Leroy Merlin has announced the closure of two Parisian stores in 2026: the Daumesnil store in the 12th arrondissement and the Rosa Parks store in the 19th arrondissement. This decision affects 280 employees, whom the retailer has promised to redeploy to one of its 26 stores in the Île-de-France region. The two closures will take place in 2026, one in the first half of the year and the other in the second half.
These two stores, measuring 6,400 m² for Daumesnil and 6,000 m² for Rosa Parks, are considered "structurally loss-making" according to management. However, these large stores, which have been open for 9 to 12 years, recorded around 600,000 transactions each but have never been profitable, mainly due to rising electricity and rental costs, despite gaining significant market share.
These two stores have never been profitable, despite decent footfall. Operating costs, particularly electricity and rent, have risen in recent years, making it impossible for these large stores in the heart of Paris to break even. This means the loss of 12,000 square meters of DIY space in the capital, which is no small matter for renovation and decoration enthusiasts.
However, the brand is not leaving Paris. On the contrary, it wants to reinvent itself with an approach more suited to Parisians. Leroy Merlin plans to open 20 small specialty stores such as Leroy Merlin Bathrooms, Leroy Merlin Kitchens, and Leroy Merlin Carpentry, based on the model that exists in Madrid. Three stores are set to open in 2026, probably in the 14th and 15th arrondissements. These compact formats employ only four to five people, a far cry from the workforce of the large stores.
The brand is also focusing on the development of "lockers," or click & collect areas, to allow customers to pick up their orders 24/7. This is a real response to urban consumption patterns, where online ordering with quick pickup is preferred.
The 280 employees affected by these closures will be offered positions in the 26 storesin the Île-de-France region or in future stores. However, as these smaller stores only employ a few people, many will have to accept a position in the regions or consider leaving the company. Trade unions are concerned about these closures, describing them as quite unprecedented for stores of this size.
It should be noted that Leroy Merlin currently has 13 stores in central Paris and the inner suburbs (soon to be 11), as well as four specialist stores that have been open for two years, employing a total of 2,800 people. A second region manages 15 stores outside the A86 ring road with 3,300 employees, bringing the total for the Île-de-France region to more than 6,100 employees.
Parisians will have to turn to the two other stores still open in the capital: Beaubourg in the 3rd arrondissement and La Madeleine in the 8th arrondissement. Otherwise, they will have to head to stores in the inner suburbs such as Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen, or Gennevilliers. Competitors such as Castorama in Clichy and Mr Bricolage could well benefit from this reshuffling of the deck.
In short, this is a real strategic shift for Leroy Merlin, which is abandoning the XXL format in favor of a more targeted and service-oriented approach, in line with the new expectations of urban dwellers. It remains to be seen whether this transformation will appeal to DIY enthusiasts in Paris.
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