Page 26 - RLI June 2019

SIgNATURE STyLE whilst allowing an increase in storage capacity to show

the maximum possible amount of the collection and give
further choice to customers.
“Over the next couple of years, our goals are to achieve
an optimal network of shops in our home country and
become the leader in the market. We would also like to
reinforce our presence in Belgium and Italy, and focus on
our main international markets which are the Middle East,
Northern Africa and Overseas France,” says Bismuth.
Jennyfer’s offer answers to a certain community and style
rather than a French or worldwide consumer. Its goal is
not to adapt its collection to everybody’s needs and tastes;
instead it’s to embrace this community and style that
already exists in these countries.
The label has recently launched a large communication
campaign called ‘Zéro Étiquette, aimed at denouncing
stereotypes in our society. With this campaign, the company
is asking people to not judge Jennyfer, and this is backed up
with war cry, ‘DON’T CALL ME JENNYFER’.
Bismuth explains that social media is one of the company’s
key focuses in terms of its communication strategy and its
aim is to become a media-brand and not just a brand. Its
collaborations with influencers goes much beyond product
placement, they participate in the Jennyfer strategy and
embody the brand digitally and in-store.
So why does Bismuth think customers continue to shop
at Jennyfer?
“I feel our customers remain loyal because we don’t
pretend to be what we are not. We have been around
for almost 40 years, we are a popular fashion brand and
we always will be, offering cool products for a great price
and our customers know they can be stylish without being
broke. On top of this we share the same values as our
customers by being ourselves whatever people think of us.”
The ethos of the company is based on one strong idea of
‘employee first, customer second’. Bismuth aims to create
a unique employee organization by creating transparency
and accountability between people and the capability for
each to express their own personality and creativity. This
philosophy puts their employee’s initiative at the centre of “I feel our customers remaIn loyal
the company’s actions.
Looking forward, Bismuth feels the company’s long term because we don’t pretend to be what we
challenge is to become a worldwide brand and to develop are not. we have been around for almost
the brand’s notoriety beyond the French market.
“To accomplish this, we would like to associate ourselves 40 years, we are a popular fashIon brand
with retail partners that possess a strong international and we always wIll be, offerIng cool
A French ready-to-wear brand with strong identity and values, Jennyfer is a cool, sexy, image and we look forward to what the future holds,”
concludes Bismuth. products for a great prIce”
low-priced fashion brand created in 1980. Here, RLI speaks with President of the
company Sébastien Bismuth about the changes within the company to anchor the

business in the modern retail world.

ith a strong startup spirit and mindset product range with a shorter lead time to market.
that has made the brand one of the Moreover, with our new pricing policy, we are no longer
ready-to-wear leaders in and out of the doing discounts regularly and instead offer to our clients
WFrench market, and with new collections, an ‘everyday good price’ with low prices the answer to the
a new visual identity and a new shopping experience; new Z generation target of women from 16 to 21 years
Jennyfer is continuing to look for further global growth. old,” explains Sébastien Bismuth, President of Jennyfer.
Today the company works with more than 2,000 In line with this new strategy and brand image, the
collaborators and has 500 stores across 31 countries, with company recently opened its first store with the new
these being a mix of owned and franchised locations. concept ‘Ringside’ in Polygone Mall in Montpellier.
The past few months have been a crucial time for the A bridge between the old ‘arty’ concept and the future
business as they look to build their new business model on one, the newly-opened store is raw, bold, and digital.
a good product at a good price and incorporate this within Instead of shopping windows, two vertical screens have
a new brand image. been installed, along with additional screens in-store, an
“We are practicing an ‘on demand’ strategy, based on automatic click & collect, neon lights, black, white and
flexibility and reactivity offering to our clients a large raw wood is also on show to add to this ‘arty’ concept,

26 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL JUNE 2019