Page 27 - March 2020

Self-Confidence, Pepe Jeans Group, Wartenbergh says that it is massively HacKeTT saVIle rOW
When talking about social media and its place within the
london, uK
important, because in today’s world a vast majority of people’s
decisions are digitally influenced. For example, when going to
Uniqueness, a restaurant, people will have already looked at online reviews,
the menu, other restaurants in the area and the drive time.
So while there hasn’t been a set social media strategy for
either Façonnable or Hackett, in the last few months they have
Authenticity created and hired its first digital team. “So when I talk about
social media, I’d say that it is one of my top two priorities. For
Pepe Jeans – it is my first priority,” says Wartenbergh.
The transformation of the company is the main reason
why it stands out from its peers in the market, along with
Inaugurated in 1973 on the streets of Portobello in London, the Pepe Jeans Group has its ability to adapt, be flexible and continuing to be inventive
grown to become a house of brands with a global presence. Here, RLI sits down with according to the CEO. She believes that the business makes
things at a certain cost price that is relevant for the consumer
Marcella Wartenbergh, CEO of the company to discuss how it has grown in its almost 50 and that this is highly important.
“The philosophy of each division within the Pepe Jeans
years of operation and what comes next. Group is to create brand equity by transformation and
the only way to achieve this is to be in a constant state of
transformation,” explains Wartenbergh.
denim pioneer, the Pepe Jeans Group has “Companies need to adapt now, and one of the biggest
consistently reinvented the definition of denim challenges is to maintain the best talent that is currently within “We are now a multi-brand business having
to keep up with trends in the industry. An iconic the company. I feel transparency is another big challenge, and
A brand that is synonymously associated with that in the next ten years everything will be transparent. Finally acquired Hackett some years ago before more
denim and limitless creativity, Pepe Jeans London gives its speed is massively important; we live in a world of now. Looking recently acquiring Façonnable, and in total we
customers the foundation to exude style and substance. forward, we have an exciting time ahead in the retail industry
“We have grown to become more than just the brand and I’m very much looking forward to it,” she concludes. operate around 200 stores across the world”
Pepe Jeans,” says company CEO Marcella Wartenbergh. “We
are now a multi-brand business having acquired Hackett
some years ago before more recently acquiring Façonnable,
and in total we operate around 200 stores across the world.”
The majority of these stores are in Europe, but the Group
has a presence in other continents. Hackett has stores in
Japan, whilst Pepe Jeans and Hackett have stores in the
Middle East and Pepe Jeans also operates in Latin America.
Wartenbergh explains that whilst each brand has a different
geography, the business has an almost global presence.
It has been a busy time not only for the Group in the last year,
but also for Wartenbergh who only joined the company around
six months ago. “The main purpose when I joined was to reset
– to understand that we are in a moment of hybrid consumers
who can opt for both premium and budget options and this
makes you rethink where you are going in the years to come.” pepe jeans fuencarral
So in the coming months, the aim is to stabilise its presence and Madrid, spain
decide where to consolidate and where to expand.
Recent stores to open include an incredible Hackett store
on Saville Row in London to provide a completely different
experience and a bespoke offering to customers. This particular
store is not about digitalisation, it is more about the craftsmanship
that the product needs and is very consumer orientated.
On the other hand, a new site for Pepe Jeans was opened
in Spain and it is totally the opposite. It is an integrated store
and is very much for the millennials. It incorporates charging
stations and e-commerce is also available, so if the product
is not in store, guests can instead simply click-and-collect, so
the customer receives an omni-channel experience in-store.
In terms of new markets, a target sector is Southern Europe,
whilst the Middle East is the key territory moving forward for
the Group and they are looking into the consumer profile,
the consumer habits and the pricing structure for that market.
So how does the business go about developing new
products and initiatives to maintain its market position?
“Firstly it is about digitalisation and data, reading the data in
the right way to understand what is not selling, what is selling
and what the consumer is trending towards. Then we do certain
things for each brand and develop products from a consumer
profile, making sure that it is inclusive and diverse. When we
move forward with products and lines we never forget the
HacKeTT reGenT sTreeT consumer and the consumer that has been loyal to us.” pepe jeans carnaBY
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