Upmarket Paris department store BHV Marais goes into administration

PARIS, Oct 27 (Reuters) - BHV Marais, one of Paris' most historic and upmarket department stores, has gone into administration, the company's head told Le Figaro newspaper on Tuesday.

• "Going into administration is a decision which we have carefully thought through. It is a strategic step in terms of a restructuring plan we have to carry out," BHV Marais Chairman and CEO Karl-Stephane Cottendin told Le Figaro.

• BHV Marais' difficulties highlight broader problems facing the French retail sector, with the country hit by nationwide anti-government protests.

• Official statistics agency INSEE published data earlier on Tuesday that showed French consumer confidence in October had fallen to reach its lowest level since June 2013.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta)