Metrosexual has been ?

Ken metrosexual and Barbie fashionista : already has been ?

Welcome to the world of the recessionista and the übersexual. The homo consumerus mutates, a neoconsumer emerges.

Last evolutions of a male and a female consumer which are being conditioned by a manipulating and conformist media society.

Layout :

--> Chapter 1: METROSEXUAL, ÜBERSEXUAL AND EVEN NOVOCASUAL or how media create a new masculine ideal to make the market of men's clothing and cosmetics market explode in a context of crisis

--> Chapter 2 (next article): FROM THE FASHIONISTA TO THE RECESSIONISTA or how fashionistas are able to remain addicted in an economic recession, defining a new way of consumption

Chapter 1 : METROSEXUAL, ÜBERSEXUAL AND EVEN NOVOCASUAL or how media create a new masculine ideal to make the market of men's clothing and cosmetics explode in a context of crisis

Part 1: FROM THE METROSEXUAL TO THE NOVOCASUAL.. THROUGH THE RETROSEXUAL AND THE ÜBERSEXUEL

A) THE METROSEXUAL....

A new kind of man emerged a few years ago. Both genders had to redefine manliness. Women emancipated themselves and nowadays men have to show that they are also discriminated. How? In a different way. They have to be "men", to conform to society's patterns.... While women set themselves free from their pattern of "desperate housewives", men are still condemned to be macho and prehistoric caricatures. Thanks to extreme feminism....

However, the "strong" sex is getting stronger. Men are able to show that taking care of themselves is not to be put in a contradiction with the assertion of their masculine identity. At the opposite, it redefines them and makes them more attractive. As for those who object that a man who takes care of himself is gay, they finally understand that this statement is as stupid as saying that a woman who does not like shopping is not a woman.

The Metrosexual uses a $40 face cream, wears fashion shoes and custom-tailored shirts. His hair looks perfect thanks to wonderful shampoos and hair grooming products. The metrosexual enjoys shopping and reading groomy magazines. He is not surprised when a woman tells him that she has more than fifty pair of shoes.

What has changed? Men with manners, men acting like women have always existed. To what extent is it new? Why was the new concept of metrosexuals necessary? ....because some of them are definitely straight. They love women. YES, heterosexuals can be interested in fashion, design and shopping.

The term "metrosexual" is a portmanteau of two words: metropolis and heterosexual. A metrosexual is a straight young urban man willing, even eager, to embrace its "feminine" sides. Marketers love them. They live in big cities. They have a high standard of living. They are style-obsessed shoppers and vain enough to spend a lot of money to look good and be well dressed up.

The Metrosexual is a pretty old term. It first appeared in a The Independent article by the British journalist Mark Simpson published in 1992.

If I caused you to get lost, I suggest you to read the guide in order to get a better understanding of this concept... I assure you there is a guide --> The Metrosexual Guide to Style: A Handbook for the Modern Man (by Michael Flocker). The essentials of "metrosexual" savoir faire: How can the average guy keep up with this new version of cool? Filled with entertaining anecdotes, famous quotes, dos and don'ts and recommendations, The Metrosexual Guide to Style covers everything from dining out to fashion and personal style and home décor.

In short, the METROSEXUAL is the ideal that Ken has to REACH. If he does not succeed, he will be thrown away because he is too old-fashioned. Indeed, the phenomenon of "metrosexualization" has become more and more important.... for the best and the worse. Straight guys can also be stylish and victims of our beloved society of hyperconsumption.

B) ..... RAPIDLY JOINED BY THE RETROSEXUAL AND THE ÜBERSEXUAL

A few years after the conceptual birth of the metrosexual, the "retrosexual" arrived, that is to say the male who refuses to be in, who is retro, who does not like shopping and who does not use perfume. Once the world divided, old-fashioned retrosexuals vs trendy metrosexuals, one realise that most of men don't fit to any of such patterns. They are too "evolved" to be striclty retrosexuels but too conservative to metrosexualize themselves and so feminize themselves! What is the new masculine ideal then? Maria Salzman, Ira Matathia and Ann O'Reilly give us a quite precise overview in their new book The Future of Men.

