The resale economy is taking retail by storm. And, come September, this global fashion retailer will be jumping head-on into the surge - starting with the Canadian market. On this episode of The Voice of Retail, I talk with the Country Manager of H&M Canada, Frédéric Tavoukdjian, about H&M’s newest project “Rewear.”
Welcome to the The Voice of Retail , I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada.
The resale economy is taking retail by storm. And, come September, this global fashion retailer will be jumping head-on into the surge - starting with the Canadian market.
On this episode of The Voice of Retail, I talk with the Country Manager of H&M Canada, Frédéric Tavoukdjian, about H&M’s newest project “Rewear.” We discuss what the Rewear platform is all about, how it will work and how it came to be. Frederic talks about the importance of listening to consumer needs, his excitement of taking on a new assignment after almost 20 years at H&M, and what it’s like to manage this expansive brand in Canada.
Thanks for tuning into today’s episode of The Voice of Retail. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed this episode please consider leaving a rating and review, as it really helps us grow so that we can continue getting amazing guests on the show.
I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co!
Until next time, stay safe and have a great week!
Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.
Michael LeBlanc 00:04
Welcome to The Voice of Retail. I'm your host, Michael LeBlanc. This podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada. The resale economy is taking retail by storm. And, come September, this global fashion retailer will be jumping head-on into the surge - starting with the Canadian market. On this episode of The Voice of Retail, I talked with the Country Manager of H&M, Canada, Frédéric Tavoukdjian, about H&M's newest project "Rewear". We discuss what the Rewear platform is all about, how it will work, and how it came to be. Frédéric talks about the importance of listening to consumer needs, his excitement of taking on a new assignment after almost 20 years at H&M, and what it's like to manage this expensive brand in Canada,
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 00:43
Basically, H&M Rewear will offer them a simple and seamless experience, you know, for everybody if they want to resell, or buy, you know, secondhand clothes, just to let to, give you a bit of key services that we didn't carry, because I assumed that you know a lot of our readers, you know, already know, this kind of platform, but I have to say that. And I have to tell you, Michael, that I'm very proud that H&M is the first retailer to this scale, you know, to launch something like this.
Michael LeBlanc 01:13
Let's listen in now. Frédéric, welcome to The Voice of Retail podcast. How are you this morning?
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 01:19
I'm really fine. Thank you, so much, Michael, for having me.
Michael LeBlanc 01:23
Well, it's a real treat to be able to talk to you you've got such an interesting background. And you've got such an interesting initiative that we're here to talk about. But why don't we jump right in, I was looking at your background, longtime veteran of H&M but you've traveled different countries now you're here. Welcome to Canada. So, tell me about your origin story, your career path and how you came to, to be at H&M and what do you do for them?
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 01:49
Yeah, sure. First and foremost, my name is Frédéric Tavoukdjian, as I'm a French citizen. you know, the French from Paris, you know, where we, we, we sell baguette and not poutine like in Quebec. So basically, you know
Michael LeBlanc 02:07
And talk funny and you talk funny too,
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 02:07
Exactly
Michael LeBlanc 02:07
because you don't sound like Quebec-ers, you don't sound like them.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 02:13
So, to your point, I started at a big French company, you know, very similar to Walmart in-store, I focused on wholesale and retail and, and really worked really hard to make my way up to the Ad Office. But you know, I'm very passionate guy, and, and back in the day, I was looking for a company that supported me to further develop my ability for retail, my passion for leadership, in a really fast-paced environment. And to be honest, that's why I moved to H&M because I felt that it was a place, which is very different to other company. And
Michael LeBlanc 02:47
Yeah.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 02:48
And I started in Paris, in stores, and as a department manager, and then, of course, I had different roles as a Store manager, or a Manager and so forth. And then a couple of years later, with the family, we moved to China in Beijing, where I was responsible as a Sales Manager for Northern and East of China. And since September 2018, I'm here in this lovely country, as a Country Manager for Canada.
