Number two in a changing childcare market, the cooperative chain, after a phase of restructuring and in-depth work on the brand, is looking to redeploy and open 50 stores by 2020.
Baby 9 wants to give itself a new lease of life. The childcarewhich celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year, seems to have come to the end of a necessary period of restructuring. "We have not been spared by the economic climate and have had to close stores in recent years."explains Manuel Lefèvre, President of the cooperative and point-of-sale operator Baby 9 from Mondeville (Calvados). From a total of 170 outlets in 2012, the group of independent retailers now boasts 140 outlets with a total sales area of 86,000 m².
While cleaning up the network, the market's number two (behind Aubert, which operates through branches) has above all carried out "a major overhaul of the brand's fundamentals, " says the CEO. This included: the development of omnichannel retailing and the rise of web-to-store – "today, 65% of products purchased online are then picked up in store"; the modernization of IT systems to pool inventory; the strengthening of relationships with major brands and suppliers via the purchasing center; and the amplification of digital communication to reach hyper-connected young parents.
Covering everything for babies aged 0-2 (bedroom, textiles, toys, strollers, car seats, etc.), Bébé 9 has also expanded its offering. "We have implemented an assortment policy to make the brand more accessible in terms of price and expanded our product ranges with our own brands under the Bébé essentiel, Bébé expert, Bébé référence, and Bébé création collections."
All these actions are beginning to bear fruit: last year, the cooperative saw its sales increase by 2% on a like-for-like basis, to 170 million euros. Faced with increasingly fierce competition (rise of pure players and the second-hand market, in addition to traditional specialists and supermarkets), Bébé 9 was forced to reinvent itself.
Suburbs and shopping centers
The redeployment of the network is now one of the chain's priority objectives, with between six and ten stores set to open this year (Avignon, Brignoles, overseas territories, etc.). "By 2020, we plan to open 50 stores, " announces Manuel Lefèvre, "targeting, for example, the Paris region and cities such as Bayonne, Brest, Lille, Nice, etc." Suburban concept, Bébé 9 favors formats ranging from 600 to 800 m², but has also recently begun testing smaller units (around 300 m²) designed for shopping centers.
The brand is fairly flexible in its recruitment, welcoming "entrepreneurs from a variety of professional backgrounds who want to invest and get involved in the cooperative and adhere to its values: democratic voting, involvement in specialized committees, etc. Financially, candidates must be financially sound and have a minimum personal contribution of €100,000 to €150,000.
Some associates operate several stores, but the vast majority are monosites. A passionate profession, childcare requires a high level of daily involvement and a keen sense of management (up to eight or ten employees, depending on the size of the outlet).