Sandro has secured three floors on Paris’ tourist mile, 91 Avenue des Champs-Élysées. In addition to the regular range, the 300 square meter sales area will house exclusive fashion creations, accessories and home accessories.
“I am extremely proud of this location,” said founder Evelyne Chetrite in a press release. “It’s a bit like a long-cherished dream come true. When we founded Sandro almost 40 years ago, I never would have dreamed it “that we would have the honor of writing a chapter in our history on the most legendary of streets. It is a very emotional event for the entire Sandro family to move into the Champs-Élysées.”
Fashion meets art
The new flagship store reinterprets the store concept used in 2021 in the boutique on Rue Saint-Honoré. Materials such as brushed stainless steel, brick or waxed concrete meet a new, dynamic design that, thanks to the work of lighting designer Valérie Bodier, is reminiscent of a modern art gallery. A work commissioned by the French artist Etienne Bardelli.
In addition to Sandro’s omnichannel strategy, which allows customers to reserve individual pieces online or have them delivered directly from the store to their homes, the boutique also offers refreshments in personalized and recyclable containers and fabric tote bags instead of regular shopping bags to enhance the customer experience.
The opening of the new Sandro store also underlines that the SMCP Group, which includes Sandro as well as Maje, Claudie Pierlot and De Fursac, is back on track financially after a difficult period. In the first quarter of 2022, Sandro reported sales of 134.1 million euros compared to 103.6 million euros in the first quarter of 2021.
Sandro launches resale marketplace in the US
In addition to the new store opening, the French premium brand also announced its entry into the US resale market this week. Together with Archive, a tech start-up with a resale focus, the company is launching its own resale program in the USA.
The new initiative builds on the resale platform, Seconde Maine, launched in France and Germany in July 2022. According to the brand, initial success and increasing demand fueled expansion into the US market and helped launch “Sandro Secondhand”.
The new digital platform enables customers to buy and sell Sandro models for women and men from previous collections. As soon as an item is sold, sellers receive a ready-made shipping label. As is usual with other platforms, you can choose between a cash payment or a credit for the next Sandro purchase.
Sandro’s commitment to more sustainability
Explaining the new move to FashionUnited, Sandro Managing Director Isabelle Allouch said: “Sustainability is a key strategic issue for the brand and the launch of this platform reinforces our efforts in terms of our commitment to this.”
The Secondhand feature builds on Sandro’s efforts to make responsible choices at all stages of a product’s cycle. According to the brand, almost 50 percent of their designs have already been designed with ecological aspects in mind. The aim is to increase this proportion to 70 percent of the collection by 2025.
“We are delighted to be working with Sandro to expand their resale initiatives in the US and further their commitment to sustainability,” Emily Gittins, Managing Director of Archive, said in a statement to FashionUnited. “Developing a true resale experience has been of paramount importance to the brand, and Archive is proud to have developed a bespoke e-commerce platform that is both on-brand and prioritizes the highest quality of customer experience.”
This translated and edited post was created with original contributions from Rachel Douglass and Julia Garel.