According to them, the new ideal is übersexuality. Who is the übersexual who replaces the metrosexual a little bit too fast? This term derives from the German word über (= above, superior). It refers to a man similar to a metrosexual but who displays the traditional manly qualities such as confidence, strength and class - leaving no doubt as to his sexual orientation. He has a great style and a brilliant career. He is passionate. He remains totally masculine but is still sensitive to others' feelings and respectful to women. It looks like the metrosexual is evolving...

THE FIVE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE METROSEXUAL AND THE ÜBERSEXUAL

1- The metrosexual dresses according to the latest fashion shows, while the übersexual dresses nicely based on his own reflections. 


2- The metrosexual spends his time grooming his hair, beautifying his look, while the übersexual rather thinks and "beautifies" his thoughts. Of course he might groom himself with expensive products but he would never highlight, wax or self-tan.

3- The metrosexual seems to be only excited when it comes to fashion and beauty, like an obsession, while the übersexual is "able" to talk on any topic.

4- The metrosexual has many girl friends (and sometimes bitches), while the übersexual has male buddies and also enjoys female friends.


5- Both go to the gym but not for the same reasons. The metrosexual wants to expose himself during parties, while the übersexual just wants to be healthy and comfortable with his appearance.

What should we conclude then? Is the metrosexuel too "gay" and not "heterosexual" enough? Not proud of his masculinity? Why on earth wants Ken to be metrosexual before being übersexual? Because a retrosexual chronologically has to be a metrosexual before reaching a more subtle position: the one of the übersexual. This übersexual characterises the man from the 21st Century who has got rid of his inhibitions thanks to the metrosexualization of society but who wants to avoid looking like a fashion victim addicted to shopping and cosmetics.

There is a tendency to exaggerate and disparage the metrosexual in order to emphasize the übersexual. Metrosexuals are credited with all bad characteristics. The übersexual would have been freed from the most embarrassing: too feminized, too victim of consume society, too vain, too superficial,....

C- LINKED TO SEXUALITY?

Does the übersexual concept mean that gay people can't be virile, strong, sensitive and self-determined? No. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with the label. A lot of gay people are over stylish. A lot of straight people are retrosexuals but there is also a lot of straight übersexuals and gay old-fashioned retrosexuals. Of course this categorization is a new way of describing the personalities of millions of people who can't be the same but it has at least nothing to do with sexuality. Sexuality is not directly linked to a lifestyle and a look. At this point, we would prefer the division of the masculine world into peasant retrosexuals and metropolitan übersexuels than into straight and gay people even though both categorizations simplify and misinterpret reality.

Why being permanently and strictly categorized anyway, whatever regarding our sexuality or lifestyle?

D- PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THIS SCHEMA: MARKETING EXAMPLE OF L'OREAL

L'Oréal Paris took an interest in current masculinity. The brand did some research and questioned diverse specialists (analysts, coaches, sociologists, journalists, fashion,...). The profile of the new man has been identified. L'Oréal has baptized... the NovoCasual. What's that? Another avatar derived from the metrosexual....?

The NovoCasual is reconciled with main components of his identity: virility, creativity, sensibility, seduction and charisma. In any situation, he shows his virility, his uniqueness and his creativity. With a casual attitude, he is able to adapt himself. Perfect father and husband. Best "buddy". Successful professional. His best ally remains his look. He has no inhibitions taking care of his body. The NovoCasual is the perfect consumer for L'Oréal Paris.. !

Once the profile determined, the brand needs a face to embody and promote this new ideal of masculinity. Patrick Dempsey has been chosen. He represents Men Expert: Patrick Dempsey the sexy Dr. of the show Grey's Anatomy would be like most men of the 21st Century, that is to say natural, nice and seductive in any circumstances. He is relaxed in VIP parties as well as in a supermarket. Groomed but casual. He is the "NovoCasual". Got it, guys?.... To succeed, one has to be like Patrick Dempsey.

Contrary to major brands of prêt-à-porter and haute couture, L'Oréal chose not to impose a western face in emerging markets like Asian ones. In Kuala Lumpur, one would be amazed how many adverts for L'Oréal MEN there is. Asia has its own Patrick Dempsey, a symbol Asian people can identify with. A symbol yet not too far from western beauties.

