To do this, we will give the floor to the people who have worked, directly or indirectly, on the development and operation of this unique store. We will talk about work , design, teams, business... in short, a range of subjects essential to the different stages of building a store over the long term.
To begin, Laurent our store director will transport you to the heart of the battlefield. He is the one who led all the work carried out on site, thinking about the future design, local references and the coordination of the teams, he tells you about it.
THE SHOP'S HAPPENINGS SEEN FROM THE INSIDE
The history of the new BonneGueule boutique in Nantes is still the result of an eventful adventure. Some will say perilous… But what a result!
We thought that with the construction site of the Lille store, we had seen everything, known everything. But that was without taking into account the mischief of the elements and the hidden secrets of the architecture of a building.
The project dates back to 2020 when Geoffrey, after several visits to the city, came across this incredible premises, located in a unique building on rue Crébillon, a corner building, reminiscent of the famous “Flatiron Building” in New York.
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1. THE BEGINNING OF THE GALLEYS
Among the adventures we encountered, it was the infiltration of rainwater from the street at the top of the building that worried us the most... and this up to three days before the opening of the store.
The final repairs were carried out at the last minute by the co-ownership after several months of recovery!
On the construction side, everything has not been smooth sailing either. After completely stripping the interior of the store, the company which was to carry out the fitting out did not wish to carry out the rest of the project and therefore withdrew in June. And yes, it can be done! Summary, goodbye to the opening planned for the end of July…
2. NEW START FOR NEW ADVENTURES
Never mind, we rolled up our sleeves and looked for a new partner, but with the need to overhaul the entire architectural concept of the store. We found a new partner: the Label Experience firm which had already contributed to the creation of the stores in Paris , Lyon and Bordeaux .
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After two months of complete overhaul of the concept, we finally arrived at an exclusive designer store with as a guideline, the desire to reflect the territorial imprint of the city, as we had chosen to do in Lille and as we will now do this in all our new stores.
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3. OUR 100% LOCAL INSPIRATIONS
The opening of each BonneGueule boutique has therefore been an opportunity since this year to invite you on a unique architectural walk inspired by strong aesthetic and artistic codes , symbols of the city where the brand is established.
In Nantes, the BonneGueule boutique pays homage to the influences of the Loire and the Ocean through an immediate connection to natural aquatic elements. This boutique is an invitation to contemplate, a breath of fresh air in the city that highlights the imperfect beauty of these Nantes landscapes and resources.
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The interior architecture of the boutique plays on the alternation and balance between the river and the ocean on the one hand, the movement, the flexible shapes of the roll of the wave and the lapping, the softness of the polished concrete and the strength of the current.
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And on the other hand the very constructed accumulation of strata of sediment, the roughness of the wood. Singularity of the BonneGueule brand, but now classic in all its stores: placing advice, sincerity and conviviality at the center of its concerns, whether via its media, the community or its in-store advisors.
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Finally, the big novelty of this Nantes store will be to offer brand new content to its visitors for the first time, directly inspired by our media:
- A wall of “little secrets”, to read on site or to take away, answering the main questions asked by customers who enter the stores, about textiles, fashion or clothing.
- A table of materials and artisans allowing you to discover the gems that the brand unearths around the world.
- A list of good addresses in the neighborhood compiling fashion boutiques, restaurants and cafes, lifestyle boutiques…
- A diary sharing all the brand's news whether in store or on our website.
- A screen that can broadcast the numerous reports, portraits or videos that the brand produces throughout the year.
You now understand the entire process that made it possible to bring real added value to this store. Even though the battle was difficult, the team did not give up.
Now dive inside the store, with its manager Bathsheva, who obviously played a major role. You will see that the adventure was full of emotions.
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HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT BONNEGUEULE?
For six years at Balibaris I wanted to change jobs.
Looking online, I fell in love . The atmosphere that the comments gave off made me think that customers appreciated BonneGueule for its ensemble, not only for the clothes, but also for us, I didn't even hesitate, I said yes straight away.
It was made clear to me that we were not just there to sell, and that's what I appreciate in this job, it's the human contact. I left my job in July.
HOW WERE YOU WELCOME AT BONNEGUEULE?
I thought I would start in August, unfortunately with the delay in the work, the opening was postponed. So I was welcomed during a team building in Brittany in July, it was extraordinary.
It may be cliché what I'm going to say but for me it's like a big family, everyone likes each other. I said to myself, my place is at BonneGueule, it's a totally different company.
TELL US ABOUT OPENING DAY…
The inauguration was a success, there were a lot of people. We met a few customers, many traders. I was very moved, I am a very empathetic and sensitive person. I even shed my little tear at the end of the inauguration, I found myself with Benoît and Laurent, and I told them: “Thank you for everything”
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Day of the inauguration of the Nantes boutique
We feel so much love at BonneGueule. That’s what I really appreciate, this communion, everyone pushing in the same direction.”
SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN AT BONNEGUEULE, HAS YOUR PERCEPTION OF THE CUSTOMER AND SALES CHANGED?
I have always been liberated and commercial. In my old job, I was told “you have to push the customer to buy”. There was stress generated by the figure with this question that kept coming up “but why didn’t the customer buy?”
It's not in my philosophy, the customer comes to discover the pieces, to exchange. He's not necessarily here to buy right away, I know he'll come back. At BonneGueule, we don't have this pressure.
