About

The pilot
of your openings.

Pilostone is a consultancy specialising in real estate strategy and rollout. It supports project owners in designing, structuring and delivering their construction and fit-out projects, in France and across Europe.

Our story

Pilot + stone.
Strategy + site.

Our name says it all: piloting projects and building to last. Pilostone has particular expertise in retail and store network rollouts, demanding environments where speed of execution, consistent standards and controlled investment determine a brand’s performance and expansion.

The firm steps in early to inform strategic decisions, structure real estate programmes and optimise rollout strategies, then supports their delivery all the way to opening. Drawing on solid experience of multi-site programmes, Pilostone acts as a strategic partner to retailers, landlords and property companies, turning their real estate projects into growth drivers.

Magasin NORMAL le jour de son ouverture

Founder’s track record, before Pilostone

15yrs

In retail construction, with several hundred opening and refurbishment projects

166

Store openings led at NORMAL, in France

≈50

Projects managed per year

35M€

Works CAPEX managed every year

Our values

What guides us.

01

Commitment

We work as if it were our own store. Risks are flagged early so the opening date stays achievable.

02

Transparency

Clear numbers, risks flagged early and reporting that tells it like it is.

03

High standards

Quality, safety and regulatory compliance are never the adjustment variable, even on a tight schedule.

Arnaud Poyet, fondateur de Pilostone
The founder

Arnaud Poyet

Founder & Managing Director

An ESTP-trained engineer, Arnaud has worked on both sides of the project: in general contracting, then leading construction for retail networks. He founded Pilostone in 2026 to put that experience at the service of retailers, landlords and property companies, independently.

  • Concept & Construction Director at NORMAL: around 50 projects a year, €35M CAPEX, up to 5 project managers
  • Several hundred store opening and refurbishment projects supported over his career, including 166 openings led at NORMAL
  • Retail construction at Hugo Boss, Marionnaud and OGF
  • Three years as all-trades project manager at a general contractor (SN ERCT): tenders and delivery
  • Regular reporting to international headquarters (Denmark, Germany), in English
  • Executive MBA, Dauphine-PSL (in progress)

On every assignment, Arnaud remains your contact. He draws on a network of qualified contractors and experts, brought in as the project requires.

Track record

Fifteen years
in retail construction.

On both sides of the project: in general contracting, then leading construction for retail brands. Each step shaped the Pilostone method.

Experience gained before Pilostone was founded. Photos published with permission.

  1. 2010 – 2013

    Marionnaud

    Client-side project manager

    • Refurbishment programme for a network of 560 perfume stores, in city centres and shopping centres
    • Around sixty stores delivered, from 50 to 300 m², with some €5M of works a year
    • Refurbishment of 260 beauty institutes in 4 months: owner’s representation and financial tracking, in English for the AS Watson group
    Marionnaud, Parfumerie Marionnaud
    Marionnaud perfume store
    Marionnaud, Institut Marionnaud
    Marionnaud beauty institute

  2. 2013 – 2016

    SN ERCT

    All-trades project manager, general contractor

    • Framework contracts for the City of Paris and the Seine-Saint-Denis department: schools, secondary schools, museums
    • Up to 10 simultaneous sites and €700k of works in a single summer
    • Public and private tenders, pricing, specifications and site management in Paris and Île-de-France
    SN ERCT, Mairie du 19e arrondissement, Paris
    Town hall of the 19th arrondissement, Paris
    SN ERCT, Siège du Département de la Seine-Saint-Denis, Bobigny
    Seine-Saint-Denis department headquarters, Bobigny

  3. 2016 – 2019

    OGF

    Client-side operations manager

    • Refurbishment of around twenty funeral agencies and funeral homes a year
    • Construction and refurbishment of 4 crematoriums, from €700k to €2M, including Beaucaire
    • Management of a mixed estate: agencies, crematoriums, logistics sites, insurance claims and compliance upgrades
    OGF, Crématorium de Beaucaire (Gard), inauguration
    Beaucaire crematorium (Gard), opening ceremony
    OGF, Agence PFG, Lyon
    PFG agency, Lyon

  4. 2019 – 2022

    Hugo Boss

    Head of Shop Construction, France

    • Openings and refurbishments of BOSS and HUGO stores in France: around 20 projects a year, up to €7M of annual CAPEX
    • Pre-signing technical audits, budget estimates and technical lease review
    • Ordering, invoicing and reporting processes set up; design-team and contractor contracts negotiated
    Hugo Boss, Corner BOSS, Beaugrenelle (Paris)
    BOSS corner, Beaugrenelle (Paris)
    Hugo Boss, Boutique HUGO, Noyelles-Godault
    HUGO store, Noyelles-Godault

  5. 2022 – 2026

    NORMAL

    Concept & Construction Director, France

    • 166 store openings, around 50 projects a year and €35M of annual CAPEX
    • Up to 5 construction project managers, reporting to the Danish headquarters
    • Management tools (price schedules, CAPEX tracking, reporting) and fire-safety compliance follow-up through to handover
    See the NORMAL case study
    NORMAL, Magasin NORMAL
    NORMAL store
    NORMAL, Magasin NORMAL
    NORMAL store

  6. 2026

    Pilostone

    Founder

    Owner’s representation and site coordination for retailers, landlords and property companies. First project delivered: IKEA Troyes, opened on 30 September 2026.

    See the IKEA Troyes project
    IKEA Troyes, IKEA Troyes, 2026
    IKEA Troyes, 2026

Start
with Pilostone.

Opening, refurbishment or network rollout: let’s talk about your next programme.

Request a proposal See our projects