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NRF 2024 : immerse yourself in the future of retail

NRF 2024 : immerse yourself in the future of retail 2560 1707 Altavia

NRF 2024 : immerse yourself in the future of retail

Every year, the retail world gathers in NYC for Retail’s Big Show, organized by the National Retail Federation (NRF), the world’s largest retail trade show. It’s an opportunity for industry players to discuss the latest trends, innovations and challenges facing the industry.
The NRF is the must-attend event of the year, offering the opportunity to take part in numerous conferences and keynotes, network evenings to meet start-ups (including FrenchTech) and Google partners, and also to visit over 40 stands in search of new AI-based solutions to improve the customer experience and boost the performance of shopping paths.
Rewind to the annual retail mecca.


The keys to success?

The leitmotiv that resonated throughout the 3 days: “Let’s stop talking about AI and take action!” Massive job losses, the disappearance of certain business sectors or the leakage of confidential data are just some of the fears surrounding artificial intelligence. Retail players are invited to identify these concrete problems, the key to unlocking the full potential of AI.

The “Test fast – Fail fast” approach was highlighted as an imperative. In an ever-changing world, this imperative is clear: test fast, fail fast and learn fast. A dynamic formula that stimulates innovation and enables strategies to be adjusted accordingly to remain competitive.

In these times of multiple challenges, the credo is, “ROI first”. Retailers are called upon to align their technology investments with tangible, measurable results.


When AI and Retail Media redefine the codes of commerce

Generative AI is asserting itself as a real game changer in the retail sector, opening up opportunities for profound transformation. Giants such as Walmart, Kroger, Canadian Tire and Target have shared promising use cases.

  • Improved productivity: AI tackles productivity, whether at head office or in stores, by helping to prioritize tasks intelligently.
  • Enhanced customer experience: conversational chatbots, powered by AI, transform the customer experience. Salespeople, now amplified by AI, offer personalized interaction to increase customer satisfaction.
  • Automated content for high-performance campaigns: Automated content generation, from product sheets to contextual activation campaigns, has become a reality, improving content personalization and enrichment.

On the solutions side, NRF 2024’s Innovation Lab highlights innovative AI-specialized start-ups such as Booth.ai, Typeface, Verneek, Tymely, and Offerfit.
These companies promise to redefine industry standards and offer innovative solutions for tomorrow’s retail.


AI wasn’t the only star of the show: retail media also attracted a lot of attention.

Retail media is becoming an essential asset for retailers. In the United States, a 2.0 era of retail media is underway, cleverly merging e-retail media with the power of stores.
The challenge? Measuring and easily accessing unified retail media platforms.
By 2025, investment in retail media will surpass that of television, demonstrating a formidable efficiency in terms of attention and conversion.
eMarketers’ forecasts anticipate an explosion in the sector, with $109 billion invested in retail media by 2027, a dazzling growth of $60 billion compared to 2023. Media in store”, with its tactical screens on shelves, fridge doors and even carts, is emerging as the secret to success.

NRF set the course for a smarter, more agile and more customer-centric retail. The challenges are real, but the opportunities are just as palpable. Tomorrow’s retail is connected, personalized and ready to transform the customer experience.

Based on the expertise of Valérie Piotte, Altavia OpenLab CEO and Stéphanie Payet, Deputy Business Development Director – France.

By Nina Allouche

To discover our book Retailing the Future, unveiling the retail trends and insights of today and tomorrow, click here:

luxury-brands-perfume

Welcome to Masstige !

Welcome to Masstige ! 2560 1707 Altavia

While accessible luxury is not a new market concept, it seems particularly suited to the current period. While the luxury sector has never been in better shape, paradoxically, inflation is affecting all social strata.
More and more luxury players are seeking to broaden their customer base by making themselves more accessible. While the commercial opportunities are obvious, don’t the major luxury houses risk damaging their image and the desirability that is the very essence of luxury?
Christine Garabedian, Sales and Consulting Director of Altavia Disko and an expert in luxury marketing, explains the importance of maintaining exclusivity while expanding the customer base.


Are luxury houses’ initiatives to make themselves “accessible” new?

C.G : The phenomenon has been around for over 20 years. In the 2000s, H&M pioneered the movement by collaborating with luxury houses such as Karl Lagerfeld and Balmain to create capsule collections.
These collections featured items branded with the luxury houses’ names and were sold at very affordable prices. They were a huge success, selling out in just a few hours both in stores and online. This approach is known as “mass-tige,” a combination of mass-market logic and a more exclusive, prestigious approach.

Ultimately, this is a win-win situation for both parties. Luxury brands broaden their audience and often gain in modernity, while mass-market brands get a short-lived boost by offering a nice advertising coup and moving upmarket for the duration of the collection.


Is accessible luxury primarily a marketing tool for luxury houses?