Stand for men in the L'Oréal shop of KLCC Suria (luxurious shopping center

in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), near the Petronas Towers

In the underpass from the subway station

to the shopping center, it clearly appears

how serious the mass-marketing strategy

in Asia is. Walls are not walls but adverts. 

These adverts are in the English and Malay

languages. A sign of globalization but also

a proof that the brand L'Oréal adapts itself 

to the Asian market which is very "fond" of

cosmetics.

The NovoCasual is a natural man. He takes care of himself and is proud to do so. However, he does not want to be a slave of his look, of others' look, of anabolic and slimming cares. In that sense, he is the heir of the ÜBERSEXUAL. That is why L'Oréal Paris has developed efficient and specific cares that can be used every day. Let's have a look at this market and understand how it emerges and can be subtly conditioned.

Part 2: THE MAN IS THE FUTURE OF FASHION AND COSMETICS.....

A) An emerging market...

The men market has been booming since a couple of years. In the next decade, we can expect a huge blossoming. We will use the French market as an example because it is quite representative of the European market and because a lot of cosmetics brands are French.

Men are the new targets. That's for sure. Brands try to adapt. They open specific shops or redesign them (butterfly design in the DIOR shop in Paris for the fall / winter collection). Metrosexuals belong to a high purchasing power category and are easy targets. However, the more traditional male clientele still needs to be confident while shopping. Men often long for a complete new look and lifestyle. However, they do not dare as they need to be guided. Since 2007, the Bon Marché proposes private stylists for custom-tailored advice.

Men's cosmetics market is nowadays dynamic and promising. Major brands in
the women's cosmetics market like Clarins and L'Oréal launched specific ranges: Clarins For Men (2002) and L'Oréal Men Expert (2004). Both were successful. Since a couple of years, marketing strategists have made men aware that taking care of themselves doesn't call into question their virility, associating them to an effiminate or homosexual universe.

What is there in the middle of a Lancôme stand in the luxurious shopping center of Buenos Aires (Galerias Pacifico)?

.... An advert for Lancôme MEN of course!

B).... BOOSTED THESE PAST FEW YEARS BY A WELL-PREPARED EDUCATION OF MALE CONSUMERS

« Nous devons prouver aux hommes qu'il existe des soins qui leur sont spécifiquement destinés »

« We have to prove to men that some care products are specifically done for them.»

Christophe Novelli, French manager of Nivea For Men

The key for expansion is the education of consumers. Men have to get used to cosmectics and be convinced that they remain masculine in spite of care products.

First strategy : create cares men can identify with. Packaging, klick, smell, texture, etc... make the care more masculine.

Second strategy : segmentation of ranges according to each clientele. 15-25 years old customers take care of their look. 20-30 years old usually want to hydrate their skin. After-shave Creams remain the most important care. They must have light textures with fast penetration.

C) MAN : SEXUAL OBJECT BECAUSE HE (It?) IS WORTH IT

Did feminists win their fight? Maybe they did, but we still wait for "masculinists" to assert themselves. Men are used as objects just like women. Men are reified through advertising. Therefore, metrosexualization of society has darker aspects. Not that delightful...

A metrosexualization is firstly a SEXUALIZATION..... Men become sexual. They get naked, used, merchandised. Men match up to women in the field of consumption while being reified, whereas women profesionally and socially matched up to men while taking power. Feminists might be proud:we have a balance for the best... and above all for the worst. Adverts show retouched, perfect, dreamlike and western bodies. They erase differences; make "real" people feel guilty, benefit from our frustrations. This danger increases because such adverts can be seen everywhere.

Showing a naked man in an advert is pretty new. It started a few years ago with adverts such as this one.

In the early 2000s, famous brands were presenting "porno chic". A few years later, phallic symbols are omnipresent and recurrent. Penis, buttocks, low waist. Every single part with erotic potential is used. Is there no complex anymore? A recent advert (2009) in Argentina (usually well-known as a male chauvinist country) for a beer (a typical masculine product) may surprise. Have men got rid of their complexes?

