Eric Bompard has been working for years on a transformation which is now finally complete. Its new owners are planning to double the current revenue of €72 million. The first element of the transformation involves the product range, following the appointment as creative director in 2018 of Emily Harris, in charge until the Fall/Winter 2020-21 season. According to Jonathan Trepo, general manager of Compagnie Marco Polo, Bompard’s design studio had a clear mission: “to give the label a more directional dimension. We mustn’t simply rely on our essentials, we must attract customers with a strong new collection, encouraging them to come back to our stores more often”. The product range has also been extended, with the introduction of a new, more accessible line in a wool/cashmere blend. Its prices start at €170 for a sweater, another move to attract new customers. New materials are at the heart of Eric Bompard’s diversification strategy: the label has broadened its range of fabrics, introducing luxury brushed cashmere as well as cashmere/cotton, cashmere/alpaca, cashmere/silk and cashmere/yak blends. Eric Bompard was among the first luxury labels to act in e-commerce, that was launched 15 years ago, and it now accounts for 12% of sales. “In the next four years – Trepo says -, our goal is to reach 25%. To do so, in mid-October we will launch a new website, with more room for content. It will extend to a greater number of countries, 250, featuring local languages, currencies and means of payment, and offer free delivery and returns. By 2020, our plan is to go full-circle and connect it with our brick-and-mortar business, introducing delivery and returns from stores.” Physical stores are also part of the new owner’s ambitious investment plan. Eric Bompard currently operates just over 70 monobrand shops, the majority of them in France, though the label is also present in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and the UK.
