"Did Paris need another department store? Certainly not. But this one has a legacy that laid dormant for 16 years: The 19th century landmark reopened in 2021 after a $900 million restoration by LVMH, and swapped the utilitarian focus for one decidedly more upscale. Locals used to shop here for everything from light bulbs and garden supplies to dresses, but now it's a gallery of sorts for designer clothes, beauty brands, and a handful of food and Champagne concept spaces throughout the shop. It's also an Art Deco and Art Nouveau wonder, which is the primary reason to visit. Approximately 215,000 square feet are devoted to retail space in this complex, which includes the Cheval Blanc hotel, office space, and housing, making it the smallest of the city’s department stores (the others are Le Bon Marché, Printemps, and Galeries Lafayette). The spaces it does occupy covers the usual terrain: streetwear and luxury ready-to-wear which includes pieces exclusive to La Samaritaine, clean beauty and classic perfumers, handbags and fine jewelry, and several rooms used for rotating thematic installations." - Melissa Liebling-Goldberg, Julia Eskins
