It was worrying news that hit the shoe industry in February of this year: Arche, a shoe manufacturer from the Loire Valley and a specialist in buttery-soft shoes with a special attitude, had to enter protective shield proceedings. Arche will remain in the process until at least February 2025; possibly, as General Director Frédéric Jacob explained to schuhkurier, three to six months longer. During this period, the company must regularly demonstrate that it is meeting its forecasts. “We are absolutely in line with our goals, we have no debts to suppliers. The company has a future,” emphasizes Jacob.
According to the general director, the shoe manufacturer has readjusted its structures and worked on its strategy in the past few months. Of a total of eleven self-managed stores, six were closed. Three stores in Paris and one store each in Strasbourg, Nantes and Bordeaux will continue to operate. The company’s own web shop, launched in 2018, has become more of a focus. Cooperation with retailers was expanded, particularly in Germany and the Benelux countries. “We supply our customers with shoes in retail, but also offer high-quality other services such as content and marketing material,” explains Frédéric Jacob.
Strengthening B2B business
In the future, Arche wants to grow with an omnichannel approach. The D2C share of sales is currently around 25%, although the French company also wants to use insights from the direct-to-consumer business to further develop the collections. “This channel serves to better understand our consumers,” says Jacob. “We will continue to strengthen our B2B business and offer our retail partners premium products and additional attractive services.” The “Premium” label is important to the manager. “It is important for a company like Arche that it is seen as a premium brand,” explains Jacob: “We pay attention to quality and the finest workmanship. We are experts in shoe manufacturing. Our products are made in Europe. Anyone who buys our shoes is making a long-term investment.”
The company has already been working on the collections and has developed a number of new products for S/S 2025. According to CEO Catherine Hélaine, daughter of the company founders, these are well received by retailers. The entrepreneur sees a trend among consumers towards more quality and individuality: “People are rethinking the way they buy. Many consumers come back to us because they are fed up with white sneakers.” According to Frédéric Jacob, the path for the future of Arche has been paved: “Why are we coming back? Because we have a good offer, a product made in France, good delivery quality and attractive services.”
