Parisian: A trendy evolution

MANILA, Philippines - From ordinary to extraordinary, SM has made a revolutionary innovation in its shoe business bringing the Parisian brand to a chic market that appeals to a dynamic and stylish breed of shoppers.

After trips  to Paris, SM founder and chairman Henry Sy brought new ideas in shoe design and retailing to the Philippines to share with Filipinos the Parisian experience, making shopping for shoes exciting,  convenient and comfortable through airconditioned shops with neatly-stacked shoes. This  dream of the country’s richest man can be traced back to the time he opened his first shoe store in downtown Manila in 1958 and the rest is history.

For over  50 years, the Parisian brand is still making waves with good quality merchandise and elegant designs and is set to seize a whole new shopping landscape.

“We continue to put the same focus on the Parisian brand as Mr. Sy did. We refreshed the brand to cater to the current market and introduced new designs and marketing concepts.  As the company grew evolving from a shoe store to a department store and then into a mall,  SM expanded the Parisian line to serve different types of customers.  We continue to innovate and revitalize the brand, bringing fashion trends from Paris to a new generation of shoppers,” said Teresita Sy-Coson, SM vice chair.

Parisian has not ceased from reinventing itself alongside with the transformation of SM to provide the best value for shoppers.

“It is imperative for us to understand who our customers are especially if we want to sell a lot of shoes. For us,  Parisian is not just an ordinary pair of shoes.  Parisian represents a woman’s journey. Parisian will be there at every step – from entering high school to graduating from college to having her first prom,  her first date,  getting married and being a mom,” said Eugene Saw,  SVP and business unit head at Shoemart Inc. for Parisian.

In 2008, SM rationalized the Parisian brand which has become part of  The SM STORE’s razor-sharp focus on growing its shoe business inside the department store. That also led to the reintroduction of the brand through the Philippine Fashion Week, the biggest fashion event in the Philippines in 2010. “People found it surprising that the items worn by models were actually Parisian,” Saw said.

This initial success paved the way for more runway shows and a collaboration with renowned fashion designer Rajo Laurel for a special collection launched in 2011.

The collection proved to be very successful that a new Rajo x Parisian collection was showcased in 2012. Celebrity endorsers soon followed to promote the brand like KC Concepcion and up and coming star Nadine Lustre.

The digital evolution

To tap a younger customer base,  Parisian entered the digital scene in 2011, engaging bloggers, mounting online promotions and partnering with entertainment portal Pep.ph to reach a broader audience.

While Parisian shoes will be available online through the SM STORE website,  there are still many opportunities to expand the brand nationwide through new stores.

Apart from online channels, Saw said SM Retail would  focus on tapping the so-called brick and mortar business by opening new stores of “Simply Shoes,” a stand alone store concept spanning 200 to 250 square meters that carries SM brands particularly shoes, bags and luggages especially in regional community centers such as in Tacloban and Kalibo in Aklan.

With Parisian as the flagship brand, Simply Shoes also carries brands like Milanos, Solemate, Tough Kids and Sugar Kids Shoes.  Other well known brands include World Balance, Vans and Fila.

“Parisian is now one of the leading fashion brands in the Philippines, contributing billions of revenues to the department store. One day, it would be nice to see the brand available in the high streets of Bangkok, Shanghai and the place where it all began, Paris,” he said.