C.G : Yes, exactly! Often, accessible luxury takes the form of one-off collaborations that allow luxury houses to appear more relevant in today’s world while showcasing their artistic and artisanal qualities. For example, luxury brands can revisit products from the casual wardrobe and give them a high-end touch. One successful example is the collaboration between NIKE and JACQUEMUS, which reinterpreted women’s sportswear for all body types.

Another example is the collaboration between NIKE and TIFFANY, where the two brands partnered for the first time to create a legendary pair of sneakers. The famous sneaker brand, experienced in such collaborations, revisited the iconic Air Force 1 for its 40th anniversary. These collaborations offer a win-win situation for both luxury and mass-market brands, allowing them to broaden their audiences and gain visibility.


Finally, is accessibility no longer limited to price, but also includes notions of representativeness and the sharing of certain values?

C.G : Yes, that’s correct. Some luxury houses use collaborations to convey messages about the importance of highlighting minorities and promoting inclusiveness. For example, BALMAIN and BARBIE released a unisex collection that showcased diversity and inclusiveness by breaking away from the traditional pink of Barbie, blonde hair, and showcasing plural beauty.

In addition, these luxury houses take an anti-conformist stance towards elitist and highly coded luxury. For instance, BALENCIAGA collaborated with LAY’S to transform the brand’s crisps into luxury bags, which were sold for a “modest” sum of $1800. Such collaborations break down traditional barriers and allow luxury brands to connect with a broader audience while promoting inclusivity and anti-elitism.


Does accessibility also involve catering to the interest that generation Z has in luxury?

C.G : Yes, definitely. Inviting influencers like Léna Situation to fashion shows and events is a way for luxury brands to increase their visibility among young people. The closeness that influencers like Léna Situation share with their audience encourages brands to rethink their relationships with communities and adopt a more conversational approach. In essence, the goal is to make influencers the ambassadors of a more accessible luxury.

In conclusion, the marketing challenge for luxury brands is to create rarity through “accessible” exclusivity. This is another way to make themselves more desirable and attract the interest of younger generations.

Chrisitine Garabedian interview
by Nina Allouche

Carrefour inclusion autisme heure silencieuse

When retail plays the inclusion card

When retail plays the inclusion card 977 650 Altavia

To mark International Autism Awareness Day on Friday 2 April, the Carrefour group has introduced weekly “quiet hours”, which will take place in more than 1,240 of its stores. This announcement confirms the social role that retail plays.


The “quiet hour” has been introduced for people suffering with autism.

To mark International Autism Awareness Day on Friday 2 April, the Carrefour group has announced that a “quiet hour” will take place every Monday in more than 1,240 of its supermarkets and hypermarkets.
Starting on 5 April, every Monday between 2 and 3pm the stores’ lighting will be less bright, music and tannoy announcements will stop and cleaning equipment will be turned off, so that people with autism, as well as other customers, can shop in a calm environment and more suitable conditions. “The quiet hour is the first step in the retailer’s action plan, which has been devised jointly with Autisme France, and will include but is not limited to priority access to tills, new in-store visual images that are more inclusive to various forms of disability,” announced Carrefour. “At the same time, the brand will raise its employees’ awareness of autism by introducing various communication initiatives on the subject.”
The initiative comes after the proposal for a new law, which was adopted by the French Parliament (National Assembly) on 28 January, to create a quiet hour to improve accessibility in supermarkets and shopping centres for people with disabilities. The text includes an 18-month negotiation period to be set up between economic players in the retail sector, shopping centres, disability charities and members of Parliament.


Different approaches to different cultures

Society is now becoming more and more inclusive. Willing to integrate diversities, particularities and disabilities to a greater extent…And this change has most likely been reinforced by the pandemic the world is currently going through, leading everyone to pay particular attention to carers, the elderly and vulnerable people.
Although the Carrefour group’s initiative is a welcome change, communication on its introduction has been discreet. The approach taken by American retailer Trader Joe’s, for example, seems to be much more forthcoming. A partnership with Magnusmode, the Canadian business behind the MagnusCards app, which helps people who have cognitive learning needs, has been set up. The concept is to offer five “cards” aimed at people with cognitive and/or intellectual disabilities – autism being just one of them – giving users a guide to help them do their shopping in peace. Available on the mobile app, which can be seen both inside and outside the shop, these “cards” provide information on pragmatic information and practical services, such as the nature of the noise in the shop and what assistance is available for carrying shopping.
It’s important to note that in the USA, issues around minorities, or at least diversity, is a common subject and talking about mental illness is by no means taboo. A cultural difference that no doubt explains why the initiative has been more discreetly publicised by Carrefour.
Whatever the method, one thing seems certain: these initiatives underline the social role of retail, especially during this pandemic. Shops, as providers of food for everyone, are truly places that bring people together.


