Tape à l’Oeil becomes TAO Kids

The French children’s fashion chain Tape à l’Oeil wants to break through internationally under a new name: TAO Kids is easier to pronounce for non-French speakers and places children even more at the centre of attention.

First in Belgium, then roll out

On 21 May all Tape à l’Oeil shops in Belgium will change their identity: they will adopt the new name TAO Kids. Not too big a step, says the retailer: TAO (pronounced T.A.O., as if you were spelling it) has long been the ‘nickname’ used by both employees and loyal customers.

The name change should make it easier to grow internationally: ‘Tape à l’Oeil’ is simply difficult for non-French-speaking shoppers to pronounce. The addition of ‘Kids’ puts children more than ever at the centre of the positioning.

Last year, the children’s chain tested the new name when opening its third Flemish shop, in Schoten. The first Spanish shop is also called TAO Kids. “The name change will start in Belgium and in the new markets,” says omnichannel director Bernard Sombreffe to RetailDetail. “France will most likely follow in 2023, after learning lessons from this exercise in Belgium.”

Tape à l’Oeil started in France in the 1990s and now has 240 shops on its home market. The retailer is also active in Belgium (16 shops), Spain (1), Algeria (5) and Saudi Arabia (16).