Zara Home Set to Open at Former Gifi Site in Lyon’s Presqu’île
Lyon, February 10, 2026 – The former Gifi store located at 9 Rue Grenette in Lyon’s Presqu’île district is preparing for a significant transformation with the imminent arrival of Zara Home. This highly anticipated opening will bring a new premium home decor offering to the city centre, replacing the discount retailer that previously occupied the large commercial space.
The Gifi store, which had been a familiar landmark for shoppers in Lyon, closed its doors in the spring of 2025 as part of a national restructuring plan by the brand. Its departure left a substantial commercial void at 9 Rue Grenette, a prime location in the heart of the city.
From Discount to Premium: A Strategic Shift for Rue Grenette
The Gifi store, opened in July 2019, offered nearly 10,000 product references across approximately 1,240 square meters – a rare size for a city-centre location in Lyon. Following its closure, speculation arose about which retailer would occupy the prominent site. For a time, the name of the discount chain Action circulated as a potential replacement, highlighting the street’s high foot traffic and commercial appeal.
However, according to local media reports, including Le Journal de la Maison, Zara Home has been confirmed as the successor. This decision, reportedly made by the building’s owner, reflects a strategic move to elevate the retail offering in the Presqu’île. The new Zara Home store will complement an existing outlet located at 73 Rue de la République, just a few minutes’ walk away, further solidifying the brand’s presence in Lyon.
The location at the corner of Rue Grenette, Rue Brest, and Rue Dubois benefits from a continuous flow of residents, professionals, and tourists traversing the Presqu’île between the Cordeliers and Bellecour areas. With Zara Home’s arrival, Rue Grenette continues its upscale trajectory, following previous occupants like Tati and Gifi. This strategic positioning aims to help the city centre compete with peripheral shopping centres and online retail giants by attracting customers with more qualitative decor brands.
Why Zara Home Over Action?
The choice of Zara Home over Action, another well-established discount retailer in the Lyon metropolitan area, underscores a deliberate strategy. Negotiations with Action reportedly took place, but the property owner ultimately opted for a more upscale brand, aligning with the existing luxury and premium retailers in the Presqu’île, such as Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Maisons du Monde.
This decision is indicative of a positioning strategy focused on attracting urban and tourist clientele willing to spend more on home furnishings and decor. A source close to the matter explained the decision, stating: "It wasn’t a question of money, but rather the type of store. Zara Home will integrate better into this location." For Lyonnais residents, this transition means moving from a store focused on bargain hunting to a more premium decor brand offering coordinated collections for living rooms, bedrooms, and dining areas.
Inditex, the parent company of Zara Home, is further strengthening its footprint in Lyon’s city centre, where it already operates several major fashion brands.
What to Expect from the New Zara Home Store
The upcoming Zara Home store on Rue Grenette is expected to feature the brand’s signature offerings: interior decoration items, home linens, tableware, bedding, and accessories for every room. The product range and in-store ambiance will clearly be positioned above that of Gifi or Action, designed to showcase complete interior settings rather than a bazaar-style display. Shoppers seeking discount items will still find Gifi stores in the outskirts, particularly in Villeurbanne, or other discount retailers like Action and Maxibazar already present in the agglomeration.
While an official opening date for the Zara Home at 9 Rue Grenette has not yet been announced, available information suggests an opening in the coming months, allowing time for the complete transformation of the former Gifi space. Key details confirmed include the brand, the address in Lyon’s 2nd arrondissement, and its premium home decor positioning. Residents can monitor the progress of the renovations by observing the storefront, and official announcements from the brand, along with articles from Le Journal de la Maison, are expected to provide further updates on this highly anticipated opening in the Presqu’île.
