3 questions for . . . Christophe Cann

Christophe Cann is a respected name in retail, and especially department stores. In 2014, after no less than 23 years working with Galeries Lafayette, he was appointed managing director for the Robinsons Group. The Group, which owns three department stores in Singapore and a fourth in Malaysia, also manages 17 Marks & Spencer and four John Little (similar to Monoprix) stores. Mr Cann shares his analysis of the particularities of the Singapore market and more generally the opportunities for fashion brands in this part of Asia.

Would you tell us about Robinsons department stores?

The first store was established over 150 years ago, so Robinsons is part of Singaporeʼs legacy and history. The young Republic of Singapore, which is about to celebrate 50 years, is home to only two national department store brands, Robinsons and C.K. Tangs, created in 1938. The other two, Takashimaya and Isetan, are Japanese.

Our brand is part of the collective memory. Our heritage store is on Orchard Road, the local Champs-Élysées. We have always been known for the quality of our service, but we havenʼt really had a fashion identity.

Two of the three Singapore stores were recently transformed. Their initial positioning had been line with Lane Crawford (in Hong Kong), but the new direction was too radical and the store became too hip, too trendy, and too luxury-oriented. So now weʼre re-evaluating this positioning. Since I joined the group, Iʼve mostly applied common sense to make the stores more profitable and more convenient. My goal is to satisfy the demands of local and international clients. We adapted merchandise according to product categories. We stopped carrying brands that were too cutting edge and impractical for Singapore, and switched to ʽeasier-to-wearʼ brands. We also added make-up and body care products, which are more everyday purchases. Weʼve seen that this has created store traffic and is already a success.

How is Singapore different from the international and Asian fashion product offer? Could you tell us about Singaporean clientsʼ specific characteristics?

The product offer in Asian department stores is much more international than in European department stores, where there are mostly national and European brands.

Our international brands include well known names such as The Kooples, Tara Jarmon, Gérard Darel, and Sinequanone. Itʼs also probable we will soon welcome Sandro and Maje. Alongside these brands, we also carry Jessica (Hong Kong), Oasis, and Coast (Great Britain), as well as Thai, Korean, and Japanese brands.

The purchasing team is made up of less than ten buyers for womenʼs fashion. They handle the designer, contemporary, and casual segments. Our selection of womenʼs accessories was also revamped. The jewellery offer was too small, and the shoe department was badly organised. There were shoes that were impossible to wear! This is a flat-shoe country. The climate is damp, it rains often, and the ground is slippery. Our goal is to truly meet clientsʼ needs and to consider every detail. Another example — this is a country for dresses. Women donʼt, or almost never, wear pants, because itʼs hot and humid. So we stock a selection of dresses as well as skirts and tops. On the other hand, layers donʼt work here, for the same reasons. Singaporeans travel a lot. They go to Hong Kong, Thailand, and Australia. They like fashion and they appreciate brands, though not just European ones.

We also set up a loyalty program, which helps us correctly target our promotions. We now have a solid client database with 300,000 loyalty card carriers. Thatʼs an excellent number for 5.4 million inhabitants in Singapore, a figure which includes 1.4 million expatriates.

How do you see womenʼs ready-to-wear today and especially French brands? What advice would you give to French brands who want to get established in Singapore?

Itʼs true that French brands are successful, but they have to be careful. They need to adapt to the reality of different markets. This goes back to what I said about the areaʼs climate, for example. Brands also need to take into account the local morphology, which is relatively similar to the Japanese. That means cuts have to be adapted. I donʼt think collections include enough over-40 sizes, yet part of our clientele needs those sizes, especially slightly older women who like fashion and have good buying power. Brands should also be willing to work on consignment, a common Asian practice.

French brands should be more widespread here, and when I say ʽhereʼ, I include Asia and even the Middle East. The French arenʼt clear about the difference between Singapore and China, but itʼs the European equivalent of Switzerland! Iʼm ready to advise brands that want to develop here. In Malaysia, which is a Muslim country, the young generation is very fashion oriented, more so than in Singapore. And in Jakarta and Bangkok, fashion is even more popular. The youth are ultra-connected, full of energy, and curious. There is an enormous reservoir of clients in the part of Asia surrounding Singapore. There are truly opportunities to seize.