Laure Barillon, Altavia Nativ

Grande distribution protections féminines en vrac rse

When big brands couple consumer trends and CSR commitments: the case of female hygiene products

When big brands couple consumer trends and CSR commitments: the case of female hygiene products 2508 1672 Altavia

Bulk sales of tampons, sanitary pads and pantyliners. That’s what 50 Franprix and Monoprix stores – two of the brands under the Casino Group – have been proposing since 14 June in partnership with the start-up Fava. Customers can choose between two options to suit them: 4 products of their choice for €1.90 (one-day emergency kit) or 10 products of their choice for €4.50 (corresponding to the average quantity of products in a traditional box of sanitary products).
Why Fava, you ask? The French brand of organic and biodegradable sanitary products, launched in March 2019, had compelling arguments to convince the Casino Group to go with its company for this innovative project. After all, the start-up’s message – in the spirit of the times and in line with the group’s CSR policy – targets customers concerned with respecting their bodies by choosing chemical- and pesticide-free organic products, and with environmental issues. A logical association of ideas which will no doubt benefit all parties.


A win-win partnership

Fava is part of the Casino Services for Equity scheme. The principle behind which is that the Casino Groups helps start-ups within the scheme to grow and gain access to new markets in exchange for acquisition of a stake. This support for entrepreneurs is all the more valuable at a time when the COVID crisis has slowed the economic development of many small businesses. Joining forces means seizing the opportunity for broader marketing of products, while the retailer moves cautiously into an emerging business sector.


Bulk: a booming consumer trend

The concept of female hygiene products sold in bulk is a new one, surfing on a booming consumer trend. According to the survey carried out among 9,900 households in December 2020 by NielsenIQ with Réseau Vrac, “The health crisis slowed performances for bulk in 2020 but the sector continues to gain ground: +8% last year, at €1.3bn for all distribution channels (i.e. less than 1% of total FMCG-self-service fresh produce), compared with +41% in 2019, at €1.2bn.”
And this growth seems set to continue in coming years. Bulk was previously a format offered by organic stores for foodstuffs, but this consumption mode has since extended to other products, including personal hygiene and household products. The reasons behind this shift are threefold: economic, ecological and health-related. People buy bulk in order to buy the right quantity, reduce packaging waste, and consume healthier and more natural products.
An initiative that consolidates another current topic: combating the ‘menstruation taboo’. Establishing a presence in this market represents a new challenge likely to boost revenues, which brands and retailers seem ready to take up. But above all, this initiative demonstrates the importance placed by the Casino Group on the issue of solidarity, fully compatible with its CSR commitments. Indeed, for every Fava product sold, the brand makes a donation to Féminité Sans Abri, a partner association working to help vulnerable women. Furthermore, the company’s logistics are handled by EBS Espérance, a subsidiary of Emmaüs that promotes professional reintegration.


Laure Barillon,  Altavia Nativ

Coach Mickey mouse keith haring

Disney Mickey Mouse x Keith Haring Exploratorium: Two icons of American society brought together in a pop-up concept launched by NYC-based brand Coach

Disney Mickey Mouse x Keith Haring Exploratorium: Two icons of American society brought together in a pop-up concept launched by NYC-based brand Coach 977 470 Altavia

The family-run leather goods business Coach, founded in New York City in 1941, has grown into a fashion house over the decades and is now renowned worldwide for its distinctive, hometown-inspired collections. Its most recent innovation is a collaboration between two legendary American cultural references, Mickey Mouse and the artist Keith Haring, showcased in a stunning pop-up store.


Coach: pop-up concepts since 2018

The Coach brand has been opening limited-time sales points for several years now. The famous pop-up store, which is based on a marketing strategy set up in the US in the 2000s. Found half-way between brick & mortar and street marketing, this format has become quite the trend, meaning brands can host events and create a buzz both with their customers and the media. As Nicolas Hayek, founder of Swatch, itself one of the pioneers of the pop-up store, succinctly put it, “we come, we make a noise and we leave”.
In June 2018, the brand opened an interactive pop-up boutique in the Soho area of New York: Life Coach. An immersive and multi-sensory experience. The following year in April 2019, the first pop-up dedicated to menswear was launched in the Aventura Mall in Miami. Between 7 and 15 September 2019, “The Coach Originals”, featuring a collection of pieces inspired by the brand’s archives, were showcased at its Madison Avenue store. Finally, in March 2021, the brand launched a series of 3 ‘phy-gital’ (physical + digital) pop-up stores in Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore.


A collaboration between two icons of American society: Mickey Mouse and the artist Keith Haring

In December 2020 and January 2021, New York-based brand Coach invited its customers to a new virtual pop-up store dedicated to the Disney character Mickey Mouse and the artist Keith Haring called “Disney Mickey Mouse x Keith Haring Exploratorium”.
Like many other luxury brands are now doing, Coach has designed a dual collaboration, featuring two renowned references of American pop culture. A collaboration that is both playful and facetious, thumbing its nose at the traumas American society is currently going through (political polarisation, protect movements and the pandemic etc.).


