APC Advisory
APC Advisory
Strategic advisory in complex, high-impact environments
where real estate becomes a driver of performance.
Selected track record
Retail is not dead. It is often misread. We advise investors, operators and institutions facing complex, high-stakes decisions — where networks, locations and assets demand more than partial financial indicators or short-term reasoning.
No two situations are alike. A place is never just an asset. It is shaped by usage, constraints, flows and human dynamics. Value cannot be decreed — it is built at the intersection of territory, real use and coherent strategy.
"Strategy is clarity under pressure — when it matters most. The field is not an execution phase — it is a tool for understanding, interpretation and decision-making."
Thinking long term is not a theoretical stance. It is a strategic requirement. Short-term pressure may produce rapid action, but rarely sustainable value.
APC Advisory is an independent strategic decision advisory structure — neither an execution provider nor a standardised consulting firm. Its role is to enable decisions that are sound, assumed and sustainable over time.
Full diagnosis of context, constraints and leverage points: observation of locations, understanding of real uses, analysis of operational constraints, perspective on local context and network dynamics.
Structuring decisions at the right level. APC Advisory connects local and global, operational and strategic, short-term and long-term. This elevation allows priorities to be clarified and real risks to be assessed.
APC Advisory does not intervene to produce standardised reports. The objective is to drive execution by confronting scenarios, assessing consequences, and helping leaders arbitrate with clarity.
Led global real estate strategy across Europe and the US at executive committee level. Supervised a portfolio of several hundred stores and over 1M m² of logistics facilities. Delivered significant rental savings and logistics optimization through subleasing, restructuring and footprint rationalization. Designed the strategic framework for transitioning from company-owned stores to a franchise model — reshaping the portfolio structure and unlocking a new growth trajectory.
At Bata: led the complete European portfolio restructuring — 350 closures and 180 new openings — including sale & leaseback strategies and the real estate framework for the PSE (Livre IV). At Le Duff Group: directed expansion across 5 brands (Brioche Dorée, Del Arte, Fournil de Pierre, Bruegger's, Ker Soazig) with 20+ openings per year and a new European concept rollout.
At Gap Inc.: directed the European portfolio transformation — 50 closures and 35 openings — with new concept deployment across France & UK. At Orange/France Telecom: led the post-merger network densification (Orange + Photo Service), orchestrating 200 store openings and the unification of overlapping distribution networks into a single coherent retail footprint.
The other side of real estate: at Bouygues Immobilier — retail park & shopping centre development, tenant mix design, commercialisation to national brands, and sale to institutional investors. At Cushman & Wakefield — retail-investment portfolio transactions including 54 Haussmann, Marks & Spencer, Bally and CGU/Heron portfolios, plus strategic studies on leisure-retail concepts (Heron City) and urban restructuring (Marseille city centre, Toulon Arsenal). At CBRE — industrial & logistics brokerage.
Philippe Chaumais advises on complex real estate situations at decision level — supporting leaders, investors and organisations in decisions that have lasting impact on asset value and network coherence. With 25+ years across every dimension of real estate — retail networks, logistics, investment, development, advisory — and the management of cross-functional teams of up to 50 people at COMEX level, he brings a rare 360° perspective that connects strategy, operations and finance. Independent by structure. Committed by conviction.
His career has been built at the intersection of retail, real estate, territories and development models — from investment advisory at Cushman & Wakefield, retail park development at Bouygues Immobilier, to leading European-scale transformations at Bata, Gap Inc. and Le Duff Group — and eight years directing the real estate strategy of a major listed international retailer at executive committee level. Trained in law (Paris XI) and financial analysis (ESPI), he combines operational depth with analytical rigour.
A rigorous reading of reality — the field always comes before the model
A deep understanding of economic balances across retail, real estate and networks
Constant attention to human and operational impacts — decisions engage people, not just assets
For strategic situations where real estate decisions materially impact performance, capital allocation or risk exposure.
Initial discussions are confidential and without commitment.
Some situations require distance, clarity and speed.
Based in France · Working across Europe
