🎨 Printemps New York: A Masterclass in Reimagining Retail

Lessons from THE LEAD Summit NYC 2025

Retail is evolving, but too often, conversations about the future feel abstract—buzzwords like "experiential" and "community-focused" get tossed around without much substance. That wasn’t the case at THE LEAD Summit 2025, held May 28–29 at Pier 36 in New York City.

One of the most compelling sessions featured a panel hosted by Marie Driscoll, CFA - CEO of Driscoll Advisors, REThink Retail Expert, and Adjunct Professor at FIT - with Laura Lendrum, CEO of Printemps America, and Mathew Bernhardt, COO of Printemps America.

Their conversation unpacked the bold vision behind Printemps’ new flagship store in New York City - focusing on experiential design, community engagement, and a redefinition of what modern luxury can be.

But here’s the thing: what they shared on stage wasn’t just relevant for luxury retail. It wasn’t just theory, either. The strategies they discussed - their obsession with curation, their focus on storytelling, their commitment to local engagement - felt like they could apply to any retailer, at any price point. So, as I listened, I started connecting the dots to my own experience and perspective.

Connection to the City

Printemps leverages its proximity to iconic New York landmarks - such as the Stock Exchange, Trinity Church, and the Statue of Liberty - to integrate itself into the city's cultural fabric. By aligning with these symbols, the store positions itself as both a shopping destination and a part of the broader New York experience.

While Printemps is French, in NYC, it captures the essence of the city.

Location-First Strategy

Situated beneath a residential building housing 568 apartments, Printemps strategically targets its immediate community. By first engaging local residents through tailored programming and services, the store establishes a loyal customer base. This localized focus then extends outward, attracting visitors from the broader Financial District and beyond.

Leaving the original architecture in tact, entering Printemps leverages the familiar

The French Apartment Concept

Printemps' New York store breaks away from traditional retail layouts by adopting the ambiance of a French apartment. Each room within the store offers a distinct personality, encouraging customers to journey through spaces that blend the familiarity of home with the excitement of discovery. This design fosters an intimate and immersive shopping experience, contrasting sharply with the impersonal nature of conventional department stores.

As you move from room to room, it feels like one could live here.

Curated, Unexpected Pairings

The store's merchandising strategy defies traditional categorizations. Shoppers might find a luxury handbag displayed alongside a whimsical game or encounter a room adorned in red featuring both high-end shoes and playful accessories. This deliberate juxtaposition transforms shopping into a narrative experience, where each product placement tells a story and invites curiosity.

The product is treated like part of the artwork, and is highlighted with respect.

Education as Part of the Experience

Beyond transactions, Printemps positions its staff as storytellers and educators. Employees guide customers through the store's narratives, offering insights into product origins, design philosophies, and the brand's heritage. This approach transforms shopping into an informative journey, enriching the customer experience.

The staff offered a tour, and pointed out the environment and experience and the thinking behind each.

Friday Carpool Club

In an innovative move to foster community and convenience, Printemps offers a "Friday Carpool Club." This initiative encourages groups, particularly from uptown neighborhoods, to visit the store together, enhancing accessibility and creating a shared shopping experience.

The French "not a department store" connecting New Yorkers

Curation Over Concessions

Departing from the traditional department store model of leased brand spaces, Printemps exercises full control over its product selection. This allows for a cohesive and intentional curation, ensuring that every item aligns with the store's overarching narrative and aesthetic.

Food as an Anchor for Traffic

Recognizing the role of culinary experiences in retail, Printemps incorporates five distinct food and beverage concepts, ranging from casual cafes to fine dining, curated by culinary director Gregory Bordet. These offerings serve as both attractions and complements to the shopping experience, encouraging longer visits and repeat patronage.

From coffee to champagne, sandwiches to in-house baked pastries, food is a prominent draw at Printemps

Design as a Differentiator

The store's design is a testament to its commitment to aesthetic excellence. Utilizing a mix of luxurious and sustainable materials, the space itself educates customers about the brand's values and dedication to quality. Each design choice reinforces the store's identity and enhances the overall customer journey.