Disney Mickey Mouse x Keith Haring Exploratorium: a significant and remarkable experience

The virtual pop-up store housed five interactive rooms, taking the customer on an immersive journey into the world of Keith Haring, to discover or rediscover his artistry, as well as the universe of the famous Disney mouse.
The store also housed three exhibition areas: a Gallery, a Courtyard and a Workshop. The three rooms showcase items from Disney Mickey Mouse x Keith Haring collection, allowing visitors to get a 360o view along with information on the products. The items are also linked to the e-store for customers who wish to order them online.
In the Subway and Shoptorium room, visitors can enjoy a virtual experience by creating their own street art, or trying out Virtual Reality filters.


A stunning and seductive way to preserve the connection with their customers

The opening of the virtual Disney Mickey Mouse x Keith Haring Exploratorium pop-up has come at an unprecedented time: the current health and economic crisis brought about by Covid-19, which has completely changed both customer relationships and the customer experience. A crisis that demands transformation, change and new routes to explore. Brands and retailers have now realised that they must innovate and think outside the box in order to stay in touch with their customer base, whatever the circumstances. Designing immersive, playful, seductive and colourful spaces to give clients unforgettable experiences, which they’ll remember for a long time to come. The Disney Mickey Mouse x Keith Haring Exploratorium is a perfect example of this.


Thierry Strickler, Retail Intelligence Lead

https://insideretail.asia/2021/01/13/coach-launches-disney-mickey-mouse-x-keith-haring-exploratorium/

COACH launches Mickey Mouse x Keith Haring Exploratorium


https://www.retailnews.asia/coach-launches-disney-mickey-mouse-x-keith-haring-line/

Fashion Nova, the Fast Fashion model made in the USA

Fashion Nova, the Fast Fashion model made in the USA 977 650 Altavia

Founded by Iranian-American Richard Saghian in 2006, the Californian clothing brand Fashion Nova is a real success story in the industry.


A runaway success

An exponential rate of growth in sales (+600% in 2017) and soon to have 20 million followers on Instagram. Fashion Nova is taking the Fast Fashion sector by storm, despite the outcry from some members of the public that rightly criticise the company’s disastrous impact on the environment.
A runaway success, established by Fashion Nova’s ability to identify, understand and anticipate customer needs. The brand thus focused on the social media of fashion fans: Instagram. Monitoring influencers’ posts closely and consistently, assessing engagement rates and looking at comments is one of the building blocks of its meteoric ascent. A true lesson on the art and style of crowdsourcing.
Fashion Nova’s business model? Identifying a garment that captures the attention of fashion fans on social media and quickly offering them a copy at an extremely competitive price. The brand uses a thousand local suppliers to manufacture its products. With a mind-blowing time to market. Fashion Nova only needs 24 hours to create a prototype, shoot it with a model and put it online. 600 new references are added every week, following market trends. 95% of them are sold for less than $60.


Digital communication

In 2018, Fashion Nova was the most googled brand in the world, ahead of historic houses like Vuitton, Versace, Givenchy and Gucci! This is achieved by the sheer force of its digital communication and famous collaborations, without resorting to traditional advertising.
The @Fashionnova Instagram account publishes every 30 minutes, and separate @Fashionnovamen and @Fashionnovacurce (its Body Positive range) accounts allow the brand to target a specific segment of their clientele.
Many of the brand’s fans repost outfits to join the #Novababes, before being reposted by the Fashion Nova account.
The brand has also developed thanks to famous ambassadors like the Kardashians and highly profitable collaborations – the latest Cardi B capsule collection launched in May 2019 earned $1 million from its very first day. A textbook case of influence marketing.


Body Positive

Founder of Fashion Nova Richard Saghian is also credited with identifying a trend that has now become a social phenomenon: the fight for body positivity and self-acceptance. In the face of our ultra-standardised society, the idea is gaining ground… especially at Fashion Nova. “All our other competitors use the same models over and over again,” explains Richard Saghian in a (rare) interview with American fashion magazine Paper. “[…] We thought we could be a little different by celebrating body positivity and promoting curvy women, and the customers loved it”.


Outfits for all shapes and sizes

Its core business offers a wide product range that adapts to various body shapes and sizes. The “Curve” collection is showcased by plus size models and represents almost 39% of their turnover for ready-to-wear womenswear (vs. 12% for Forever 21) according to a study on “The new economic fashion models”. A simple marketing tool or true engagement? Influencer Tabria Majors has asked this question directly to Fashion Nova: “Why do you use size 2 models for your plus size range? #theanswerisinthequestion”. Models from their Curvy range aren’t really promoted, neither on IG nor their website.


Intellectual property infringements and very limited CSR implementation

Fashion Nova’s talent for catering to and interacting with its customer community is well recognised. However, in our view, this model poses two major pitfalls.
The first reservation is regarding intellectual property violations. Fashion Nova’s business model is “inspired” by creations from luxury brands and major designers, offering virtually identical replicas at lightning speed. Fashion Nova was even sued by Versace in 2020 for counterfeiting. The Fast Fashion model can certainly prosper easily in the USA thanks to legal loopholes, but this isn’t really the case on our older continent. Furthermore, lawsuits cost a lot, not only financially but also in terms of reputation. For a brand that was essentially built on social media, the threat is hardly harmless.
The second pitfall is the CSR dimension, which Fashion Nova only partially implements – through its Curve line. The brand is, in fact, part of a business model that treats clothing as perishable goods, to be discarded after being worn only a few times. A model that has run out of steam and is depleting the planet’s resources (employees, raw materials, etc.).
We are, in our humble opinion, at a generational turning point: changing customer attitudes are leading to new value systems and a different approach to responsibilities with the mantra of saving the planet.