Michael LeBlanc 03:16
Well, were you always, I talked to a lot of business leaders in retail, and some of them became retailers accidentally, we've called it the accidental career sometimes for retail. In other words, they started doing one thing and they wound up in retail and love it. Did you always want to be a retailer? What, what sparked that passion for you that, that retail, did you always know retail was the thing for you?
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 03:39
Yes, actually, because, you know, all in the, my family, you know, that they loved the business. And when I was, you know, a kid, sometime I was doing like, I was going to the different marketplace, we, my father selling some stuff. And for me, it's a real pleasure. You know, it was a pleasure to have the contact with people. And also, let's be honest, you know, to find some strategy, you know, to make the best out of it.
Michael LeBlanc 04:03
Yeah.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 04:04
So, yeah, since I was a kid, you know, I really enjoy, you know, the business overall. And also have to say that, you know, business in general, the something that I love is the psychology behind and, and being a reader for me, really to enhance people and motivate them on a daily basis is something that I love the most. It's a really, I have a lot of ambition for people and I think being able actually to connect my passion for business and for people. I think it was the perfect marketplace. That's actually what makes me happy.
Michael LeBlanc 04:39
Right, and, and talk about how you wound up from Beijing to Canada. I mean, Beijing, that would be a huge remit. Canada is a wonderful place. Did you say I want to go to a country like Canada, was it, how did it come about was it wasn't an opportunity you couldn't pass up? Obviously, you have the French Connection. So, that's a big advantage for, for our market, any thoughts on that?
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 05:02
Yeah, actually, you know, it was a, it was a real opportunity that just popped up. And it was also, you know, I have a couple of discussion, of course, with, with the company and they gave me this opportunity. And yeah, I mean, yeah, we talked about different options, but this one, I think was the best. And, as you just mentioned I, you know, Canada is, it's amazing country and you don't want to miss this one.
Michael LeBlanc 05:28
Fantastic. Well, let's talk about H&M in Canada. And, of course, anyone listening to the podcast would know the brand, H&M, and I'm sure they've walked in the stores, but they may not know everything about it in terms of how many stores are associates and different brands or banners. Tell us a bit about the business here in Canada.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 05:45
Yeah, I mean, you know, in Canada, we carry 91 stores. If we talk about H&M brand itself, H&M Group, you know, also carries different brands.
Michael LeBlanc 05:57
Yeah.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 05:57
So, just to name a few. We have H-uh, we have, of course, H&M, of course, Arket, Weekday, just to name a few. And but in Canada, we, we carry COS. So, we have seven COS stores. And on top of that, of course, we have a very strong online presence.
Michael LeBlanc 06:15
Right.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 06:15
So, we are quite, we are quite satisfied and happy with that.
Michael LeBlanc 06:20
Well, Canada has certainly been the recipient in a way of the great acceleration, as we've called it, from an online perspective, we were trailing many countries, but I was reading last week, I think in 2020, we had more growth by percentage than in almost every other country in the world. So, it's really caught up. It's, it's great to see, great to see you online. It's, it's a key part of the business for sure.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 06:43
Yes, I mean, it keeps growing. But I also have to say that both platform, you know, I have to say perform quite well. And you can see that, you know, our customers, they respond very well. And you know it's a, it's a, it's a different near need, we still have some shopper love, you know, hanging out, you know being, more, low in the streets.
Michael LeBlanc 07:01
Of Course, of course.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 07:02
But to your point, Michael, yes, our online presence is getting bigger and bigger and we are really, really proud of that.
Michael LeBlanc 07:14
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Michael LeBlanc 07:22
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Michael LeBlanc 07:41
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Michael LeBlanc 08:20
Well, let's talk about what brought us together again, thank you for joining me on the mic today. And this is this exciting initiative, this resell platform, H&M Rewear. Tell me, tell me all about it. Tell, tell me how it came to pass. How does it work? It's, it's really interesting. So, over to you, tell me all about it.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 08:37
Yeah, sure. You know, I will try to keep it short. You know, I'm so passionate about that, that you know, as a passionate guy sometimes time goes by and so just to your point, you know, H&M Rewear, it's a one stop digital peer-to-peer resale destination where a Canadian can buy any, buy and sell any piece of clothing from any brand. So, as I probably haven't mentioned to you yet, but it's only available in Canada, so far.
