PARIS — French department store Galeries Lafayette has announced two senior appointments to its executive committee, promoting Alexandre Liot to deputy chief executive officer in charge of operations and Alix Morabito as director of offer and purchasing.

The moves come as the retailer revamps its executive team after Arthur Lemoine was named chief executive officer in June.

Liot, who has been with Galeries Lafayette for nearly three decades, most recently served as chief operating officer. In his new role, he will oversee operations across the group’s store network and drive improvements in operational performance.

Morabito, who previously headed up women’s buying, steps into the newly expanded role overseeing the group’s offer and purchasing strategy. She joins the executive committee and will report directly to Lemoine, alongside Liot.

“Alexandre and Alix are both deeply passionate about retail and fashion, and throughout their careers they have consistently placed the customer at the heart of everything they do,” Lemoine said in a statement. “Their promotions are a strong testament to Galeries Lafayette’s ability to nurture inspiring and committed leaders who accompany us over the long term.”

Since joining the company in 1997, Liot has held a range of operational roles, including managing director positions at the Berlin and Marseille stores. He took the reins of department store BHV Marais between 2012 and 2018, when it was under the Galeries Lafayette umbrella.

During his more recent tenure at Galeries Lafayette’s flagship Boulevard Haussmann store, he undertook a strategic repositioning and revamp of the customer experience.

He was appointed director of operations in 2022, overseeing retail stores across France, a position that he will now expand on.

Morabito joined Galeries Lafayette in 2005 as a womenswear buyer before moving on to roles at Printemps and luxury fashion house Chloé. She returned to Galeries Lafayette in 2015 and took on leadership roles in menswear and fashion direction, most recently serving as buying and merchandising director for womenswear, lingerie and kids. She has led several brand collaborations and played a key role in redefining the womenswear assortment both in store and online.

The group has been investing in both physical store refurbishments and its digital channels, seeking to sharpen its fashion positioning. Galeries Lafayette invested about 100 million euros in revitalizing the Boulevard Haussmann flagship in 2021, and has dedicated a similar amount for modernization over the next five years.

The executive appointments come at a pivotal time for Galeries Lafayette as it has rebounded from post-pandemic lows, transformed its omnichannel and digital offerings, revamped the luxury offering and created new amenities to attract tourists.  

The store is seeking to enter a new phase of growth by retrenching its retail leadership in France while accelerating its global ambitions across both flagship locations and digital platforms.

Galeries Lafayette directly operates 19 stores in France, and has a presence in Beijing, Chongqing, Doha, Dubai, Jakarta, Luxembourg, Macao, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Two stores are slated to open in India, one later this year in Mumbai and another next year in New Delhi.