WWD profiles new CEO of Americas, ESW, Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne and his career to date
EShopWorld Taps Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne to Head Up Americas
by David Moin on March 17, 2021
The new role reflects the robust growth in e-commerce opportunities for brands and retailers to extend their reach to markets around the world.
Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, an executive with decades of international experience working at Emaar Malls, Marks & Spencer and The Estée Lauder Cos. Inc., has joined eShopWorld as president and chief executive officer, Americas.
It’s a new position at eShopWorld, underscoring how e-commerce continues to rapidly grow and present opportunities for brands and retailers to extend their reach to markets around the world.
EShopWorld, often referred to as ESW, sets up brands and retailers with an “end-to-end” solution for conducting cross-border e-commerce. It’s worked in 200 markets around the world and with brands such as PVH, Movado, Tarte, Nike and Estée Lauder.
“In the complex world of international retail, if you think about taxes, tariffs, VAT, pricing, translations, logistics, returns, data security, fraud protection, customer service — all those complexities — ESW takes that away from their clients so they can focus on what they do best — merchandising and developing product,” Bousquet-Chavanne said in an interview Tuesday.
“This is a young company. It’s been amazingly successful,” he told WWD. “Their technology has been integrated into many of the leading global brands in the world. The company provides very fast and efficient access to international arenas with minimal capital. In six to eight weeks, we can on-board a brand in a new market.”
Bousquet-Chavanne will have overall responsibility for ESW’s Americas business and growth strategy as well as worldwide marketing. In addition, he will lead ESW’s new consulting division: The Reach Advisory. Bousquet-Chavanne previously served as a member of ESW’s retail advisory council.
Bousquet-Chavanne said his client focus will be on fashion, beauty and luxury. “Clearly, those three verticals all care about brand equity, delivering an exceptional customer experience online and having more and more control of the direct-to-consumer route. We have seen brands just wholesaling or engaging with marketplaces such as Amazon. Now they want to control their own website. Why? Because it is so rich in analytics and so rich in customer data.”
Prior to joining ESW, Bousquet-Chavanne was CEO of Emaar Malls, owner of The Dubai Mall, the largest shopping center in the world at 5.5 million square feet.
Before that, he served as executive director, customer, marketing and M&S.com, for Marks & Spencer, and prior to that he was group president at The Estée Lauder Cos., where he oversaw some of its largest brands, including Estée Lauder and MAC, as well as the designer fragrances division.
Think Tank: The Four Trends Shaping Global E-commerce
The president of eShopWorld U.S. on how retail brands can prepare to deliver on consumer expectations this year.
Until recently, shopping internationally was a mostly manual process involving Paypal transactions and low expectations for customer service and personalization.
Thanks to evolving consumer demands, retailers and brands have been ramping up their online efforts in response to consumer pressure to localize their global e-commerce sites. As a result, consumer expectations for more tailored experiences regardless of location are on the rise. Innovative brands like Asos, Nike, Victoria’s Secret and Calvin Klein are continuing to raise the bar in cross-border commerce through exceptional service and localized experiences online.
A recent Forrester report predicted the global online fashion market would reach $765 billion dollars by 2022, equating to 36 percent of total fashion sales. Comparing these numbers to $253 billion and 14 percent of sales in 2014, you can immediately see the significant opportunity for global e-commerce retailers who are ready to seize it.
Here are a few trends that will shape global e-commerce this year, pointing the way for retailers wanting in:
Sell Global, Feel Local
Retailers must develop a deep understanding of each respective market, from shopper preferences to marketing strategies. In 2019, we will see retailers take localization a step further by removing the friction from the shopper’s journey with local payment options, consistent pricing, optimal delivery solutions, and in-country returns. We will also see an extension of the debate of global sites versus “microsites,” and delivering a global experience to all shoppers vs. hyperlocalized, but less consistent experiences .
