Bordallo Pinheiro opens the second store in Paris in four months

The Portuguese brand Bordallo Pinheiro inaugurated today the first store in Paris, Boulevard Saint Germain, an investment of 200 thousand euros, and prepares to open a second store in the French capital, scheduled for early March.

[dropcap type=”default”]”O[/dropcap]pening a store here is opening a store in the world,” said Nuno Barra, administrator of the Vista Alegre group. “The goal is to bring Bordallo Pinheiro to a global brand level”.

Next to Solferino subway station, in the heart of Boulevard Saint Germain – one of the noblest areas of Paris – Bordallo Pinheiro’s first shop in the city of Lights attracts attention with mushrooms, giant snails and fruits of all sizes that characterize the brand of Caldas da Rainha.

“We have some rules for these stores: to be right in the centre of Paris, in areas of great passage, easily recognized, where other brands are already and have a great storefront to make known the products,” added the administrator.

The Bordallo Pinheiro brand exceeded the seven million euros of billing in 2018 and the expansion of the brand will continue with the next inauguration to happen already in early March, also in the French capital, in the area of Les Marais, on the right bank of the Seine, which is considered the center of Parisian trends.

Although the Boulevard Saint Germain store has been open to the public since December, the demonstrations of the ‘yellow vests’ – which have not left this neighbourhood unharmed – have caused some damage to the shop windows and, therefore, the inauguration has been postponed.

“We only bet on social networks in certain areas of the city and the announcement will start now.” Most of the people come by the very different parts, and the employees later explain and fit Bordallo Pinheiro, “explained Nuno Barra.

The store has three employees, two of them Luso-descendants, who went to Portugal to know the factory and help explain the history of Bordallo Pinheiro. “I have known the brand a long time and I was very interested when I knew that I would open the store here in Paris. There is the tradition side that is very strong and I remember that my grandmother had pieces of these at home,” said André Fernandes, store clerk.

Between the tradition of origins and those who have just met, Bordallo Pinheiro has gained attention in the neighbourhood. “More and more French people travel to Portugal and know the brand. At Christmas, the word-of-mouth among friends has turned out very well, the people in the neighbourhood are very happy because there is more excitement with our shop here. people who come because they have Portuguese origins or Portuguese friends, “said Isabelle Dehillotte, a store clerk.

For the inauguration of this first Parisian store, the brand brought a modeller of its factory in Portugal to demonstrate during the techniques and detail of each piece Bordallo Pinheiro.