France's luxury department store Galeries Lafayette launched a new shop in Beijing France's luxury department store Galeries Lafayette launched a new shop in Beijing, seeking to tempt China with the "art of French living", 15 years after a failed attempt. Galeries Lafayette is targeting China's growing middle class, with the economy the fastest-growing in the G20 and demand for luxury goods rising, despite a knock from a government crackdown on corruption. Chinese shoppers stand beside a model of the Eiffel Tower outside the Galeries Lafayette department store during its official opening in Beijing on October 18, 2013.