Retail | La Vie en Rose sets out to conquer India

Indian consumers can now wear La Vie en Rose underwear and pajamas. The Quebec retailer established itself in New Delhi in July with its first store, then in Bangalore in October. A third will soon open in Pune.

This landing on Indian soil is the “cornerstone” of an international expansion plan. The company, established in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal, also wants to make its mark in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Mongolia.

By 2028, the big boss, François Roberge, plans to have 500 points of sale abroad. The retailer is already established in UAE, Philippines, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar, Jordan, Algeria, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco.

“India is still one of the big markets in the making,” replied the president and CEO of La Vie en Rose in an interview, when The Press asked him why he decided to sell his bras and panties in this country. “We think we could perhaps have 100 to 150 stores there one day. »

How do you say La Vie en Rose in Hindi? Don’t look for the translation, future stores will display the company name on their facade in French. If Quebecers set foot in the store in New Delhi or Bangalore, they will find essentially the same products as here, because they also appeal to Indian women, assures Mr. Roberge.

“A woman is a woman!” he says, laughing. Bras and panties are very popular [là-bas aussi]. » The big boss of La Vie en Rose also adds that consumers in India particularly appreciate lace and silky fabrics.

According to the main interested party, India, where more and more shopping centers are starting to be built, is a very interesting market for his company since few underwear retailers, apart from Victoria’s Secret, are established there. “There are a lot of price barriers,” he explains. Customs duties are 35%, which is still a lot. »

Store openings amid diplomatic tensions

Have recent tensions between India and Canada put obstacles in its way so far? In September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had “credible allegations” that agents linked to the Indian government played a role in the assassination of a Canadian of Sikh origin, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in June in Surrey, in British Columbia. The Indian government called the accusations “absurd”.

These “surges of political tension”, as François Roberge describes them, have in no way affected business relations with his partner Apparel Group India, any more than its sales, he assures.

“But it is certain that for me, there were obstacles because my employees were not able to go to the openings of the last stores because, for three months, there were no visas issued . That’s just what was unfortunate for us. »

“But there, the exchanges started again,” he adds.

The company, which also operates the Bikini Village brand, is currently working solely on the international expansion of La Vie en Rose.

On this side of the ocean

Furthermore, La Vie en Rose also has projects on the American continent. In Quebec, where the company has 67 stores, Mr. Roberge is currently expanding his stores to increase them from 3,000 to 4,000 square feet, as he has just done for the one located at Galeries d’Anjou . “We have a wider range of products: more items for plus sizes and more bras. »

He will also attempt an incursion into the United States. By August 2024, La Vie en Rose will open four stores in Buffalo, Detroit, Rochester and Syracuse, all cities located not far from the Canadian border, so that its teams here can get there easily at the beginning to “start” the projects.

“The goal is to find the recipe. I think it’s not the same in the United States. Corsetry, pajamas and swimsuits all under one roof, there’s no one in the United States that does that. We think we have a niche. »