It has become so normal for naked women to denounce it and fight. However, who reacts for men? For instance, each of you has probably already seen Dolce Gabbana's ad campaigns in fashion magazines. The following ad was forbidden and provoked a scandal. The woman would be seen as dominated. The scene would stand for a collective rape.

Then why does nobody protest against naked men next to styled women.... ? THE consumer notices how classy women are and how... naked men are... with everything it implies. Let's have a look...

Dolce Gabanna went too far for a prêt-à-porter brand. Here are some pictures of the calendar they sold in 2007:

Why going so far? The market has a huge potential. Traditional men are not targeted but gay people (who love such ad) and women. Men products are still bought at 80% by their wives / girlfriends. As a consequence, ad should make women fantasize. Men unconsciously hope to look like models thanks to this kind of products. What a dangerous illusion! Even Models don't look like themselves. They have been retouched and made up to look perfect.

D) Blogosphere : creme de la creme

Fashion men's magazines such as Vogue or L'officiel may be outstripped by a huge amount of blogs or websites. Internet is the driving force behind the development of men's market. If Ken could only mention two addresses, he would mention Mensrag and the incontrovertible The Fashionisto.

Mensrag

www.mensrag.com

A blog on the prowl for the latest trends in the men's world. Fashion. Art. Music....

Reports on fashion shows are particularly well done.

The Fashionisto : THE blog to know for men's fashion

thefashionisto.com

old design (above) .... new design (below)

Thanks to daily updates, this blog is a bible. It became so successful that it gave birth to "babies". FASHION GONE ROGUE, concerning women, is also marvellous (www.fashiongonerogue.com). Today, on March 30th, a very rising "baby", THE FASHIONISTO DIARIES starts (http://thediaries.thefashionisto.com). Be sure that we will report on it again.

To Conclude the 1st Chapter:

The excessive metrosexualization and men's sexual reification arise from advertisement and marketization of all layers of society. The expanding market has a promising future, especially in Europe where the women's market can't be expanded anymore. The recession forces western brands to look for new and emerging markets such as men's market and Asian market.

Maria Salzman who invented the übersexual is.... in advertising. People who are in advertising invent concepts. These concepts don't necessarily correspond to reality. They have to create a reality (like the metrosexual) more than reflecting one.

What Ken Metrosexual reports about is yet rather serious. This blog concerns the heart itself of our hypermodern society. For instance, Obama remains a relevant example of the ÜBERSEXUAL man (George Clooney, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are in the TOP 5). Since a couple of years, everything is related to image, beauty, desire, seduction and consequently... sex! This phenomenon is not recent but the hold of advertisement and marketing on our society increased it. It seems harmless (ad for perfume, promotional campaigns for ready-to-wear, etc...) but that threatens the most the integrity and the dignity of our metropolitans. A surface not so superficial.

Zara / Mango

Zara / Mango : FASHION CONQUISTADOR

The secrets of a miracle

The precise analyse of a marketing strategy

Did you think that ZARA's and MANGO's fairy tale was the result of luck? Did you wonder why Europeans can't shop without buying a lot of clothes in ZARA or MANGO and getting into debt? The answer is easy. Both brands have an intelligent strategy, an effective production and an unstoppable marketing. It has nothing to do with luck ! Let's analyse together and dissect, after a short history, what makes the spanish prêt-à-porter so successful.....

ZARA

The company's track record is pretty impressive. Since 2000, Inditex (Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius, Bershka, Oysho) tripled its sales and profits as it has doubled the number of stores. In 2001, Ortega became the world's 23rd richest person, with a personal fortune that Forbes estimated at $12.6 billion.

Inditex has managed to get so far, so fast largely through the use of innovative management and logistics techniques, which have now become the subject of studies in business schools around the world.(1)

(1) For instance, a Zara Fast Fashion Workshop was held on October 21st, 2005, at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City

--> History

Spanish entrepreneur Amancio Ortega Gaona started a firm manufacturing lingerie and nightwear in 1963 in La Coruña (Galicia). He opened the first Zara store in 1975, to sell stock after a customer cancelled a large order. Since then Zara has made high fashion universally, generating sales of 3.8 billion euros. The 1980s saw rapid expansion across Spain, followed by the opening in 1988 of the first Zara store outside Spain, in Porto, Portugal. Other shops followed swiftly in New York in 1989, Paris in 1990.

