French fashion discounter Kiabi managed a 5 % increase in sales last year, fired on by an impressive 24 % growth in Belgium – a remarkable achievement in a year in which the fashion sector was struggling. Mathieu Loyez (Digital Marketing Team Leader) and Jérôme Calonne (Director Kiabi Belgium) tried to paint a picture of how this record growth came about, and how they want to continue that momentum.
First franchise store
In April, Kiabi opened its first Belgian franchise store in Hannuit (near Liège). A branch in Marche-en-Famenne followed in September, and the brand also expanded to have a corner in each of Cora‘s seven Belgian hypermarkets. Still, Loyez stresses that the growth is not only due to expansion.
