Reitmans bets on nostalgia

Teenage girls from the 80s and 90s who couldn’t afford them got their revenge this summer. Reitmans has resurrected the iconic Vuarnet brand. Playing the nostalgia card by selling sweaters featuring the popular capital V was clearly a winning strategy for the Montreal retailer, which plans to repeat the experience this winter.

“We attracted attention,” Reitmans Chief Operating Officer Jackie Tardif acknowledged in a telephone interview last week. The company released its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 on Thursday.

“The collection has been extremely well received by our customers. It has generated a buzz ” she said, adding that the product “flew out” quickly and the company sold out of most of its inventory. Most stores were cleared of sweaters and online, there were few sizes left, it was noted.

M^me Tardif declined to reveal how many white, blue, pink or purple sweaters were produced to be sold in stores or online by the retailer, which is present across the country. “These were not small purchases,” she simply replied.

But why did you decide to revive this French brand? “When you think of Vuarnet, it’s an iconic fashion from the 1980s and 1990s, combined with the heritage of Reitmans, which is almost a century old…”

“It’s really a fusion of two iconic brands. It’s also a strong return to the 1990s in trends. We really have a desire to offer the trends of the moment to our customers. It seemed like the ideal choice.”

Vuarnet will return to Reitmans in an in-store collection this winter, M has confirmed.^me Late.

Cohabiting with Lambert and Yoga Jeans

Moreover, Vuarnet is not the only brand that Reitmans has decided to work with. Increasingly proactive online with personalized offers and follow-ups when a customer fills her “shopping cart” without deciding to check out, the retailer Reitmans has decided to make room for other brands.

On its website, the retailer has “built” a marketplace called RCL Marché, where it features Lambert bags, Yoga Jeans denim and Columbia coats, among other things. “It’s still brand new. It’s still in development,” says Tardif.

Like other companies, such as Simons, Reitmans decided, just a year ago, to expand its online offering by displaying products from other brands.

It is therefore possible for a customer to buy a house brand skirt on the site and complete her look with Steve Madden shoes, whose products are offered on the site. “We know that our customers find it much more practical to have access to certain brands that are complementary to our house brands,” explains M^me Late.

Has the arrival of these shoes, jewelry and other accessories contributed to increasing the number of items in consumers’ shopping carts? Jackie Tardif did not want to answer the question.

She insists, however, that the vast majority of the clothing offered online is that produced for Reitmans. Hyba brand sportswear is the most successful on the website. Online sales represent a quarter of the company’s turnover.

Diversity

In addition to a variety of brands, the retailer strives online to showcase women of all backgrounds and shapes. “There’s an effort behind it,” M proudly explains.^me Late.

She points out that the retailer offers clothing ranging from size 0 to size 22 and in petite, regular and tall fits. “We want to make sure women feel represented. There’s not just one version.” [de femmes]. »

Since September 2023, Reitmans has been led by Andrea Limbardi. She is the first non-member of the Reitman family to take the helm of the company. In an interview with The Press In February, it announced its intention to invest in the website and improve the online shopping experience.