New flagship in Brussels: Ami Paris attracts with ‘neighborhood marketing’

The French premium brand Ami Paris has opened its first flagship store in Brussels and thus also in Belgium. This brings the total number of sales outlets to 124.

For twelve years, Ami Paris has been led by the duo consisting of creative director Alexandre Mattiussi and CEO Nicolas Santi-Weil. After openings in global cities such as Los Angeles, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo, the brand is now focusing on Brussels. The new opening is part of a strategy that favors its own distribution network over wholesalers. According to trade magazine WWD, the brand reduced its network by more than 100 wholesale accounts in 2024.

The store at Place du Grand Sablon 5 is located in a former antique shop. It covers 190 square meters and is divided into two areas: one dedicated to the men’s and women’s collections, the other to accessories. The concept draws on the Ami Paris boutique style, described as “intimate, timeless and romantic” to reflect the brand’s signature Parisian spirit.

In a press release, the brand explains that the materials were carefully chosen to evoke the flagship store in Paris’ Marais district, the brand’s largest boutique. The furnishings are characterized by soft beige tones, targeted oak wood accents and mirrors.

Local and experience-oriented actions

To celebrate the opening, the brand invested in a taste experience. To do this, she collaborated with the nearby local chocolaterie Elizabeth. From December 2nd to 8th, nine chocolates inspired by the brand’s aesthetic will be offered. At the same time, Elizabeth’s boutique is decorated in the style of Ami Paris.

Local cafes in the city are also part of the campaign. These include Costermans Café, Café Capital, Café du Sablon and Café Janson. They serve coffee with chocolates in Ami Paris branding. Hidden in some of them are invitations to the new boutique with special gifts.

This type of local partnership is not new for the brand. The opening of its flagship store in the Marais was already accompanied by a series of promotions with local shops in the Paris district. These included a café-bistro, a bakery, a flower shop and a fruit and vegetable dealer. This ‘neighborhood marketing’ allows the brand to integrate into the local fabric and daily life of the neighborhood. Instead of waiting for customers to come to it, the brand goes where its target group is already. This reinforces the friendly and approachable brand image that Ami maintains.

According to WWD, in 2023 Ami Paris’ sales exceeded the 300 million euro mark. The French company is backed by Chinese fund HongShan Capital Group, formerly Sequoia China, but could soon exit its portfolio. However, the withdrawal of the Chinese group’s majority stake is not an “urgency”, as Nicolas Santi-Weil, CEO of Ami Paris, explained in an email to FashionUnited last May.

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