Kiabi Europe - Introduction

Introduction

100 rue du Calvaire
Hem F-59510
France
Telephone: ( +33) 3 20 81 45 00
Fax: ( +33) 3 20 81 49 49
Web site: http://www.kiabi.fr

Private Company
Incorporated: 1978
Employees: 4,500
Sales: EUR 2.2 billion ($2.5 billion) (2003 est.)
NAIC: 448110 Men's Clothing Stores; 448120 Women's Clothing Stores; 448130 Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores; 448140 Family Clothing Stores; 448150 Clothing Accessories Stores

Kiabi Europe is a leading French clothing retailer, operating 110 stores in France as well as 12 stores in Spain and three stores in Italy. Based in Hem, in the north of France near Lille and the Belgian border, Kiabi has set itself a goal of making fashion accessible to all, offering its own range of low-priced brands—including Winch, Decade, Tim Pouce, and P'tit Caïd—as well as a number of name brands, including Complices, Waikiki, Providence, and Fido Dido. One of France's pioneers of the "category killer" store, Kiabi's stores are typically located in commercial shopping areas outside France's mid-and large-size cities. Stores offer an average selling space of 1,500 to 2,000 square meters and feature some 50,000 clothing, accessory, and footwear items. The largest Kiabi store provides 4,600 square meters of floor space, while the smallest store stands at a nonetheless respectable 800 square meters. Kiabi stores features a full selection of women's, men's, and children's clothing, with each department further segmented into a number of "stories," grouping similar colors, materials, and styles. Since 2000, Kiabi has been carrying out an extensive store remodeling program and plans to convert all of its store to the new interior and exterior design by mid-decade. The company has successfully developed its own fidelity card system, with more than 1.5 million cardholders. Kiabi also provides other services, such as free and paid in-store alterations and staggered payment plans. The company provides logistics support to its operations with three warehouse and distribution centers and operates through four primary divisions: Kiabi France, Kiabi Spain, Kiabi Italy, and Kiabi Logistique. Founded by CEO Patrick Mulliez, Kiabi remains under the control of the powerful Mulliez retailing empire, which includes Auchan hypermarkets, Leroy Merlin do-it-yourself (DIY) stores, Boulanger home appliance stores, Decathlon sporting goods, the Flunch restaurant chain, among many other formats.