French brands are entering the US retail market. They see North America as a safe bet compared to the increasingly unstable European and Asian markets.

Mid-range and fast-fashion retailers like River Island and Mango are expanding their US footprints. French department store chain Printemps will open its first US store in spring 2024. Luxury leather goods brand Polène opened its first international store in North America in September, after only selling online internationally and in its Paris store for six years. The store is an extension of the brand’s visual identity, with minimalist interiors reflecting the product design. The company is focused on creating a desirable destination for potential customers outside of Paris.Along with the retail expansion, the brand plans to expand its product assortment to jewelry and footwear in 2023. It also plans to introduce an in-store upcycling initiative. Among the customer-facing innovations Polène has planned is a semi-robotized workshop that has been engineered to cut and sculpt small leather goods. Visitors will be invited to engage in each step of manufacturing by creating a product using leather scraps from a wide choice of patterns. This is expected to build on customer knowledge and intimacy with the brand as well as all aspects of manufacturing and production.