Located just beyond the French border, Celio has strategically chosen Spain as the first international outpost for Be Camaïeu, the womenswear line it unveiled last year through a network of shared stores across France. This cross-border venture materialized just days ago within the La Jonquera shopping center, approximately 30 kilometers from Perpignan.

Already present in this retail hub, Celio capitalized on an opportunity to relocate within the complex, quadrupling its footprint from 200 to nearly 800 square meters—now its largest store in Spain. The expansive space accommodates both collections, with menswear comprising 60% of the floor area and Be Camaïeu housed within a sleek, light-filled environment. A flexible store layout allows for seamless adjustments to product presentation, ensuring adaptability to shifting retail trends.

“We were presented with the chance to expand within this center following a newly developed extension. Introducing a bi-store format was an obvious decision, given that our La Jonquera location consistently ranks among our top five stores in Spain in terms of sales, with 70% of its clientele being French and already well-acquainted with both brands,” explained David Teboul, Celio’s chief operating officer. Just one week in, he described the initial results as “highly promising.”

Offering a unified shopping experience for both men and women is a strategic move in Spain, a market where Inditex (Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius) has mastered the art of curating diverse product categories—menswear, womenswear, and childrenswear—within a single retail space. “Our distinction lies in our approach: while Inditex is driven by fast-moving fashion trends, we focus on high-quality wardrobe essentials,” he added.

Celio, which once operated a broader network of stores in Spain before refining its retail strategy, now runs 27 locations with a workforce of over 150 employees. More store openings and reopenings are scheduled in the coming months, though no further bi-stores are planned at this stage. “The La Jonquera location is a test case. Our priority in Spain is to strengthen Celio’s foothold in the menswear market through store modernizations and expansions, rather than rolling out additional mixed-format locations,” Teboul clarified. “We are not chasing store openings; our goal is to enhance the impact of our existing stores, maximizing revenue per square meter.”

Expansion targets: Madrid and Barcelona 

A new 450-square-meter store is set to open soon in Barcelona’s Splau shopping center, located south of the city. Meanwhile, Celio marked its return to Madrid in late December 2024 with a new store in La Gavia. Several additional locations in the capital are currently in the pipeline, further cementing the brand’s presence in Spain.

Beyond Spain, Celio entered the Portuguese market at the end of 2024 with a flagship store in Porto, and a Lisbon boutique is slated to open by late March. The brand is also preparing to expand into Greece and Poland this year while intensifying its presence in the Middle East—one of its key international growth regions.

Be Camaïeu gains traction in France 

In France, Celio introduced its bi-store concept in August 2024 with a dozen new openings and store transformations. Since then, six additional locations have been added, bringing the total to 19.

“At least 10 more bi-stores will open in France in 2025,” announced Teboul, emphasizing that most will result from the conversion of existing locations. By early 2026, the shared-store concept will be introduced to Celio’s franchise partners for global expansion.

The revival of Camaïeu—a cornerstone of French womenswear in the ‘90s and 2000s—was a bold strategic move by Celio’s owners, the Grosman brothers, following the brand’s liquidation. In December 2022, they acquired the Camaïeu trademark at auction for €1.8 million. Under the creative direction of Mikaella Abittan, the revamped Be Camaïeu collection embraces vibrant wardrobe essentials, positioned firmly within the mid-market segment.

Celio, which recently unveiled a striking campaign featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme, currently operates a total of 600 stores, including 370 in France. While the company no longer discloses its financials, it confirms a “strong upward trajectory” in 2024 compared to the previous year.