A touch of French class for the masses

By CHEN YINGQUN (China Daily) Updated: 2014-06-16 08:35

"The number of shops is not really the goal," Torck says. "The real aim is to be able to promote Cache-Cache so it is accessible to any young woman anywhere in China and by any means, whether it is digital, through a franchise shop or any other channels."

He says the company now has two levels of competitors. They comprise Chinese ones that have been in the market for a long time and are becoming more international and international companies in China that becoming acquainted with the Chinese market.

Even though many companies in China fret about economic slowdown and rising material and labor costs, Torck says difficulties can also produce opportunities.

"The principle of our development is to gain market access, so we develop where the consumers are, are price accessible, and can be at any level of city in China, and in any place."

Cache-Cache grows and develops with its partners because the business model draws on the advantages of both sides, Torck says. That means Cache-Cache shares its retail management knowledge, its human relationships and tailored customer strategy, and partners have access to good local resources.

China's influence on the company will become stronger, and the most important thing is to be aware of how the market is developing, he says.

"What is important is to present your brand with its DNA, what the brand represents, to make it accessible. If you cannot fit in with the reality of the consumer you are not going to be able to build a strong business."

Chinese women are very different to what they used to be, he says. They go out more, probably party more, and with the trend of globalization they are "becoming sexier", he says, but product differentiation remains critical. "There's a lot of discussion about what 'the trend' is. Nobody knows what trends will surface in the future. The key thing is that you have to catch them and to turn the trend into business, something that is sustainable."

What Cache-Cache offers is clothing that suits both Chinese and other styles and is suitable for girls and young women for all kinds of occasions, he says.