A worldwide leader of luxury underwear and beachwear, La Perla has a portfolio of brands ranging from accessible to uber-luxury. The master brand La Perla, with its heritage is recognized all over the world for fine pieces of corsetry, lingerie and beachwear. A prêt-a-porter and accessory range complements the offering in line with the brand’s values and style.
The company’s products, distributed through a network of direct subsidiaries (Germany France, Spain, USA and Far East) and exclusive distributors, can be found worldwide in 60 directly-owned stores and 35 concessions, located in the luxury districts of major cities, in the best specialty shops and high-end department stores.
In 2009 the company was presented with the opportunity to buy several stores from its former distributors, whilst also opening new owned stores and franchises in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Saigon. This year, the aim is to consolidate this new reality and to strengthen the company’s European retail network through several new openings.
“Whilst we do not want to talk about longer-term future openings, I can say that we have started working on a totally new concept of La Perla store, one that also involves architectural changes,” says CEO Alain Prost. “The development of our retail is the key priority.”
The brand’s commitment to quality and style is epitomised at stores such as those at Via Montenapoleone in Milan, Via Condotti in Rome, Faubourg St. Honorè in Paris, Sloane Street in London and Madison Avenue in New York – stores that are located at the heart of the most important fashion streets, a strategic positioning for both international and local customers.
“Clearly, our ideal locations are those placed among the most important fashion streets with a high footfall of medium-high types of customers,” says Prost. “In effect we are a luxury brand, but we are also able to offer a wide range of products that address the needs of different kinds of consumers.”
The company considers the US to be a strategic location and it is present with ten boutiques and a number of shops-in-shops, though there is a desire to penetrate the matrket in a much bigger way: “This, alongside a consolidation action on the market, is one of the objectives we aim according our strategic plans for the next two years,” continues Prost. “Beside the US, we also want to strengthen our presence in France, Germany and the UK.”
For the full article, please see the May 2010 issue.
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