Nicolas Houzé
Galeries Lafayette Group executive and member of the founding family
Nicolas Houzé is a French retail executive and a member of the family that controls Galeries Lafayette Group, the Paris department store business. As president of its department store division in the 2010s he led a reorganisation under the Ambitions 2020 plan, making the business less hierarchical and strengthening the Haussmann flagship.
| Role | Galeries Lafayette Group executive |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Galeries Lafayette Group |
| Former role | President of the department store division |
| Family | Son of chairman Philippe Houzé |
| Known for | Ambitions 2020 reorganisation |
Who is Nicolas Houzé?
Nicolas Houzé is a senior executive of Galeries Lafayette Group, the family controlled French retail group whose flagship on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris is one of the best known department stores in the world. He is the son of Philippe Houzé, the group's long serving chairman, and represents the next generation of the family in the business.
Career
In the 2010s Houzé led the department store division of Galeries Lafayette as its president. In February 2014, after several abrupt departures from senior management, he explained a restructuring of the division's management committee and its organisation. The changes were part of the Ambitions 2020 action plan and included:
- moving from a hierarchical structure to a more agile, collaborative way of working
- creating dedicated executive oversight for the Haussmann flagship
- reorganising sales management into customer management, brand divisions and specialised concepts such as beauty, shoes and lingerie
- focusing on store transformation, regional stores and international expansion
He said at the time that the organisation had been too hierarchical and that the company needed a cohesive team with better collaboration. Appointments included Jean-Philippe Marazzani, a former marketing and digital leader at Darty, as head of the customer and omnichannel department.
Influence on the fashion business
Galeries Lafayette is one of the most important wholesale and concession partners for fashion and beauty brands in France, and the Haussmann store is a major showcase for international luxury labels and emerging designers alike. Decisions about its organisation, brand mix and expansion therefore matter well beyond the group itself.
The group has changed considerably since the 2010s. It moved to franchising for parts of its French store network in 2018 to concentrate on international and online growth, owns the online retailer La Redoute, and sold the BHV department store business to Société des Grands Magasins in 2023.
Nicolas Houzé and technology
The 2014 reorganisation he led created a dedicated customer and omnichannel department under a manager recruited from Darty's marketing and digital team, an early sign of the group's move to connect its stores with digital channels.
Why it matters
Nicolas Houzé is part of the family leadership that has guided Galeries Lafayette for generations. His work on the department store division shaped how one of Europe's leading department store groups organised itself for omnichannel retail and international expansion.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Nicolas Houzé?
Nicolas Houzé is a French retail executive at Galeries Lafayette Group and the son of its chairman Philippe Houzé. He led the group's department store division and its Ambitions 2020 reorganisation in the 2010s.
What did Nicolas Houzé change at Galeries Lafayette?
In 2014 he restructured the department store division to make it less hierarchical, created dedicated leadership for the Haussmann flagship and set up a customer and omnichannel department as part of the Ambitions 2020 plan.