Galeries Lafayette expands its offer in partnership with Boulanger

Upmarket department store Galeries Lafayette said on Wednesday it will sell Boulanger household appliances and multimedia products in its stores, the latest alliance among brick-and-mortar retailers to compete with online giants like Amazon.

The partnership, which comes into effect at the end of September, also involves online shopping sites galerieslafayette.com and BHV.fr, the statement said.

The tie-up follows a string of purchasing alliances in the French consumer electronics sector, which have pooled Casino with Conforama and Carrefour with Fnac Darty as retailers seek to cut costs and protect margins amid fierce price competition.

Boulanger belongs to Association Familiale Mulliez, a holding of the Mulliez family, owner of French retailer Auchan.

The Moulins family, owner of Gleries Lafayette, is Carrefour's largest shareholder.

Last year Galeries Lafayette bought online fashion and homeware retailer La Redoute to accelerate its digital expansion.