- Università: Em Lyon School Business
- Studenti:
Yue Dai, Long Xu, Hortense Savary de Beauregard, Romane Vuittenez, Yi Qu, Nina Galarme
Retail concept
MonTage is a vintage-assembly chain store brand with design and tailor services which offers:
- Vintage clothes, bags and accessories of premium and luxury brands
- Customized design and tailor options by store stylists, in order to change the fit, the design, the overall color or to add/remove some elements
Our prices range from 50€ (for premium branded goods) up to several thousands euros (for luxury items) and the services will be charged between 10€ and 50€ (mostly depending on the time).
The project was born from a common passion for fashion and vintage, and from a desire to carry out an environmentally-conscious project. Clothes manufacturing is indeed is one of the most polluting and energy-intensive industries in the world, and we are convinced that the vintage market, especially in the luxury segment (which guarantees quality and durability) can be a durable alternative.
Our business will be deployed through :
- A 150-200 m² physical boutique located in the Marais district (Paris, France), renowned for being trendy and a vintage haunt. Our luxury positioning and additional services will be a key competitive advantage in this highly dynamic area.
- A website that will be both an online store and an information showcase.
Market analysis
The luxury second-hand market is undergoing an extraordinary expansion (e.g expectation of an annual growth of 15% over the next 5 years and USD 50.232 billion by 2027). Europe exhibits a clear dominance in the market, in particular in France where it's considered as a growing and profitable industry (expected growth of CAGR of 6.47% between 2022 and 2027). Moreover, the vintage market is concentrated in Paris, our targeted city where it is known for its high-end and luxury boutiques, and a growing interest in sustainable and eco-friendly fashion.
Our website is also a powerful growth lever as online sales of vintage are booming (e.g 62% of the consumers said that they mostly buy vintage clothes online). The success of Vestaire Collective or Vinted are also good optimistic indicators.
Our main competitors will be luxury vintage stores (online or offline), creative workshop stores specialized in fashion and redesign, shops/corners or websites specialized in customization, traditional repair services (e.g. seamstresses or services by brands themselves).
Target
Our target population is between 25 and 55 years old, both male and female and is employed in high income professions (to be able to afford luxury items and to invest in high quality). They are fashion conscious, interested in vintage and are sensitive to the craftmanship and quality of vintage luxury goods. They also pay attention to the durability and history of the garments, their designer and are concerned with environmental issues.
Store location & layout
Our 1st and biggest flagstore will be located in Paris, in the area of Le Marais, and after gaining the breakeven point, we itend to extend in Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Lille. The aim is to gather customers especially looking for vintage clothes, in the most trendy, crowded and emblematic neighborhoods for second-hand clothing. The Marais appears to be a case in point and also attracts a significant number of international customers.
As for the layout, our store will be divided into two distinct spaces : our workshop dedicated to our repair and redesign services, and a second space dedicated to the sale of vintage clothing, accessories and bags.
The workshop will be a central element of the store, an element of differentiation but also of attraction for consumers in search of an experience and authenticity. Storage, cashier and fitting rooms will also be available. We will design the store with rather neutral and clear colors for a warm, calm atmosphere conducive to relaxation and reminiscent of the world of luxury stores. Finally, the racks, the storefront or other decorative elements will be nods to vintage and craftmenship.
Marketing, Communication Strategy & CRM
Our strategy is based on several key steps:
- Awareness stage based on: social media presence, content marketing, local advertising and event for opening campaings
- Consideration stage: email marketing, in-store events, retargeting ads
- Conversion stage: offer incentives, follow-up communication
For the communication part, we intend to reach our target through campaigns on social networks in collaboration with influencers and multi-chanel networks. We have also thought of a set of sales promotions (e.g. anniversary months) in order to increase the loyalty of consumers and to attract new ones. A loyalty card (MonTage Membership, MTM) with many advantages (free deliveries, higher discounts, invitation to events) will be a decisive tool. Other types of CRM programs will be implemented: customer referrals, personalization, frequent shopper rewards.
Future trends
We have identified 3 main trends for the future:
- A fast growing second-hand market
- Development of personalization and customization trend for distinctive and individualized fashion options
- Online marketplace as key players in the industry
