06.01.10
Yves Rocher's first North American franchise—The Atelier of Botanical Beauty—is open for business.The 648-sq.ft.shop is located in the West Edmonton Mall in Canada.
The opening coincides with the brand's 50th anniversary, which is being celebrated this year, and comes a year after the global launch of the Atelier store concept—a franchise business plan aimed at fueling the brand’s global expansion.
The company's goal is to introduce franchising in the U.S. in the next few years, the firm said.
"We are incredibly excited for both the Brand and our franchisee because this represents a real milestone for Yves Rocher globally and a real opportunity for Oksana Pachine and her partner Anna Stsibaylo," said René Desmarais, chief executive officer of Yves Rocher North America Inc."We were saddened to lose the founder, Mr. Yves Rocher, right before the start of the new year but pleased that the brand is continuing on the path of global expansion laid-out by Mr. Rocher."
Yves Rocher has been operating in North America since the mid-1980s, running a direct mail business in Canada and the U.S. and a store business in Canada. In 2005, it launched an Internet sales site.
While both the direct mail and Internet business service both Canada and the United States, the store business remained regional, operating close to 70 stores in Eastern Canada with locations in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.
The opening coincides with the brand's 50th anniversary, which is being celebrated this year, and comes a year after the global launch of the Atelier store concept—a franchise business plan aimed at fueling the brand’s global expansion.
The company's goal is to introduce franchising in the U.S. in the next few years, the firm said.
"We are incredibly excited for both the Brand and our franchisee because this represents a real milestone for Yves Rocher globally and a real opportunity for Oksana Pachine and her partner Anna Stsibaylo," said René Desmarais, chief executive officer of Yves Rocher North America Inc."We were saddened to lose the founder, Mr. Yves Rocher, right before the start of the new year but pleased that the brand is continuing on the path of global expansion laid-out by Mr. Rocher."
Yves Rocher has been operating in North America since the mid-1980s, running a direct mail business in Canada and the U.S. and a store business in Canada. In 2005, it launched an Internet sales site.
While both the direct mail and Internet business service both Canada and the United States, the store business remained regional, operating close to 70 stores in Eastern Canada with locations in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.