We know that there is a figure to be achieved, we are not fooled, but I breathe, I am given space.
It changes life, in the morning I get up, I have a smile on my face. I know I'm going to meet my teams again, see our customers... I can't wait to find out how the day will go. Personally I have no stress when I work, I can talk with a client for half an hour there is no problem.
ACCORDING TO YOU, WHAT IS A GOOD CUSTOMER?
Clients are much more open, they are enormously grateful for our work. For example, a customer brought us a gift, a bottle of champagne. I had never had that, I was hugely touched.
I asked why did he want to reward us? He said it was just to thank us.
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The Nantes team made up of Matthias, Manon, Bathsheva
After all, we don't necessarily please everyone. When we are overwhelmed on Saturdays we cannot take care of everyone at once. When someone sends us a disparaging comment, I call the person to try to understand the reason for their dissatisfaction. BonneGueule customers are relaxed, they take the time to chat with us.
HOW DID THE NANTESES RECEIVE THIS NEW SHOP?
Many Nantes residents do not know the brand. For them, it is more difficult to understand the process, they are in the discovery phase. We must therefore reassure them, particularly regarding the origin, the quality of the products, etc.
AND HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE FUTURE?
Being the best shop, just kidding. As long as my clients feel good, I'm happy. I want people to talk about the BonneGueule Nantes boutique, to say that the team is great, that we receive good advice there. One of the most important things for me is to have a team that lasts. I don't really have a goal but I want the store to be a continuation of BonneGueule's history. I want things to remain simple by instilling a good mood, that customers are happy.
The version on the ground is according to Bathsheva "only fun", what about at the strategic level? Geoffrey, co-founder of BonneGueule tells us his vision.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ON THE BUSINESS SIDE: “BEHIND THEM, WE REMAIN THE SAME, BLOGGERS WHO SHARE THEIR LOVE OF BEAUTIFUL CLOTHES.”
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WHY CONTINUE TO OPEN NEW STORES?
We have already opened several establishments in different cities, such as Lyon, Paris, Bordeaux and Lille. This allowed us to learn the trade and better understand future openings from a strictly economic point of view. Since then we have drawn conclusions and realized that it was an additional opportunity for us.
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In reality, having physical stores allows us to maintain additional proximity with our community, in particular thanks to passionate sales advisors.
Ultimately, we remain the same, bloggers who share their love of beautiful clothes. We love interacting with traders, sharing our good addresses, perpetuating our private meetings. Human relationships, whether on the internet or in person, are what matters most to us.
Ultimately, a store is a profitable distribution channel. Conversely, with e-commerce, you have to pay for packaging, shipping costs, return costs, dry cleaning costs, these are charges that do not exist in physical stores.
Of course we have other expenses such as rent and salaries but it remains a lever which allows us to improve our economic performance, it is a factor of sustainability.
WHY OPEN A SHOP SPECIFICALLY IN NANTES?
On the one hand, we observed purchasing behaviors in Nantes, and we noticed that they were similar to those studied in Lyon and Bordeaux. These are similar populations in terms of age, income, taste in clothing. So we said to ourselves, our stores work in these two cities, why not Nantes. This is one way to limit the risk.
In addition, we saw that there are many BonneGueule customers and readers in Nantes. Systematically, during our lives or Instagram posts talking about our stores, many readers asked us to open an establishment in Nantes.
You also have to be lucky to have such an opportunity. We're looking for premium locations, and it's not always easy to find.
There was an alignment of the planets this time. This incredible space, perhaps the coolest in town, was for sale. We managed to negotiate it at a price corresponding to our budget, in particular thanks to the health crisis.
BETWEEN STORES AND THE WEB, WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF BONNEGEULE?
Our goal is to remain a digital-first brand. We want to remain the leader in web experience, media...
Obviously, we want to continue to open physical locations, where people expect us, where it makes sense. But we are not on a strategy of perpetual expansion.
Regarding the figures, above all we want to develop BonneGueule in a sustainable way. That is to say, reaching a multitude of people through CSR clothing .
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Afterwards, it's not us who decide, if people mainly buy in person or on the web it doesn't matter, we just support people's purchasing behavior, everything we do we do it thoroughly.
When we open new stores, we want to keep this digital DNA. Which means that even within our establishments, there must be digital elements. The majority of in-store traffic comes from people who come from the web. After e-commerce or what ever store.
CAN YOU SPECIFY THE COSTS INCURRED BY A SHOP LIKE THIS?
The establishment like that of Nantes has a cost, obviously, but everything has been calculated. It is an investment worth several hundred thousand euros, but in reality it does not represent a significant risk for us.
In fact, you have to repay your commercial lease, but you can easily resell it at the same price if you have to close your store tomorrow. Ultimately it is a capital asset rather than a cost.
The work certainly remains an investment but makes it possible to beautify the store which is a major asset in the event of resale. In the end there is no real risk, when you have a premium location, you always find yourself there, even if the market is difficult. Strategically, it is rather the establishments located on the outskirts which will be in difficulty during a period of crisis.
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Then, in terms of financing, this investment has no direct impact on our daily cash flow. The work and the lease rights are financed by our loan to the bank. We quickly find ourselves in balance thanks in particular to our community which follows us closely. We have to repay the loan in six years. Once amortized, these are even more interesting locations than e-commerce.
