In Paris without tourists, LVMH unveils Samaritaine store revamp

PARIS - Luxury goods group LVMH unveiled on Monday the revamped La Samaritaine, a 150-year-old department store designed to help it grab a greater slice of tourist spending once pandemic travel curbs are eased.

After a seven-year makeover, the historic store will reopen to the public on June 23 and rival the likes of Galeries Lafayette, housing a hotel, restaurants and shops. Its reopening, originally scheduled for last year, was delayed by the coronavirus emergency. With contagion rates falling in most of Europe, France began to lift restrictions in mid-May but foreign travellers, particularly non-Europeans, are still largely absent.