Galeries Lafayette opened in Macau with a replica Eiffel Tower — it closed 2 years later

Galeries Lafayette opened its first store in Hong Kong and Macau in January 2024, a 35,000 square foot flagship at the Resorts World Shopping Centre on Macau's Cotai Strip. The store featured a 7-metre replica of the Eiffel Tower and carried over 100 international luxury brands across fashion, beauty, jewelry and accessories. It was introduced by Forward Fashion Holdings, a Macau-based fashion retailer.

The store struggled from the start. Social media reviews from late 2024 described low foot traffic throughout the mall — beauty and fragrance kiosks were understaffed, with multiple brands reportedly sharing a single salesperson. Macau's post-pandemic recovery in luxury retail was weaker than expected, and fewer high-spending tourists returned to the city's shopping malls.

By February 2026, the store had closed quietly. Staff confirmed it had been empty for about a week. The Galeries Lafayette signage was removed and the space was cleared. An announcement on the Resorts World floor dated February 2, 2026 said the level was 'under renovation.' The store had lasted barely two years — a fraction of the typical department store lease.

The space will be part of a broader repositioning by YOHO Group, which plans to rename the mall and pivot from high-end retail to mid-to-high-end specialty dining and expanded hotel capacity. Forward Fashion Holdings had reported a net loss of at least HK$90 million in 2024 before returning to a small profit in 2025 through aggressive cost-cutting and store closures.