Galaries Lafayette Mumbai launches series of new winter storytelling sessions
23 December 2025, Mumbai
Having officially inaugurated its 90,000-sq-ft flagship in the historic Kala Ghoda district in November 2025, Galeries Lafayette Mumbai has launched a series of winter story telling sessions designed to capture this shifting consumer sentiment. By integrating Bollywood-led storytelling with multisensorial zones, these events aim to address a critical market insight: nearly 76 per cent of modern luxury shoppers now prioritize memorable experiences over the simple acquisition of goods.
Cultural storytelling as a driver for high-value conversion
The ‘Unbox Magique’ and ‘What Men Want’ activations, featuring Arjun Rampal and Rahul Khanna, serve as more than celebrity endorsements; they are functional templates for ‘experiential storytelling.’ In an era where 52 per cent of high-income shoppers prefer in-store purchases for fashion, these curated walkthroughs bridge the gap between digital discovery and tactile luxury. By framing the purchase of luxury goods - from leather accessories to bespoke fragrances - as a masterclass in craftsmanship, the department store is successfully converting aspirational footfall into loyal clientele. This approach directly mirrors a broader sector shift where brands are moving away from product-centric models toward emotional engagement to sustain growth in a competitive $12.1 billion domestic luxury goods market.
On the store’s Beauty Floor, the ‘Bon Weekend’ immersion demonstrates how luxury retailers are utilizing ‘fragrance rituals’ and live sets to increase dwell time and brand recall. This strategy aligns with data suggesting that multisensorial experiences - incorporating soundscapes and olfactory marketing - have a significant positive impact on purchase intention in the Indian apparel and cosmetic sectors.
By offering personalized makeovers and tech-enabled fragrance discovery, Galeries Lafayette is tapping into the 10 per cent annual growth seen in the Indian luxury personal care segment. These events act as a testing ground for Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL) to refine its ‘phygital’ model, blending Parisian heritage with the data-driven demands of a globally connected Indian consumer.
Galeries Lafayette is a world-renowned French department store group, brought to India through an exclusive partnership with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL). The Mumbai flagship, housed across five levels in two restored heritage buildings (Turner Morrison and Voltas House), showcases over 250 global luxury brands, with roughly 70 per cent of these labels making their debut in the Indian market.
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