Michael LeBlanc 09:06
Hm, so, you launched it. It was launched internationally here in Canada.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 09:10
Yes. Only in Canada. And yeah, so we are really proud, you know, and it's very first time and yeah, let's see, let's see the future.
Michael LeBlanc 09:19
Yeah. Okay. So, tell me how it works. So, on the surface, it's simple. You can buy and sell things. But what's, what's H&M is roll D and it's not launched yet? I mean, I think it launches in early September. Right. So, there's that word, there's nowhere to go see it today. But what is the launch date? Was it the 7th did I see?
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 09:35
September 7th, exactly.
Michael LeBlanc 09:37
September 7th. So, what, what can you tell me about what I can expect 'cause we're, I'm going to, we're going to be, we're listening to this on Monday, before launch. What can people expect when they go to H&M on the 7th of September?
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 09:50
Yeah, I mean, basically, H&M Rewear will offer them a simple and seamless experience, you know, for everybody if they want to resell or buy, you know, secondhand clothes. And, and, and so, just to let, to give you a bit of key services that we carry, because I assume that, you know, a lot of our readers, you know, already know, this kind of platform. But I have to say that. And I have to tell you, Michael, that I'm very proud that H&M is the first retailer to this scale, you know, to launch something like this. And, to your question, you know, what will they will, you know, experience within this platform is something that will make the experience unique.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 10:33
So, for you to really understand, for example, if you publish an H&M product, you will have a pre-populated post ready for you right away.
Michael LeBlanc 10:44
Fanstatic.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 10:44
If not, if you published another product, no matter the brand, you know, of course, you will be able to publish it. But what is great, it's our platform, you know, will give you special, you know, key services called retouching. So, basically, automatically it will retouch your picture for a premium visual experience, and then two more things that are really important, I think it's to help you and, again, to support, you know, the customer journey, we have a price algorithm that, basically, will, you know, help you know, the seller, to advise the best competitive price for a successful future selling.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 11:26
And last but not least, when, you know, the potential seller will sell an item, of course, you will have the option of receiving a cash deposit or, and this is something amazing, you will be able to receive a payment as an H&M gift card with an added 20% value. That can be redeemed in any H&M stores, or online. So, in a nutshell, you know, it's, it's, what does it mean, it can sell your clothes and receive 20% off on top of what you were supposed to make.
Michael LeBlanc 11:59
Yeah. So it, it's so interesting, because it acts like, practically, a traffic driver for you. It's on-brand, right? You're very focused, I think, as a brand on, on your customers. And so I'm a customer, I buy something online from H&M and I've created an identity or, and so when I go back that there's a listing there, and you can kind of if I listen to you correctly, you can say yes, I want to resell this piece, and this piece, and this piece. So, if it's an H&M product, it's already loaded in all that works done for you. That's, that's the advantage. And then if someone else buys it on the site, does the transaction happen on the H&M site? So, you, you move the money around? Is that how that happens?
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 12:41
Yeah, exactly. I mean, what is important, and I just want to also really emphasize, Michael, to your point, yes, of course, it's really connected to the to the brand, H&M, but again, it's, it's a platform, which is open to all brand. And because simply in H&M, our main priority is sustainability. And that was for us, it was important to be inclusive, you know, for when in Canada, rather than just limiting this platform for fortunate product.
Michael LeBlanc 13:11
Yeah, that that's what really caught my eye is that it's, it's brand agnostic, so to speak. There's obviously advantages, as you said, you're, it's already pre-loaded. But you're, you're creating a peer-to-peer platform for all Canadians to sell their products, it's really fascinating. It's really innovative. How did it, how did it come about? Was it an idea that we said, "well, let's, let's try this in Canada and if it works, expand it"? Was it, have you got a sense of, you know, what kind of time you're going to look and say, "Is this successful?", or is it already successful on day one because it helps build the brand and, and helps reinforce your brand values? How are you, how are you thinking about success on understanding: "Did it work", when you look at a project like this?