You could spend days here and not realize all of the unique, extremely well thought out design touches

Five Core Values Driving the Experience

Printemps' approach is anchored in five foundational values:

• Perpetual Renewal: The store continuously evolves, ensuring that each visit offers something new.

• Joyful Spaces: The environment is designed to evoke happiness and comfort, moving away from sterile retail atmospheres.

• Mischievous Play: Elements of surprise and whimsy are integrated throughout, encouraging exploration and delight.

• Democratizing Luxury: Luxury is made accessible, breaking down barriers and inviting a broader audience to engage with high-end products.

• The French Touch: A commitment to Parisian aesthetics is evident in the use of quality materials, including both opulent and recycled elements, reflecting a blend of tradition and innovation.

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Key Takeaways for Retailers

While Printemps operates at the high end of the spectrum, the principles they shared - and the strategies they’ve put into action - are universal. Whether you’re a department store, a discount chain, or an independent retailer, the fundamentals are the same: retail is about creating a space where customers feel something, discover something, and want to come back.

The lessons here aren’t limited to those with marble floors and champagne bars. They’re a call to action for every retailer to think bigger, bolder, and more human.

✅ Reimagine Store Layouts: Stop thinking like a department store. Design spaces for discovery, not just transactions.

✅ Curate, Don’t Just Merchandise: Thoughtful curation is the future. Blend categories, tell stories, and make every area and product feel special.

✅ Train Teams as Storytellers: Your staff can’t just sell products - they need to share knowledge, guide experiences, and build relationships.

✅ Start Local, Then Scale: Focus on the immediate community - neighbors, workers, locals - before chasing the wider audience.

✅ Make It Worth the Trip: Whether it’s a carpool, an event, or a dining experience, give people a reason to visit.

✅ Infuse Play and Joy: Retail should feel fun. Give customers something unexpected, something delightful, something they’ll talk about.

✅ Design for Emotion: Every element of the store - materials, layout, programming - should reflect your brand’s emotional values, not just functional needs.

✅ Retail Isn’t Dead, But Boring Retail Is: If you’re just stacking shelves, you’re already behind. Retail’s future is experiential, curated, and community-driven.

These takeaways aren’t just theoretical. After listening to the panel, we knew we had to see it for ourselves. And what we experienced inside Printemps took the strategy off the page and brought it to life.

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Final Reflection: The Real Lesson for Retailers

Hearing Laura Lendrum and the Printemps team articulate their vision was one thing, but walking the store was another entirely. One can sit in the audience, nod along, and jot down the bullet points, but it’s different when you’re actually there.

Yes, Printemps is luxury - make no mistake. The exquisite design, the attention to detail, staff in white gloves, the champagne bar, the ambiance that feels like Paris itself - it’s all there. But that’s not the whole story. The true brilliance of their model isn’t about exclusivity. It’s about inclusivity.

Touring the store, you’re struck by the opulence - but you’re also greeted by the warmth of a team that’s genuinely excited for you to explore. The staff doesn’t just sell; they welcome. They make it personal, creating an environment where discovery feels possible for everyone, whether you’re purchasing a $5,000 handbag or a $10 pastry from the in-house bakery.

It’s a reminder that retail is more than strategy decks and floor plans.

That’s the secret sauce.

And that’s the lesson for every retailer, regardless of where they sit on the value spectrum. Whether you’re running a luxury flagship or a value-driven chain, the goal should be the same:

Create an experience that feels special.
That feels thoughtful.
That feels human.

That’s the future of retail. And it’s a future any retailer - luxury or value, global brand or local shop - can build, if they’re willing to think differently, put people first, and lead with purpose.

A special thank you to Marie Driscoll for hosting a wonderfully informative panel and to Liza Amlani, the co-founder of the Retail Strategy Group, our retail exploration partner, and credit to her for many of the photos that you are seeing here.