Thierry Strickler, Retail Intelligence Lead

https://jilt.com/blog/fashion-nova-instagram-fast-fashion/
https://www.papermag.com/fashion-nova-cardi-b-2569142133.html?rebelltitem=3#rebelltitem3

Fashion Nova, the rise of an Instagram based crowdsourcing and marketing model


https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-fashion-nova-became-leading-brand-through-its-carballeira/

Maintaining customer connection beyond the physical shop

Maintaining customer connection beyond the physical shop 1024 683 Altavia

In the current pandemic situation, where the constraint of health measures is complicating the act of purchasing and where the fear of catching the Coronavirus is a concern for many customers, services that limit or even eliminate contact are thriving.


Delivery and drive: keeping the connection by being creative

The pandemic has forced physical shops to re-adapt and find new solutions to help them maintain that precious customer connection. Since March, digitalisation has accelerated and shops have moved out of their brick and mortar world and ventured outside.
In this new configuration, delivery has played a central role. But how do you set up a logistics organisation to deliver to customers so you meet the challenge of the deadline whilst controlling the associated cost? Some companies have had the idea of relying on start-ups, thereby benefiting from innovative, turnkey solutions. That’s what Système U did when they decided to extend its partnership with the start-up Yper, a specialist in last-mile logistics. Confident of the relevance of its collaborative delivery solution, the retailer has deployed it in several hundred drives and shops in France. This approach is also in line with the positioning of retailers who are keen to nurture their CSR strategy by preserving the environment and encouraging people to buy locally.
In the United States, while there has also been an acceleration of delivery services, this has also driven up the use of autonomous delivery approaches. Retail giant Walmart has forged various partnerships with specialised innovative companies. In Houston, Nero delivers products by autonomous vehicle, while Udelv delivers them via driverless cars and Zipline ships medicines by drone.
The drive has also proved to be a relevant solution for limiting contact and therefore the risk of contamination. This has been very successful in the US since the beginning of the pandemic, although this service was far from being anywhere near as developed as it’s been in France.


Maintaining your business with remote shopping

How do you keep your business running at a minimum, keep sales going despite the shut-down, absorb structural costs whilst maintaining your connection to your customers? In recent months, live shopping has made its debut in France. A phenomenon straight from China, it consists of promoting a product live on the Internet while allowing everyone to react and ask questions. The Fnac Darty group and its partner Moulinex used live shopping inviting several renowned chefs (including Chef Fred, Noëmie Honiat, Camille Maury and Cyril Lignac) to present and sell Cookeo and Companion robotic cookers and multi-cookers.
The Galeries Lafayette Haussmann shop (Paris) also decided to step out of its comfort zone lasts May by offering a remote shopping service for the first time. A personal shopper was then given the task of presenting a selection of items to customers via video calls. This was such a success they did it again in December.
These innovative services, driven by a strong desire to maintain the connection with customers, will undoubtedly last well beyond the health crisis.


Thierry Strickler, Market intelligence lead, Altavia

With Sheep Inc, buy a jumper, adopt a sheep

With Sheep Inc, buy a jumper, adopt a sheep 1024 463 Altavia

The DNVB Sheep Inc. is stirring up the much-decried fast fashion industry by claiming its status as a negative impact brand. The new English label sources its wool from farms in New Zealand that use regenerative farming methods and offers a new connection with sheep.


Fast Fashion, Fossil Fashion

Called to stand before the court of the Blue Planet for inciting over-consumption, to the point of exhaustion of human and natural resources, Fast Fashion has been the subject of strong criticism for several years. Quickly purchased and quickly thrown away, low-cost fashion, which is characterised by a very rapid cycling of collections, has moreover recently been renamed Fossil Fashion by several NGOs in the “Fossil Fashion” report published on 3 February 2021, to denounce the dependence of this sector on fossil resources.
In contrast to the way Fast Fashion works, the UCO Sheep Inc. is based on completely different values. For Edzard van der Wyck, co-founder of this new English label, carbon neutrality should – at the very least – be considered as a commitment by fashion companies. And the young DNVB goes even further in its responsible approach by claiming to be the world’s leading brand with a negative impact.


Regenerative breeding methods

To produce its Merino wool jumpers, Sheep Inc. sources its wool from farms in New Zealand that use regenerative breeding methods.
Regenerative agriculture? This is an innovative agricultural system that increases biodiversity and enriches the earth with life and humus. By improving fertility and productivity, it stores carbon in the soil and vegetation (plants, hedges, trees etc.) whilst reversing current trends in atmospheric CO2 accumulation and global warming.
Brands such as California Cloth Foundry or The Trace Collective are already true ambassadors of this, but Sheep Inc. goes further to claim its status as a negative impact brand. In addition to sustainable commitments, it invests 5% of its turnover in biodiversity projects. These are projects that mitigate, at a minimum, ten times the CO2 impact of the entire life cycle of each jumper.