Returns, Bulk Shopping and Shipping, Oh My
Cross-border sellers have enjoyed a much lower return rate when compared to the 30 percent-plus rate of U.S. e-commerce sellers. But this could change, particularly as shoppers become less cautious and expectations for the ability to buy their favorite brand across borders solidify.
Smart Stores, Smarter Sellers
Global e-commerce has fallen behind most localized brand experiences and service innovations, particularly when it comes to loyalty and personalization. In 2019, retailers will bring smart technology tools and big data to cross-border commerce to better recognize shoppers and intuit a shopper’s needs, whether it’s same-day hotel delivery, local returns, incentives or more.
Omnichannel
In 2019, global retailers and brands will extend omnichannel e-commerce solutions backward into the supply chain to facilitate in-store pick-ups with matching in-store pricing for shoppers near a store, and regional warehouses to source fast shipments and enable even faster returns. With tariffs and trade regulations in flux and customer demand evolving, fluid inventory staging and fulfillment might be the most important trend to win.
It is no longer a delightful surprise for a consumer to be able to buy in one country from a seller in another. It’s an expectation, along with the experience of ease, clarity and speed. Each of the aforementioned trends necessitates a global e-commerce solution that can source items to a shopper and ensure the overall purchase profitably, fast and easy.
You can read the full article on WWD.com.
Think Tank: The Four Trends Shaping Global E-commerce
The president of eShopWorld U.S. on how retail brands can prepare to deliver on consumer expectations this year.
Until recently, shopping internationally was a mostly manual process involving Paypal transactions and low expectations for customer service and personalization.
Thanks to evolving consumer demands, retailers and brands have been ramping up their online efforts in response to consumer pressure to localize their global e-commerce sites. As a result, consumer expectations for more tailored experiences regardless of location are on the rise. Innovative brands like Asos, Nike, Victoria’s Secret and Calvin Klein are continuing to raise the bar in cross-border commerce through exceptional service and localized experiences online.
A recent Forrester report predicted the global online fashion market would reach $765 billion dollars by 2022, equating to 36 percent of total fashion sales. Comparing these numbers to $253 billion and 14 percent of sales in 2014, you can immediately see the significant opportunity for global e-commerce retailers who are ready to seize it.
Here are a few trends that will shape global e-commerce this year, pointing the way for retailers wanting in:
Sell Global, Feel Local
Retailers must develop a deep understanding of each respective market, from shopper preferences to marketing strategies. In 2019, we will see retailers take localization a step further by removing the friction from the shopper’s journey with local payment options, consistent pricing, optimal delivery solutions, and in-country returns. We will also see an extension of the debate of global sites versus “microsites,” and delivering a global experience to all shoppers vs. hyperlocalized, but less consistent experiences .
Returns, Bulk Shopping and Shipping, Oh My
Cross-border sellers have enjoyed a much lower return rate when compared to the 30 percent-plus rate of U.S. e-commerce sellers. But this could change, particularly as shoppers become less cautious and expectations for the ability to buy their favorite brand across borders solidify.
Smart Stores, Smarter Sellers
Global e-commerce has fallen behind most localized brand experiences and service innovations, particularly when it comes to loyalty and personalization. In 2019, retailers will bring smart technology tools and big data to cross-border commerce to better recognize shoppers and intuit a shopper’s needs, whether it’s same-day hotel delivery, local returns, incentives or more.
Omnichannel
In 2019, global retailers and brands will extend omnichannel e-commerce solutions backward into the supply chain to facilitate in-store pick-ups with matching in-store pricing for shoppers near a store, and regional warehouses to source fast shipments and enable even faster returns. With tariffs and trade regulations in flux and customer demand evolving, fluid inventory staging and fulfillment might be the most important trend to win.
It is no longer a delightful surprise for a consumer to be able to buy in one country from a seller in another. It’s an expectation, along with the experience of ease, clarity and speed. Each of the aforementioned trends necessitates a global e-commerce solution that can source items to a shopper and ensure the overall purchase profitably, fast and easy.
You can read the full article on WWD.com.