Now the group has nearly 3,900 stores in 70 countries around the world. It has ­expanded so rapidly in recent months that it has even overtaken its main US rival Gap to become the world's largest clothing retailer. The difference may be tiny, but for the first time the Spanish group has inched past its American rival. It is three years since Inditex overtook H&M, to become the biggest clothing retailer in Europe.

Regarding the present context in the textile wear production (= a bitter competition), Zara's success seems to be a fairy tale… a fairy tale that has been very precisely organised since years thanks to an innovative and audacious commercial strategy.

--> The concept

"Zara was a fashion imitator. It focused its attention on understanding the fashion items that its customers wanted and then delivering them, rather than on promoting predicted season's trends via fashion shows and similar channels of influence, which the fashion industry traditionally used." (2)

(2) according to Businessworld magazine

The 3 golden rules :

1- Follow the trends of fashion shows... Zara's talent consists in observing in a discerning way the trends to follow. As a consequence, what is proposed is perfectly adequate to the client's desires.

2- Tease the desires of customers... Zara turns the last musts of high fashion houses into affordable clothes.

3- Be in tune with the desires of customers. 200 designers receive informations from all shops in order to know what is being sold and what is not. So they simutaneously adapt the products to consumers' behaviours. They are also informed about sails of creators and houses they inspire themselves of. Therefore, they can determine more precisely the potential of each item.

--> Strategy "Design on demand"

The ­success of items lies in the fact that Zara is able to adapt the offer in the shortest time possible to what ­customers want. For Inditex, time is the main ­factor to take into account. ,It is even more important than the costs of production.

When Zara opened in England, it was the first fashion chain to constantly restock. That has become commonplace but then it was a brilliant strategy at the beginning.... luring customers back weekly by offering something different on every visit. Nowadays, deliveries arrive at stores twice per week from Zara headquarters. At all stores. Ken even checked in Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia. Failure rates of Zara's new products were reported to be just 1 per cent, considerably lower than the industry average of 10 per cent.

The company can design a new product and have finished goods in its stores in four to five weeks; it can modify existing items in two weeks (compared with a six-month industry average). It produces about 11,000 distinct items annually compared with 2,000 to 4,000 items for its main competitors.

If a design doesn't sell well within a week, it is withdrawn from shops and further orders are cancelled. A new design is pursued. No design stays on the shop floor for more than four weeks. An average high-street store in Spain expects customers to visit three times a year. That goes up to 17 times for Zara.

The capacity of reaction has to be short : a climate change, a surpise, a new trendy product that all stars wear. According to Zara, the climate is the first factor to be taken into account. A rainy summer or a warmy winter can ruin a whokey words of Zara.

Zara became adept at picking up up-to-the-minute trends and churning them out to stores in a matter of weeks. For example, after Madonna's first concert date in Spain during a recent tour, her outfit was copied by Zara. By the time she performed her last concert in Spain, some members of the audience were wearing the same outfit. Thanks to whom?

By constantly refreshing the collection, Zara was able to prevent the accumulation of non-saleable inventories and customers constantly returned to stores to browse new items.

--> an intimate communication / a marketing of scarcity

Zara chose an interactive relation with its clients.

- No noisy advert : In comparison with other clothing retailers, who spent 3-4 per cent of sales on advertising, Zara spent just 0.3 per cent. The little it did spend went to reinforce its identity as a clothing retailer that was low-cost but high fashion.

- No glamourous partenrship or media-related events : Zara most importantly wants to create desires among customers and make them come back.

- Communication Strategy : its weekly shop windows

Zara relied on its shop windows to communicate its brand image. They are elaborated in Spain every week and have to be the same in all shops.

This choice of an almost non-existant communication makes them save a huge budget in order to invest in real estate. The stores have the best location possible which is crucial : they must be seen, accessible and in places known for shopping to keep a direct relation with consumers.

Customers entering a Zara store on Regent Street in London, Rue Rivoli in Paris, Fifth Avenue in New York or Avenidas das Americas in Rio de Janeiro generally discovers the same environment: a predominantly white, modern and spacious store, well-lit and walled with mirror.