Transparency and traceability

Transparency and traceability are other pieces of Sheep Inc.’s DNA and complete the picture of the responsible label.
The brand invites each customer to scan the yellow label at the bottom of the knitted garment to find out about the entire manufacturing process, the carbon footprint of the product, as well as to learn about the life and news of the sheep whose wool was used to design the garment. Major events, periods of transhumance, mowing, birth etc. All this information, shared with customers, gives meaning to consumption. Offering consumers the opportunity to connect with a “sheep-partner-wool supplier” is a fun and seductive idea. It’s an opportunity to create a link with a region, as well as with nature, animals and the rituals it is home to. Take a breath. Make a reasonable and reasoned purchase emotionally appropriate by familiarizing yourself with the history of the product and adopting a sheep. It also means reminding the customer that the clothes come from somewhere and have an environmental impact, as van der Wyck points out.
Guaranteed for life, Sheep Inc. garments are also perfectly in line with today’s consumer logic, following the mantra “less but better”.


A real source of inspiration for the key players in the fashion world

The fashion world is going through a phase of serious self-examination. The big leaders are now challenged by a growing number of citizen-customers who demand not only commitments but positions and actions. UCOs such as Sheep Inc. have the merit of clearing new pathways. They are proactive, innovative, creative and sometimes a little provocative, but they are undoubtedly a real source of inspiration for the players involved. Some will disappear; others will constantly reinvent themselves. And perhaps others, too, will be the new champions of tomorrow.


Thierry Strickler, Retail Intelligence Lead

Retail: an uplifting dynamic of solidarity during the pandemic

Retail: an uplifting dynamic of solidarity during the pandemic 1677 1119 Altavia

The global pandemic has brought economies to a halt and imposed strict health rules on the entire retail market. Non-essential shops had to close up for an indefinite period of time. Once the shock has passed, a period of reorganisation began, marked by the introduction of health protocols, but at the same time, by the emergence of solidarity initiatives strengthening the link between the public and private sectors. Novel and sometimes surprising partnerships have been proof positive of the incredible resilience and creativity that the retail sector has shown.

Although the shops were closed for weeks and weeks, behind the lowered blinds, many people were busy. Stakeholders in retail were organising themselves to best embrace the health restrictions and limit the economic consequences, but they also positioned themselves to be part of the national effort to fight the crisis and find solutions to help the most affected. Numerous solidarity actions have flourished throughout the world to help healthcare workers in need of masks and hand sanitizer, or small non-essential businesses cut off from their customers, house-bound customers, or isolated women who are victims of domestic abuse. As a result, links have been forged, and associations have been created to get through this unprecedented ordeal as one.


Retailers step up to support the national effort

Following requests from nursing staff, doctors and pharmacists in the town of Romans, the jean and shoes brand 1083 reorganised its clothing workshop to dedicate it to the production of protective masks.
For its part, Sébastien Bazin, CEO of the Accor group, announced on 16 April that 300 volunteer hotels in the Ile-de-France region would be made available to people contaminated by the coronavirus, at cost, i.e. between 30 and 50 euros per night.
And French oil company Total has decided to offer no less than 50 million petrol vouchers to doctors, hospital practitioners, nurses, midwives and ambulance drivers. An initiative supported by a donation of €5 million for the Pasteur Institute and hospital associations actively fighting the pandemic.
We noted another donation made during the first lockdown. The company Pernod Ricard donated 70,000 litres of pure alcohol to the Cooper laboratory in order to manufacture hand sanitizer. The latter has also undertaken to match the donation to associations linked to the health sector.
The LVMH group also participated in the production of hand sanitizer by reconverting three of its French production sites usually dedicated to its perfumes and cosmetics.
Decathlon, for its part, blocked the sale of its Easybreath diving mask as soon as the conclusive tests for transforming it into a respirator were announced!


Initiatives to support non-essential small businesses

“Lève ton verre pour les bars du Québec” (“Raise your glass for the bars of Quebec!”) This is the name of the initiative launched by the Canadian company Molson to support all restaurants, bars, hotels, among the brand’s 2,400 or so establishments and business customers. The idea was as simple as it was clever: every Quebecer who raised a glass of beer in a videoconference, and shared an image on its social networks, received a $25 gift card to spend at their favourite bar or restaurant.
And how have Bird scooters join forces with local shops? By developing a new feature, via its app, allowing users to easily find restaurants that do take-away or delivery.
For its part, Intermarché launched a solidarity drive, in partnership with the French marketplace publisher Mirakl, to provide booksellers with powerful digital tools that are free and available throughout France to sell their books. The costs were covered for six months.
Beginning on Monday, 2 November, to keep a few digital platforms from holding a monopoly on the sale of certain products, Auchan decided, with the help of its partners Mondial Relay and Ceetrus, to make its supermarkets and collection points available to retailers at no extra cost.
And what about the European solidarity plan launched by L’Oréal? The Group’s plants have participated in the manufacture of hand sanitizer. L’Oréal has also frozen all receivables until the VSE/SME activity of its distribution channels (hair salons, small perfumeries) resumes. And the Foundation L’Oréal has donated €1 million to its partner associations involved in the fight against insecurity.


