STORE INSIGHTS: Bonton
Last October I took the Eurostar from London To Paris to finalise the AW2023 collections for Sergent Major and Du Pareil Au Meme. We had over 100 SKUs in development and some last minute details had yet to be worked out, I had only left Hong Kong for London a few days earlier, and I was jet lagged, not to mention exhausted, yet I had to go do some much needed comp-shopping and off I went. The first store I visited was Bonton.
Founded in 2001, BONTON is a French concept store with over 140 points of sale across Europe, The Americas, Asia, and the Middle East. The retailer operates 12 stores in France, 2 in Europe, 4 in Japan, and can additionally be found in over a hundred multi-brand retailers.
Their stores are merchandised around different concept: pret-a-porter, shoes, furniture and home décor, linens, stationery, and their birthday corner. They also offer a beauty section, and some stores even offer hairstyling services! Their fashion collections, on the other hand is dived in 4 different categories: Minus (newborn to 3yo), the Kids club (4yo-12yo), the Teens club, and the Mums club. It must be noted; however, that their teens and mum collections are not particularly size inclusive, with sizes ranging from XXXSM to M. The stores are well-known for its imaginative and attractive visual merchandising, with each store having unique space and feel. The store is loved for the strong relationship it has built with its customers, often hosting kids birthday parties and contests, happy hours, and workshops, and partnering with other brands for exclusive projects or product launches. Post-pandemic, Bonton is focused on deepening their relationship and emotional connection with their customers. E-commerce is also a top priority, with online sales accounting for 20% of total sales in 2022.
Bonton's products have signature details, and their star print is iconic with the brand, as well as their flower print. Moreover, their cabas tote bag is one of their most well-known hero products, with their scarves coming second. Prints and designs change seasonally, and special edition bags have become collectibles in their own right for some of their most loyal customers.
In 2019, Bonton launched their their body care and fragrance line and certified all products COSMOS ORGANIC, which means the natural resources used in the production of the goods were sustainably and responsibly sourced, as well as certified to come from organic agriculture. Products are paraben and sulphate free, and have not been tested in animals.
Below you will find some images on my visit to Bonton near Bastille. They had a cute little outpost for pocket money toys and their visual merchandising was marvelous as always!
