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French Heritage, Global Vision

With more than 100 years of love for women and a passion for beautiful lace, expertise and innovation, Etam
was born in France and built around a deep understanding of femininity, confidence and freedom. Here, RLI
speaks with Jose Gomez, Board Member and Chief Development Officer of Etam Group, to learn more about
what makes the company so special and how it has continuously evolved with women, society and retail.

uch more than a lingerie brand, Etam is pect one coherent experience. “They also expect brands to
a global lifestyle company with an inter- feel alive. They want names that create content, community,
national presence, a strong omni-channel experiences and a sense of belonging,” Gomez points out.
Mecosystem, a powerful emotional connec- Stores remain central in the world of retail, but their role has
tion with customers and a clear ambition to keep reinven- changed somewhat throughout Etam’s history. Previously the
ting the retail experience. store was mainly a place to sell. Today, it has become a place to
“Our heritage gives us credibility, but our strength comes express the brand. It is a showroom, a service point, a content
from our ability to modernise it,” says Jose Gomez, Board space, a community hub and above all, an emotional expe-
Member and Chief Development Officer. “We combine rience. Because of this, a successful flagship today must have
French know-how, creativity, product expertise and innovation with a more than a beautiful design, it needs a soul.
very contemporary vision of what customers expect from labels today.” Of course, location remains fundamental. They look for strong re-
Since inception, Etam Group has evolved into a broader mul- tail destinations, the right customer profile, visibility, footfall and the
ti-brand platform, featuring Etam, Undiz, Maison 123, Ysé and LIVY, quality of the surrounding environment. Beyond that, they look at
each with its own identity, customer universe and growth potential, how the store can become a true destination.
giving the Group a rich ecosystem and strong foundations for inter- This led us on perfectly to their latest flagship in Mexico City, which
national development. features the introduction of Etam’s first café concept.
Within this, Jose’s role is to build sustainable, international growth “The Mexico City flagship was a pivotal project as it represents the
while strengthening the desirability and consistency of their brands. evolution of what we believe physical retail can become. The idea be-
Wanting to grow intelligently and with a purpose, for Etam this means hind the café was not simply to add hospitality to a store. It was to create
reinforcing their presence in strategic regions, developing stronger a destination. We wanted customers to spend more time with the brand,
flagship and experiential formats, expanding with high-quality partners to feel part of the Etam universe and to experience the store in a more
and making sure the business is expressed with the same level of ambi- emotional and lifestyle-oriented way,” Gomez comments.
tion around the world. He feels retail today cannot only be transactional. Customers are
As we move the conversation onto the topic of today’s Etam customer, looking for places where they can discover, connect, relax, share and
Gomez says they are modern, connected, demanding and very conscious be inspired. The café allowed them to create that additional layer
of what a label represents. “She is not looking only for product. She is loo- of experience and Mexico City was the perfect place to do this, as a
king for emotion, identity, service, experience and authenticity.” dynamic, sophisticated, creative market. The Masaryk flagship gave
He continues by saying customers today expect their experience to them the opportunity to present the world of Etam in a very visible
be seamless. They do not think in terms of “online” or “offline”, they ex- and ambitious way.

16 R e t ai l & L e i s ur e I n t e r n a t i o n al J un e 2026
16 Retail & Leisure International June 2026