Customers have also been supported

The British chain specialising in health and beauty care Superdrug has entered into a partnership with the My Online Therapy online clinic, which is highlighted on the retailer’s website. The latter revealed in a survey that 6 out of 10 customers felt that their mental health problem had worsened with lockdown and social distancing measures.
The eCommerce site Zappos, specialising in footwear sales and renowned for offering the best employee and customer experience in the world, launched a 24/7 telephone hotline to help customers who call about… “any subject”: weather, holiday plans, a list of restaurants offering take-away sales, or a selection of the best apps created to cope with the situation and relieve isolation.


Local dynamics to save what can be saved

Rungis Market signed a partnership with the Epicery platform, which hosted “Rungis delivered to your home” on its website. Parisians and residents of the inner suburbs of Paris were thus able to put together their “basket” of fruit and vegetables and other fresh produce and have it delivered to their homes.
The Greater Nancy city area decided to launch an e-commerce website Achetez-GrandNancy.fr (Buy-GrandNancy.fr) to allow Nancy residents to do their shopping from home and have it delivered to their homes.
In Rennes, around fifteen shopkeepers on the Place de la Gare square (bakers, grocers, wine merchants, restaurateurs, etc.) have decided to offer their services for take-away sales or delivery on placedelagare.shop website and app.


Commitment to a cause

The lockdown has resulted in an increase in violence against women. Salma Hayek Pinault, co-founder of Chime For Change and member of the Board of Directors of the Kering Foundation, announced the launch of the #StandWithWomen campaign to fight gender-based violence. It is a campaign visible on social networks, aimed at increasing funding for a range of non-profit organisations that support women and girls around the world.
And Marlène Schiappa, Secretary of State for Equality between Women and Men and the Fight against Discrimination, has initiated, in partnership with the Auchan group, an operation aimed at making it easier for those who experience violence to speak out. But how? By providing notices of reporting procedures (local and national numbers, dedicated government sites, etc.) in places frequented by everyone and making it possible to notify associations or government services if necessary.


Thierry Strickler, Market intelligence lead, Altavia

Deploying Survival Strategies

Deploying Survival Strategies 1024 432 Altavia

The INSEE statistics are irrefutable: the measures to protect a large part of the French economy from the spread of COVID-19 has resulted in a 36% drop in economic activity.

We are compelled to note a serious earthquake, a society in permanent turmoil, now at a standstill. We are plunged into a supply crisis, due to most shops being closed and a demand crisis, due to confined citizens who have drastically reduced their purchases. April 9th, Les Echos reported: “Generally speaking, spending in stores has fallen by 60% since lockdown. Those on the Internet have also fallen by 20%”.
The shock of the pandemic and its disastrous consequences for trade are beginning to be processed, just slightly. We are experiencing a sort of “phase two”. Saving what can be saved, the business, jobs, customer relations, the famous connection between the trader and the customer. Survival strategies are blooming everywhere and business units are being reorganized. Integrating all the COVID-19 constraints with creativity and agility to build resilience.


Transition to “lab mode”

The challenge is to welcome the new constraints caused by the pandemic to protect employees and customers. This is the choice of some major players in the fast food industry. Since April 2nd, around fifteen McDonald’s restaurants have been operating in “contactless” mode. Takeaway orders and deliveries only. Mcdonald’s France has relied on a scientific committee (virologists, doctors and employees) to design a new organisation for its restaurants. A laboratory to manage the new standards, devise new regulations, test them in the field and then consider deploying them throughout restaurants. The Pizza Hut and KFC groups also adopted this “100% contactless” strategy.


Transition to “agile mode”

Norauto launched “SOS Norauto” at the beginning of April, an emergency response service for two essential products in around fifty of its garages. In the event of a battery breakdown or flat tire, a Norauto employee will come to your home to repair or deliver the product in compliance with health and safety regulations, in response to an online request for assistance.
At the wine retailer Nicolas, the stores will gradually reopen. During lockdown (Nicolas’s decision), a “health safety” plan has been drawn up and tested in the voluntary stores. From now on, the Nicolas stores plan to allow one customer at a time to enter the store (prohibition for customers to touch the bottles), and to authorize credit card payments only.
Likewise, the DIY stores (Leroy Merlin) and the household appliance distributors (Boulanger, Darty & Fnac) are taking drastic measures to get back into business. The idea is to adapt to the new restrictions in order to guarantee health safety for all. Click & Collect, delivery services and Drive are gradually being deployed to respond to customer emergencies. It is also for these brands the idea of projecting themselves into the “after tomorrow”.
Even when we are let out of lockdown, there is a high chance that the social distancing rules will continue. Little by little, the major retail chains are getting organized to re-establish a commercial tie (Nicolas, Interflora) with their customers.


