McQueen withdraws from French department stores amid brand overhaul

Since 2023, McQueen has systematically closed down its points of sale within Paris’ major department stores, resulting in the shutdown of eight shop-in-shops. The closures coincide with a period of creative transition for the brand, marked by the appointment of Seán McGirr as the new creative director in September 2023. McGirr succeeded Sarah Burton, who had been with McQueen for 26 years, including 14 years as its creative head.

 
The closures began in July 2023, with the shutdown of two ready-to-wear corners for men and women at Galeries Lafayette. By the end of May, three more corners at Printemps—dedicated to women’s and men’s shoes and ready-to-wear—were closed. In August, the McQueen shoe stand at Bon Marché followed suit, and in September, the men’s shoe corner at Samaritaine was also shuttered. The women’s ready-to-wear corner at Samaritaine is expected to close in early 2025.

McQueen confirmed these closures, stating that the brand is now focusing its efforts in France on its flagship store located at 372 Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, which underwent a significant renovation and expansion last year. The store’s size has tripled, becoming the brand’s largest flagship worldwide.

McQueen originally opened this prestigious location in September 2015, occupying 400 square meters over two levels. After incorporating the neighbouring space, previously held by Coach, the flagship now spans a total of 1,555 square meters. The renovated store reopened in June 2023, and last year the brand also opened an outlet store at La Vallée Village near Paris.
 
This consolidation strategy seems surprising, given the brand’s previously announced plans to strengthen its retail network. In its 2023 financial report, Kering emphasised how McQueen’s store network, which totalled 113 standalone boutiques across 23 countries at the end of last year, expanded with new openings in Europe, the U.S., Southeast Asia, South Korea, and Greater China. The company noted that McQueen had focused on increasing its appeal to local customers and enhancing its online presence.

Since May 2022, McQueen has been led by Gianfilippo Testa. In 2023, new leadership appointments were made, including Martina Tommasin as president in August and Gaelle Collet as chief brand and communications officer in May. Under Seán McGirr’s creative direction, the brand has undergone a visual rebranding, including a new logo and the decision to drop “Alexander” from the name, rebranding simply as “McQueen” in an effort to modernise the brand and appeal to a younger audience.

McQueen, which does not disclose its revenue separately, has not commented on whether the strategy of scaling back department store corners is being implemented in other markets. The company also declined to provide details on the future of the two remaining corners at Galeries Lafayette, dedicated to men’s and women’s shoes, or the status of the employees from the closed stores. “They will be reassigned elsewhere,” McQueen stated without further explanation.

Employee numbers drop from 76 to less than 60 in France 

Employees working at McQueen’s department store corners were shifted from one location to another as the closures took place, leaving many uncertain about their future with the company. The situation has been particularly challenging for sales staff, who are grappling with the brand’s shift in creative vision.

“These successive closures have caused a deep sense of unease among the staff. In some cases, the process has been very abrupt,” said Dominique Morvan, the union representative. “Over the past year, employees have been shuffled from one corner to another, often without knowing what the future holds. They’ve been under significant pressure, with some forced to take on tasks outside of their expertise, while others have faced intimidation. Between voluntary departures and negotiated exits, the number of McQueen employees in France has dropped from 76 to fewer than 60 in the span of a year.”

These closures come at a time when Kering itself is facing challenges. In the first half of 2024, the group’s sales fell to €9 billion, a decline of 11% compared to the same period the previous year. McQueen’s financial performance is not disclosed separately but is included in the “Other Houses” division, which reported revenues of €1.7 billion between January and June 2024—a decrease of 7% in reported figures and 6% on a comparable basis. Sales through McQueen’s direct retail network grew by 1%, but wholesale revenue fell by 21%, according to Kering’s report.