The architecture of department stores fosters the emergence of new lifestyles, which in turn fuel social and economic progress. A place of passage and mingling where people from all walks of life come to discover the best deals in all of Paris, regardless of social class, Galeries Lafayette offers not only a unique shopping experience, but also new forms of interaction between visitors from diverse backgrounds and walks of life.
Galeries Lafayette, the newest of the department stores, was founded in December 1893 by two cousins from Alsace, Théophile Bader and Alphonse Kahn. It began operating on January 15, 1894. The store, measuring 70 square meters, was located at 1 rue Lafayette. The name Aux Galeries Lafayette (At the Galeries Lafayette) originated from the store's layout and location.