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 13:57
Yeah, the first, you know, you asked me, you know, how, you know, what is the idea behind and, you know, during this challenging time, and especially in 2020, you know, and we really took a step back as a team here in Canada because, you know, every single time, you know, we face, let's say a challenge for, for us, it's an opportunity, you know, to grow.
Michael LeBlanc 14:20
Yeah.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 14:20
and to get closer to the customer. And I was mentioning to you that sustainability is one of the most, you know, important things, are a top priority for H&M Group. And, basically, you know, with the team, we take a step back, we really listen, really listen to customer needs. And this is how, H&M, you know, Rewear came to life because we simply realize there, there was a big one for seamless, simple, you know, research marketplace.
Michael LeBlanc 14:50
Right.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 14:50
To your, to your other question, Michael. We think that, of course, it's going to be very successful, simply because you know, it's a need. You see that the second-hand market, you know, is growing.
Michael LeBlanc 15:02
Yeah.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 15:02
And people, they, they want that they want to be active participants, you know, around circularity, so for me, it's, it's only, like, we just respond to a real customer, you know, needs and wants. So, yes, we, we are really excited, you know, and it's an amazing, you know, exciting journey.
Michael LeBlanc 15:24
All right, well, fantastic. And I'll remind the listeners that launches on the 7th, I'm going to check that out myself.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 15:28
Hope so.
Michael LeBlanc 15:28
Very exciting. So, now let's talk about, last couple of questions. Let's talk about what's next. Not as if this isn't exciting enough. You've got, you're in the middle of back to school, you've got a holiday coming up, how are you thinking about the business for the rest, as you, as you reset? As you look ahead, what are you thinking about the business for H&M, in Canada?
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 15:38
Yeah, I mean, again, the business in general, I think that what we are doing, we're focusing step-by-step, you know, first, as I mentioned, on, on Rewear, and for the business in general.
Michael LeBlanc 16:04
Yeah.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 16:04
I think we're quite confident, confident, because, you know, we are lucky that a lot of Kenyans, you know, love our brands, and we can see that, that our database is growing as to our loyalty program. So, we feel and we currently see like, good performance, and we are quite, you know, really satisfied and really, you know, looking forward, you know, what the future is about to disclose.
Michael LeBlanc 16:30
Perfect, perfect. Okay, last question. You're new to Canada. Anything, anything surprise you about Canada that you, you did not expect now that you've lived here for a while, of course, it's not a usual time, unfortunately. But you know, that being, that being, notwithstanding anything, anything you're like, "Wow, I didn't expect that.", anything jump out at you?
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 16:52
Expect, I wouldn't say that, but what I want to say that, I have to say that Canadian are really friendly, and very, no, but I am very open-minded. And, you know, they, every day, I would say that they make my day. I mean, you know, of course, it's a really open country. With so many different culture, you can really feel, you know, inclusiveness and you know, every day I get the opportunity to talk with different people, different culture, different background. And I love that I think Canada it's really the, the country that has to be, let's say visited, and I'm so proud of my kids, I mean, they love it, and today, you know, and they love this lifestyle brand, lifestyle in general. And then, you know, all the time they say, you know, that, of course, they don't want to leave from Canada because they love it, and I do love a lot I have to say.
Michael LeBlanc 17:48
All right, well, listen, fantastic, and welcome again. And
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 17:52
Thank you, so much.
Michael LeBlanc 17:53
Thank you so much for joining me on The Voice of Retail podcast. It was a real treat to meet you and, and thank you for sharing your latest initiatives and your background, and I wish you much-continued success.
Frédéric Tavoukdjian 18:04
Thank you so much, Michael. It was a real pleasure.
Michael LeBlanc 18:06
Thanks for tuning in to today's episode of The Voice of Retail. Be sure and follow the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy podcasts so you don't miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review as it really helps us grow so that we continue to get amazing guests onto the show.
Michael LeBlanc 18:25
I'm your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and if you're looking for more content or want to chat, follow me on LinkedIn or visit my website at meleblanc.co
Michael LeBlanc 18:35
Until next time, stay safe and have a great week!