- Marketing of scarcity : Each item is only producted 10 or 15 000 times, which has two advantages : exclusivity for customers and need for Zara to create new items.

--> Outsourcing ? Zara - a vertically integrated retailer

The key to Inditex's brand ­diversification lies in the group's vertical integration. Almost all the phases of developing and selling are carried out in house — from design and production to logistics and sales. It designs, produces, and distributes itself. Unlike similar apparel retailers in the same market, Zara controls most of the steps on the supply-chain.

50% of the products Zara sells are manufactured in Spain, 26% in the rest of Europe, and 24% in Asian and African countries and the rest of the world. So while competitors outsource production to Asia, Zara makes its most fashionable items - half of all its items - at a dozen company-owned factories in Spain and Portugal, particularly in Galician and northern Portugal. Clothes with a longer shelf life, such as basic T-shirts, are outsourced to low-cost suppliers, mainly in Asia and Turkey.

At the Zara distribution centre, optical reading devices were used to sort and distribute over 60,000 items per hour. The garments were then picked up and collected by trucks, which transported them to different destinations all over Europe (about 75 per cent of deliveries). Products for more distant destinations were transported by air (about 25 per cent)

Of course outsourcings would make the costs of production go down but it will extend the deadline to 2 or 3 months as well.

Store in Casablanca (at the top) and in the 5th Avenue in NY (at the bottom)

--> Limits

The Zara model seems to work better in markets where customers have an appetite for fashion (such as France, Italy, Japan and the UK). In other markets, where consumers are less fashion-focused (such as Germany and the US), Zara is less successful.

Zara only has one manufacturing and distribution center in the world. It is both a gift (all steps of development can be controled) and a curse. The risk is huge. If there is a power shortage, strike or even a natural disaster in the area, it will be sure to affect Zara dramatically.

Another weakness of Zara is its euro-centric model :

- First of all, there is an expected over saturation of Zara stores in Europe by 2013, which would mean that running the stores would actually cost more money than their revenue.

- Second of all, the european strong currency makes prices climbing in places such as the United States where the same piece of clothing can be up to 50% more than in Spain. Therefore, Zara products are low-cost in Europe, while they are priced as luxury fashion items in the rest of the world. Europeans would be stunned by the prices of items in Buenos Aires (clearly unaffordable for the argentinean standart of living and even more expensive than in Europe). In Singapore, one of the best places to shop in the world, Zara is also very expensive in comparison with other similar non european shops.

--> Future Opportunities

The Zara lifestyle : Zara tends to diverse its offer. Nowadays, the concept that made the brand famous, based on the democratization of luxurious inspired by high fashion is being a little bit forgotten. The brand has to evolve. The offer is more and more diverse. From make-up to furnitures by Zara Home, Zara has the ability to develop a real brand image.

China and India :

Zara's next step is certainly in China, where 9 shops were openend since 2004. Amancio Ortega clearly wants to profit from the emerging chinese middle class and extend rapidly his reign in the market.

The greatest source of growth in the near future will probably come from India. India has been one of the top retail investment markets for the last three years. The opening of stores in India has been planed for 2010.

MANGO

Aimed at urban women aged between 18 and 40, Mango has turned into one of the two leading Spanish clothing exporters, with 1,200 stores worldwide in 89 countries. Indeed, the brand that was created in 1984 has become successfull although the market of women's clothing remains extremely competitive. In 2008, the turnover reached 1,3 billion euros. As a consequence, the main shareholders, the brothers Andic, figure among the 350 world's biggest fortunes, according to the US business magazine Forbes.

--> History

Mango is an exception. Isak et Nahman Andic, two 14 years old turkish brothers emigrated to Spain. When he was 17, Isak traveled in Asia and came back home with tee-shirts he wanted to sail twice more. He started sailing the items on the flea market with his brother. In 1984, they opened their first shop in one of the greatest boulevards of Barcelona : Passeig de Gràcia. It was called Mango, a reference to the tropic fruit Isak tasted when he went to the Philippines and liked because it tasted very different from what he used to taste…

Mango's rapid international expansion has enabled the brothers to meet their goal of having a retail outlet in every large city in the world. The brand embarked upon international expansion in 1992 with the opening of two franchise stores in Portugal. The first Mango shop in America was inaugurated in Mexico in 1994. With its entry into Taiwan in 1995, MANGO/MNG established itself in the Asian market. Mango is also the first Spanish brand to have successfully broken into the complicated Italian market.

