Very different brands can sometimes belong to the same group. Why not promote the fact?

Soon in Chambray-lès-Tours

FashionCube, a fashion retailer based in Northern France and owned by the Mulliez family, is set to bring all its brands under one roof as part of a new trial. Jules, Grain de Malice, Bizbee, Pimkie, RougeGorge and Orsay, which have little in common and target the same customers only occasionally, will all share a single 2,000 plus sq. m outlet in Chambray-lès-Tours as of spring 2022. If successful, this new format, which allows costs to split, will be replicated in retail parks on the outskirts of towns. Each retailer will have its own point of sale, which it will be able to adorn with the codes of its own universe.

What to think of it?

Having long been driven by the idea of filling up high streets to saturation point, the fashion industry is now contemplating clustering strategies. One compelling reason for this is the price of real estate. We have already seen examples of two brands combining their strengths (Uniqlo + Comptoir des Cotonniers / Bocage + Texto / Franprix + Hema), but its unprecedented to see clusters comprising more than two, which FashionCube is now envisaging. Neither a department store nor a concept store, this project heralds the emergence of a new retail format that could be described as a group outlet or a multi-store, where brands publicly acknowledge the fact that they belong to the same company, even if they do not inhabit the same market segment or share the same customers. This approach allows the company in question to highlight its commitments more strongly (something that consumers now expect) and offer new shopping experiences. This is a place where different generations and target audiences will be able to rub shoulders and make purchases based on complementarity rather than exclusivity. Could this be a retail model for the future?

Summing up

South Korean carmaker Hyundai has used airbags, windscreens and other materials from vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life to create a clothing collection for men and women. This is now available via the L’Eclaireur and Boon the Shop online stores.

Summing up

French cooperative Le Relais, part of the Emmaüs group, recently launched its first collection of upcycled clothing, dubbed “R/”,which is produced in partnership with the sustainable fashion brand Andrea Crews

Summing up

Trippez is the first peer-to-peer rental platform for sports equipment. Trippez is also aimed at those who want to practice a sport far from home, but without having to transport all their gear

Catching the Eye

More than 1 in 2 French consumers (58%) believe that the rise in fuel, energy and food prices will have a major impact on their Christmas spending. Among the savings they will be looking to make, a third of French consumers plan to buy fewer presents than last year, while almost half (45%) say they will not be purchasing a Christmas tree. (OpinionWay survey on behalf of Proximis: The French and their Christmas Presents – November 2021.)