kooples and Ba&sh, and a stone’s throw from the BHV Marais department store.

In France, where Birkenstock has been led for just over a year by Clémence Genevard (formerly with PVH Corp.), the brand has until now been distributed via a network of multi-brand retailers and its own e-shop.

Birkenstock, whose headquarters are in Linz am Rhein, Germany, recently raised its guidance for fiscal 2024, and is now expecting to reach a revenue between €1.77 billion and €1.78 billion, up from the earlier forecast of €1.74 billion to €1.76 billion.

Birkenstock was founded in 1774 and, to meet growing demand, it has recently boosted production capacity by investing €15 million in the town of Arouca, in northern Portugal, where it now operates a manufacturing facility.

In 2021, the L Catterton investment fund and Financière Agache, a holding company controlled by Agache, a firm owned by the Arnault family, bought a majority stake in Birkenstock.