With Qatari investment the previously unfashionable French club are becoming giants of the global game
On the banks of the Seine in Paris, five minutes from the Louvre, stands the Samaritaine department store. The building was last renovated at a cost of €750m. The interior is wood-panelled, there is a VIP area. The product selection consists of Dior, Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton. Shoes cost €1,000. Champagne bottles can be personalised, perfume bottles can be bought for six figures. Even in the pandemic the luxury goods business continues to grow.
The Samaritaine attracts people. They stroll through and admire the exhibits as they would the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. People want to see it like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. One marvels. The owner, Bernard Arnault – the richest European – has gathered all the noble brands in his fairytale castle.
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