Birkenstock Debuts First Paris Store to Kick Off European Expansion

Birkenstock is pushing ahead on its European expansion with the opening of its first company-owned store in Paris, France.

The sandal maker on Saturday will open the doors to the newest store location, nestled in the heart of Paris’ historic Marais district. The two-floor, 130-square-meter store (about 426 square feet) was constructed with gypsum walls built upon the city’s natural ancient quarries and features cork and leather throughout the space, highlighting the materials found in a pair of Birkenstocks. The store also gives customers the chance to tangibly experience the benefits of the brand’s iconic footbed.

“We firmly believe in the power of physical retail,” said Birkenstock’s president of Europe Nico Bouyakhf in an interview with FN. “Our aim is to be wherever our customers are with our products.”

According to Bouyakhf, the Paris store is Birkenstock’s first big step in its larger European expansion plan. Moving forward, Birkenstock plans to open more stores over the next few years in other major cities, within Europe and beyond. In its most recent second quarter, Birkenstock opened six new stores, which brought its total store count at the time to 57. Just last week, Birkenstock opened its sixth company-owned retail store in the U.S. in Austin, Texas.

“France is one of the most important markets in Europe,” said Bouyakhf. “We took over the distribution in 2021 and are now closer to our consumers than ever before.”

Birkenstock’s Paris store opening comes as the city gears up for the 2024 Olympic Games. While Birkenstock has no direct affiliation with the Games, Bouyakhf is seizing the opportunity to showcase the brand’s recovery capabilities to a larger audience.

“By opening our store in the Marais district at this very moment, we are positioning ourselves in the heart of a dynamic city, ready to engage with a vibrant, diverse, and fashion-forward community that appreciates the fusion of tradition and modernity,” Bouyakhf said. “That said, we are not here in the city for the Olympics, which will move on to the next city in four years; we, as a brand with a 250-year heritage, are here to stay.”

In tandem with the store opening, Birkenstock is launching its new “Natural Active Recovery Pack,” a limited edition kit centered around foot health that includes an active recovery footbed, a pair of the special edition Birki Air 2.0, and cork tools. The brand is also working with local running communities to host special walks and runs in the Marais district.

“This space is where we truly connect with consumers and local communities, especially walking and running enthusiasts,” Bouyakhf said.

In May, Birkenstock chief executive officer Oliver Reichert said in a call with analysts that every new Birkenstock store that has opened has beat expectations in terms of performance. He also said the brand plans to open more stores in various cities (including Shanghai) during the rest of the fiscal year.

In May, Birkenstock raised its outlook for the year after it reported record revenues for the second quarter of 2024. The results were driven by strong consumer demand across all regions, channels and categories.

In Q2, the footwear brand reported that net revenues rose 22 percent to 481 million euros. Birkenstock said it saw double-digit growth across all regions, including 21 percent growth in the Americas, 21 percent in Europe and 42 percent in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMA). Direct-to-consumer revenue in the quarter increased 32 percent while wholesale revenue grew 20 percent in the period, propelled by high sell-through rates.