6 to EUR 825 million taken by China 43

A parade of lingerie Monday at the Grand Palais with a collection signed by Russian top model Natalia Vodianova. Etam begins the year in marching band. The French leader of lingerie, with approximately 10 of the market, hopes to better appeal to young girls. "We want to promote the side Etam mode with the younger." "However these identify models or the muses", said Laurent Milchior, co-managing of this partnership alongside his father, Pierre, and the sister of the latter, Marie-Claire Tarica. For his brand of clothing 1.2.3, this is the Czech Eva Herzigova, which became a fashion designer.

Etam, whose capital is held to 68 by the family, the rest being in the stock market, hopes that all the work undertaken these last years in terms of notoriety, collections and discount flat production will pay in 2011. Even if the increase in cotton and that of labour in China, where the company is achieving most of its production, could complicate the situation.

3,000 outlets in China

"We have hired 18 months ago a failover of the manufacture of apparel and sleepwear for Europe around the Mediterranean, said basin leader." For the Chinese market, we will start to import from Bangladesh, Cambodia and the India. "An impact on the price is for the moment rejected:"We will expand our lines with higher value added products to maintain the basic tariffs."

A new challenge that the Group should complete a 2010 exercise increase. In the nine months, its turnover increased by 12.6, to EUR 825 million, taken by China ( 43). The country, where Etam is installed as early as 1994, represents more than 30 of sales. It is mainly of ready-to-wear. On the 3,000 outlets of Etam in the country, the majority of the corners, 120, all recent, are devoted to lingerie. "The Chinese are attracted by all that is, clothing, accessories, cosmetics." This is why we started by clothing.

This year, the company will continue with the installation of its six brands in Chinese stores, develop in malls and downtown boutiques. 300 M2 average stores. It is already a hundred. "The paradox, as we have been among the first entrants, it is that Etam today Chinese connotations." "We are obliged to launch media plans to give it a more international image, because the Chinese like western brands and we face new competitors such as Zara and H & M," said Laurent Milchior. After difficulties in 2007, the group returned to profitability in this country since 2009.

In Europe, Etam must still be proven. Its sales did there grew to about 2 in 2010. "This was a transition year, recognizes the pattern. We have a background working on our image and our lines to be more reactive, with six collections per year. "But lingerie is make by competition, particularly strings as H & m for face, Etam launched in 2007 Undiz, a brand for the 15-25 years combining fashion and small price. The range will be further expanded with products from 19 euros, against 24 euros previously. The Group has also hired the renovation of its fleet of 1,100 stores in Europe. Nearly 80 have already been re-engineered around 70 million.