NEW YORK — After eyeing the American market from the north, the French-Canadian company Fruits & Passion will open its first U.S. store this spring.
The company has chosen Scottsdale, Ariz., as its point of entry. The plan is to open 50 doors in the U.S. over the next three years, declared Guy Hurteau, co-founder and vice president of Fruits & Passion.
The 700-square-foot Scottsdale location — nestled in the Kierland Commons shopping center — fits into Fruits & Passion’s mall-based strategy and lifestyle concept, said Hurteau. In Canada, 90 percent of the chain’s 85 doors are located in shopping malls and range in size from 1,200 to 1,500 square feet.
The typical Fruits & Passion store houses more than 20 collections of personal care, home, pet grooming and edible gourmet products. Price points range from $12 to $75.
The company sells select collections in 2,000 specialty shops and department stores in the U.S., in Nordstrom, Anthropologie, Henri Bendel and PureBeauty.
By introducing the Fruits & Passion retail nameplate to the U.S., the company hopes to build brand awareness for its retail partners, noted Heather David, director of business development, U.S.A.
David added that the retailer’s lifestyle categories distinguish the Fruits & Passion concept from its competitors, such as The Body Shop and L’Occitane. “These companies only overlap in one business area,” said David.
Fruits & Passion, which industry sources estimate generates $100 million in retail sales, has dotted the globe with its retail stores and product collections. It has 144 Fruits & Passion stores in 12 countries and plans to open another 46 doors this year.
Much of that growth will take place in international markets, where the company primarily relies on master franchisees. In December, Fruits & Passion opened two stores in Casablanca, Morocco, and plans to open two stores in Mexico this year, one in Cancún and the other in Playa Del Carmen. A location is slated for Mexico City in 2007. The firm is also scouting out sites in Singapore. Fruits & Passion hopes to open 10 stores there over the next three years.
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The company has also identified Saudi Arabia as a burgeoning market and plans to open 40 stores there over three years. And in Saudi Arabia, the stores will include a private shopping area for wealthy sheiks.