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Scabal,
the Belgian suit tailor, is planning to extend its sales network and
might even start a webshop. The group also announced its revenue from
their own retail is rising quickly.
Six new flagship stores and a webshop?
“In the
last few years, we have drastically reduced the number of external
stores we work with: this way we were able to focus on just a few
exclusive points of sale. This also leaves some room for six new
flagship stores and we hope to be able to open one new flagship store
each year”, says CEO Gregor Thissen in Trends without revealing
where the new openings are planned.
The CEO
also dreams of opening a webshop: “Our IT platform is perfectly
suited for e-commerce – but we might be in the wrong business to
really deploy it. Our suits can easily cost 1200 euro and an expert
is needed for taking the measurements and choosing the right
fabrics.” A webshop for accessories (like ties or cuff-links) would
still be a possibility for Thissen.
“Delivery at home” in Paris
A new form
of distribution that Scabal is currently trying in Paris, is one
where their specially trained experts go to the client’s home or
office to give personal advice. “It took a while for the concept to
really take off, but now we are really seeing its success grow”,
says the CEO, who hinted the concept could be exported to other
countries as well.
Founded in
1938 as a weaving mill in Brussels, Scabal started with the
production of suits in 1974. The store’s flagship store is located in
Savile Row, the mythical world centre of bespoken tailoring, where
Scabal has been present since buying Wain Shiell & co. “That
takeover was not only the start of our internationalisation, but it
also gave us the British style to distinguish us from the Italian
brands”, as Thissen explains.
Beckham, Armani, Gucci and Prada
Since
then, Scabal has become an important player in tailored suits – as
David Beckham proved by choosing a Scabal suit for the Royal Wedding
of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The company offers
approximately 5000 fabrics and 200 options for made-to-measure suits.
Its fabric production, used in many Armani, Gucci or Prada suits,
still accounts for half of the 40 million euro turnover.
