
Aerial view of the architectural projection of the new La Varizelle shopping center
Groupe Pegasus is fast at work at completing their latest project, a dynamic new shopping plaza that will help awaken a quaint sleepy town nestled in the heart of France. It will debut in La Varizelle, an area located in the central French city of Saint Chamond. The details of this project have been featured last week in Le Progrès, the regional daily news outlet of the neighboring metropolitan area, Lyon.

This is a large project that will have real impact on the people of Saint Chamond. The majority of these people leave the area and go elsewhere for shopping and entertainment. This project is part of recently-elected Saint Chamond mayor, Hervé Reynaud’s plan to stop this outward commercial flow. With this new centrally located shopping plaza, (and a new sports hall coming in right next door) locals can enjoy a pleasant outing in their own city.
Shopping Plaza Features
The brands incorporated into this center will ensure that customers will have all their shopping needs met in one place.
- For example, it will include Gifi, a store filled with a multitude of home good items, similar to a Target or HomeGoods.
- It was also have a pets store, optical supplies store, sporting goods retailer, and discount store (with over 6,000 items).
When shoppers get hungry and want to grab a quick bite to eat, they won’t have to look far.
- The center will include a popular cafe and bakery, Marie Blachere, offering a varied selection of classic French pastries, sandwiches, quiches, and more.
- It will also include a Biocoop, a health food market specializing in organic produce, similar to a Whole Foods.
There will be many other eco-friendly features around the site.
- The center will include easily-walkable pedestrian paths lined with almost 100 trees.
- And trees aren’t the only things Pegasus is installing to create a green atmosphere. They are also incorporating electric vehicle terminals and photovoltaic panels, among other things.
And with more retailers come more jobs. So, people will have more opportunities to make money as well as spend it.
- To be exact, the center will accommodate 90 jobs at the start and as things pick up speed, 120 jobs within the first three years.
The shopping center is scheduled to make its grand opening on September 30th, 2021.
Here is a link to the original French article: https://www.if-saint-etienne.fr/economie/saint-chamond-devoile-le-centre-commercial-a-la-place-du-leroy-merlin/