Solidarity, agility and creativity for small businesses

While they are the life of our city centers, places of exchange, meetings, food trading, restaurants, bars, cinemas, independent shops are in a critical situation. Strikes and Gilets Jaunes protests have already made things extremely complicated for shopkeepers. Now, after a month on lockdown, cash flow has dried up, costs are weighing on the operating accounts and more positive prospects seem far away.
However, many initiatives have emerged to provide solutions. In result several dynamics have emerged, both in France and abroad. The players are cherishing the idea of cushioning the pandemic’s “shock”.


Selling while remaining closed

Offering vouchers (to alleviate cash flow) that will be applicable after lockdown is an attractive and versatile concept. An initiative proposed among others by Petitscommerces.fr whose mission is to promote local shops on the web. With their platform support-commercants-artisans.fr, success is on the horizon.
“We launched the platform only 15 days ago, and already more than 1,500 retailers registered, 2,500 orders have been placed, for a total amount exceeding 150,000 euros! And it’s exponential, the number of registered shops and orders placed by customers is exploding every day”.
The Post Office is additionally running a remarkable initiative: “My City My Shopping”. The magazine LSA reports that 1,200 shopkeepers in 160 communes have turned to this platform. During this troubled period, registration is free. The solution has 3000 users every day. La Poste offers a “ready-to-use ” solution, creation of an e-shop and delivery solutions via the postmen’s routes.
Operation #SAVEYOURRESTURANT, offers an identical solution: buy vouchers for meals, overnight stays or experiences to be used as soon as the lockdown is over. Two volunteer startups (HEMBLEM, LePotComumun) are at the origin of this initiative. The food service industry is in a truly catastrophic situation. At the beginning of April, the dining industry already suffered a loss of 3.5 billion euros in turnover, which inevitably has repercussions on suppliers, whose loss of revenue is estimated at 1.1 billion euros. (source: Food Service Vision). Mobilizing efforts, proposing solutions and raising customer awareness are all initiatives that will enable some of the players to keep their heads above financial waters.
AB InBev launches “beer bonds” to help pubs in Europe. The idea is to ask customers to pay today to consume when these establishments reopen to the public. Once again, this solution, which calls for citizen solidarity, goes through a digital platform, www.barsolidaire.fr, which allows to manage the momentum.
In one week, in France, 200 establishments registered on the platform and 330 consumers paid 11,000 euros. At the same time, the initiative has been launched in other countries, notably in the United Kingdom, Italy and Belgium. (source La Tribune)
The Pozeo Group, a major player in cinema and entertainment booking, has decided to act in the face of this unprecedented situation. #ILoveMyCinema proposes to act now for tomorrow. The partner companies of the operation, are committed to offering their customers or employees a ticket at the full price (9.85€). Pozeo then finances the second one within the 300,000 seat limit.
In the United States, the retailer Neighbourhood Goods has unveiled a new free platform “The Commons by Neighborhood Goods,” to support local merchants. A digital platform to enable local businesses to re-create links with their customers as quickly as possible. Neighbourhood Goods has also committed to, once stores reopen, invite local restaurant chefs into its kitchens to present their know-how and thus boost their next reopening. Moreover, the retailer committed to organizing future “Happy Hours” to engage the community of artists and thus support the cultural ecosystem.
In Canada, creative and technological agency CloudRaker created the Rue Principale platform at the end of March to support local retailers who remain open for take-away sales or deliveries. “By offering a platform that lists open businesses, we want to facilitate the process and encourage the community to order their favorite food or purchase gift cards for future purchases. These small businesses make an enormous contribution to our neighborhoods and we want to keep this intact for everyone’s benefit.”
A simple solution (2 days to put in place) that promotes small local business initiatives for keeping in touch with their customers. In Montreal, more than 500 merchants are already identifiable on Rue Principale.


Unified Trade Principles

These fine initiatives, both creative and ingenious, also highlight the shortcomings of local shops. A shop that is still not very digitized, with basic information systems and few efficient logistics solutions. The crisis provoked by Covid-19 has highlighted the weaknesses of small retailers (but also certain key players) in their customer relations management, faced with health constraints.
In the future, local retail players will have to offer cross-disciplinary solutions based on their physical store on the one hand, but also on a digital store, sometimes “out of the ground” in a few weeks. They are therefore in line with the golden rules of the omnichannel: offering customers the choice of two complementary worlds. Temporary adaptation or permanent evolution accelerated by the COVID shock wave?
The answer certainly lies in the ability of these small businesses to (re)create tomorrow a lasting, tangible link with their customers, beyond the “tools”.


Thierry Strickler, Altavia Watch, et Laure Barillon, Altavia Nativ