The store boulevard Haussman in Paris remains the best example to assess Mango's success. Every day, 8, 000 consumers enter this new store of 1 400 m2, located in the quarter with the highest shopping debit in Europe, next to the Grands Magasins (Galeries Lafayettes and Printemps). Bought two years ago, it was highly expensive (approximatively 20 Million Euros). In a few moths, this shop has become the number one for the brand : best turnover.

On November 20th, a new shop MANGO opened in New York in spite of the crisis or rather thanks to the crisis because a lot of brands had to close their shops which brought new opportunies and markets. Mango even has an eye on the 5th Avenue and the Champs Elysées.

--> New Developments

ONLINE STORE : An increasing number of people visit the online store to do their shopping. Thanks to the website, the 713,000 users registered so far, 26% more than last year, have found a convenient and practical way to purchase items from the MANGO collection. 11,000 orders are now placed every month.

FOR MEN : The HE Homini Emerito collection has also recorded an increase in online sales since it was lauched in March 2008. The section of this collection has been enlarged afterwards, in order to be adapted to the men's market.

ASIA : The last major new development is undoubtedly the project to bring Mangoshop.com to China. After Beijing, Mango is continuing its expansion in the Asian giant with the opening of two new stores in Shanghai. Both are large stores and are located in two of the city’s most prestigious shopping centres: Superbrand Mall and Plaza 353 Mall.

--> Marketing in a very competitive market

How to avoid a direct competition ? Simply by creating products that cannot be compared to the ones that the competitors create, mainly ZARA and H&M. That way, Mango brings someting else and aims at a slightly different market.

To face Zara, which does not advertise and creates impeccable basic items, Mango tries to be highly fashion and glamour :

1) by manifolding shows with designers

2) by collaborating with muses such as Pénélope Cruz

To face H&M which is imbattable when it comes to the quality/ price ratio, Mango :

1) proposes more expensive items but more sophisticated

2) renews more often

Mango is consequently an exception within the market. It avoids a direct competition : less trendy than H&M, more intimist than Zara, the brand succeeded to attract urban clients who want to be in without being "fashion victim".

Mango's PLUS ?

1) Mango proposes clothes that are at the same time trendy and practical. Of course the stylists are inspired by fashion shows but they have to design more than 70 % of basic clothes and around 30% of "fashion" products. Prices remain affordable even though they are higher than the ones in Zara. Mango's goal consists in proposing clothes for everything. That is the reason why the brand opened different lines. Indeed, after a few years, it extended its target. As a consequence, one can find pupils, sophisticated thirty years old women as well as older women with a basic style.

2) All shop assistants are personal shoppers. They have been trained to advice customers. MANGO wants to offer an environnement conducive to consumption even though prices will be consequently higher.

--> Marketing Strategy

MANGO's budget for communication is very important. Milla Jovovich created a mini collection a few years ago. Most recently, the famous Penelope and Monica Cruz designed for the brand too. Mango is not only looking for spangles. The headquarter wants the chosen stars to feel free and bring their own vision of fashion through these mini-collections (25 different items). The sisters Cruz decided to create clothes their would like to wear but they were also inspired by the lothes they already wear. Mango uses the image of these beautiful spanish women who are elegant but also modern.

--> Mango and France

Let's not forget that the new strategic market is not only the Asian one but the French one. France is traditionnally a country of shopping. French women spend much more money for clothes than spanish women. The 89 shops in France represent 10 % of Mango's turnover and it is only the beginning. 25 openings have been planned in 2008. What's next? The market of men's clothing is the most challenging. The competition remains less important than for the market of women's clothing. However, the only competitor is a huge one : ZARA MEN.

.... It's fast, it's outrageously fashionable. How could our addicted fashion victims resist ?