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While the CDO sees concepts such as this café
becoming a larger part of the Group’s global sto-
re strategy, he highlights the point that it needs
to be done in a selective and thoughtful way.
So not every store needs a café, what mat-
ters is that every important store creates a
French Heritage, Global Vision stronger emotional connection with the Mexico City, Mexico
Images:
customer. In some markets, this may
mean a hospitality offering. In others,
it may be additional events, services,
With more than 100 years of love for women and a passion for beautiful lace, expertise and innovation, Etam community activations, styling, digital
was born in France and built around a deep understanding of femininity, confidence and freedom. Here, RLI experiences or even partnerships.
speaks with Jose Gomez, Board Member and Chief Development Officer of Etam Group, to learn more about “The overarching point is that retail is mo-
what makes the company so special and how it has continuously evolved with women, society and retail. ving towards lifestyle and community. Cus-
tomers want brands to offer more than pro- the way companies develop, design,
duct. They want moments, experiences and operate and grow.
uch more than a lingerie brand, Etam is pect one coherent experience. “They also expect brands to reasons to engage,” Gomez highlights. “For Etam Group, responsibility is part of
a global lifestyle company with an inter- feel alive. They want names that create content, community, As the company looks to continue its ex- our long-term vision. Becoming B Corp cer-
national presence, a strong omni-channel experiences and a sense of belonging,” Gomez points out. pansion push, they see strong opportuni-
Mecosystem, a powerful emotional connec- Stores remain central in the world of retail, but their role has ties across several regions, but their focus is tified was a very important milestone for us
because it reflects a real commitment to ba-
tion with customers and a clear ambition to keep reinven- changed somewhat throughout Etam’s history. Previously the always on the quality of development, rather lancing business performance with social and
ting the retail experience. store was mainly a place to sell. Today, it has become a place to than the speed. Following the launch of the environmental responsibility. It pushes us to
“Our heritage gives us credibility, but our strength comes express the brand. It is a showroom, a service point, a content recent flagship, Mexico remains a very exci-
from our ability to modernise it,” says Jose Gomez, Board space, a community hub and above all, an emotional expe- ting market for Etam and the wider Group. think differently about growth and about the
type of company we want to build for the fu-
Member and Chief Development Officer. “We combine rience. Because of this, a successful flagship today must have Meanwhile in Europe, they see interesting ture,” explains Gomez.
French know-how, creativity, product expertise and innovation with a more than a beautiful design, it needs a soul. opportunities for several of their labels. As our time with Jose nears its end, he
very contemporary vision of what customers expect from labels today.” Of course, location remains fundamental. They look for strong re- As for the Middle East, this remains a very looks ahead and what excites him most about
Since inception, Etam Group has evolved into a broader mul- tail destinations, the right customer profile, visibility, footfall and the important region for the group. They are
ti-brand platform, featuring Etam, Undiz, Maison 123, Ysé and LIVY, quality of the surrounding environment. Beyond that, they look at already present in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi the future is how physical retail is being rein-
vented. For many years, people said stores
each with its own identity, customer universe and growth potential, how the store can become a true destination. Arabia and they continue to see strong poten- would disappear, but he never believed that.
giving the Group a rich ecosystem and strong foundations for inter- This led us on perfectly to their latest flagship in Mexico City, which tial in the region due to the quality of retail Instead, poor retail is disappearing; stores wi-
national development. features the introduction of Etam’s first café concept. infrastructure, ambitious retail destinations thout emotion, without service, without ex-
Within this, Jose’s role is to build sustainable, international growth “The Mexico City flagship was a pivotal project as it represents the and customers’ appetite for premium inter-
while strengthening the desirability and consistency of their brands. evolution of what we believe physical retail can become. The idea be- national brands. perience and without purpose. The future of
retail is much more exciting. It will be more
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 They are currently looking for the right experiential, more omni-channel, more local,
reinforcing their presence in strategic regions, developing stronger a destination. We wanted customers to spend more time with the brand, partner in the UAE, which they believe is ano- more human and more connected.
flagship and experiential formats, expanding with high-quality partners to feel part of the Etam universe and to experience the store in a more ther extremely strategic market for the future. “For Etam, my ambition is to continue
and making sure the business is expressed with the same level of ambi- emotional and lifestyle-oriented way,” Gomez comments. Gomez highlights that Dubai especially is one building internationally with strong part-
tion around the world. He feels retail today cannot only be transactional. Customers are of the world’s leading destinations for expe- ners, stronger concepts and a clear point of
As we move the conversation onto the topic of today’s Etam customer, looking for places where they can discover, connect, relax, share and riential retail, lifestyle and entertainment con-
Gomez says they are modern, connected, demanding and very conscious be inspired. The café allowed them to create that additional layer cepts, which fits perfectly with the direction difference. I want us to be recognised not
only as a leading French lingerie brand
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 the Etam brand is taking internationally. that it is today, but as one of the most ex-
king for emotion, identity, service, experience and authenticity.” dynamic, sophisticated, creative market. The Masaryk flagship gave No longer separate from business strate- citing international retail names in terms
He continues by saying customers today expect their experience to them the opportunity to present the world of Etam in a very visible gy, sustainability has to be integrated into
be seamless. They do not think in terms of “online” or “offline”, they ex- and ambitious way. of experience, emotion and innovation.”

16 Retail & Leisure International June 2026
16 Retail & Leisure International June 2026 June 2026 Retail & Leisure International 17