Our latest flagship and second store in Paris is located on the Champs-Élysées – you may know it as one of the most iconic streets in the world. At its opening, the Champs-Élysées location is our largest retail space to date and as well, the fastest turnaround time for our team to have opened a new store. Always a process that touches different teams and business functions, opening a new store, especially this one, is a finely tuned operation. Regional Retail Lead, Chelsea Wheeler walks through how the team maximized hours to bring this store to life.
1. What sets the Champs-Élysées project apart from other store openings?
This is our largest store to date with 1513 square meters across 3 floors. It is also our largest assortment of product and our largest team, all organized and executed in half the time we would normally need for a project this size. All teams involved needed to work extremely collaboratively to get us to the opening.
A key factor is the coordination of all the overlapping work from so many teams across On as our ambition timings meant that there was something happening 24/7 on site throughout the 6 months since we took over the space.
2. What are the different teams and steps involved in the NSO process? How did the various teams across the business work together to make the CE store opening happen?
I can’t highlight enough how cross-collaborative a project this big needs to be to succeed. Across six months multiple teams came together from all areas of the business for the New Store Opening (NSO) process, working towards the same goal – from construction and design to merchandising and visual merchandising, training, health and safety, talent, legal, retail operations, marketing and events.
Many times these processes overlapped in ways we normally wouldn’t have had, which added a lot of complexities in scheduling and also redefining who works on what and when. For example, once we were allowed into the space after construction, we had teams working 24/7 for the two weeks of handover to allow for everyone to complete their work.
During the day, we received and processed products, continued to train team members, and Visual Merchandising worked simultaneously to get the product where it belongs on the floor. At the same time, at the Saint Germain store, we continued to onboard new hires in two-week waves and filtered them into five different teams, which rotated daily in the onboarding tasks to complete everything before we opened. Overnight, the construction and design teams continued to finish works or minor tasks to perfect the space.
This is a process that would normally span over a year, but for the Champs-Élysées store, from scouting to design and construction to opening day we worked collaboratively to achieve in just months.
3. How do we maintain a global red thread in our retail culture while still supporting regional nuance?
Our CLOUD CX is the experiential red thread that we set as the basis for each interaction. CLOUD stands for: Create an extraordinary first impression, Lead with open questions and active listening, Offer personalized solutions through education, Unlock additional needs or unresolved concerns and Deepen loyalty by closing with gratitude and possibilities for future connection.
On top of that, we approach design and visual experience for each store so we can both be consistent with elements that identify us as a brand and connect with the atmosphere where the store is located. This personalization is amplified by language, assortment and how we speak about our product. To do this, we have to understand our customer and their wishes. These insights come from many avenues but really are deepened with the local team's knowledge and previous experience.
4. How was the training and onboarding process for this particular store On’s retail?
Hiring was very intense. The current Saint Germain store team, our first team in Paris, partnered with our Talent team to recruit, interview and hire every single Champs-Élysées team member, all while managing their open store and team as well.
Eventually, the hiring work also overlapped with the onboarding and training of these new employees and we were able to leverage our current store again to share expertise, knowledge and give the new hires real-life experience before landing on their own shop floor. For new hires, we have a mix of classrooms and on-the-floor training to start over the first two weeks. Once we are in the new store space, we really focus on applying all the learnings from the previous training into the actual experience in store. We hired 100+ employees with the support also of an agency that we needed to expedite the sourcing due to the short timeline.
"Since I joined On, I have never felt so motivated, thanks to the work environment. It’s hard to explain without experiencing it first, but a great environment like this truly makes you want to give your best in every aspect. The collective harmony and daily exchanges between individuals are truly uplifting, and you can feel that it’s genuine, with everyone striving to improve." - Dylan, Retail Team
"It's now been a month since I joined On for the opening of their Parisian flagship store. I'm delighted to be part of this new challenge for the brand, which is growing constantly in sales, visibility and market share thanks to the technical nature of its products. I can't highlight a positive experience without mentioning the great team I work with, a very caring team who's passionate about raising us up along with the brand, training us and making us feel like real ambassadors for the brand." - Lauren, Retail Team
“Working at On feels like being part of a close-knit community. The energy in our store is always vibrant and uplifting, reflecting the passion we all share for sport and innovation. Every day, I look forward to helping customers find the perfect pair of shoes and seeing their excitement when they experience the unparalleled comfort and performance of On. It’s a privilege to be part of a team that values innovation as much as the human experience and to see the positive impact we have on people's lives.” - Laura, Retail Team
5. What were some of the highlights and biggest learnings throughout the process?
Proactive planning and prioritization is the key to handling the uncertainty. Yes, sometimes the plan changes day to day and maybe, we don't always get it right the first time. It was some organized chaos in the end. But we needed to be very diligent about how logistics and organization all came together with so many different teams and overlapping priorities. The schedules were layers of activities and multiple teams rotating between different trainings, locations and leaders to get everything done before opening.
The highlight of course is finally seeing the team together, the first training with 50 people in one room – wow. Seeing the store for the first time, then adding the product and welcoming our first customers, that was amazing.
"What I absolutely love about On is that the brand is focused on progress. To me, wearing On is about making a statement. Fashion and sport are intertwined, brands make art to help athletes make art on the field. And as a store advisor, it’s all about helping people push their limits while being comfortable and stylish." - Aya, Retail Team
"The ambiance and the energy feels great even when there is a lot of work. It’s really exciting to be there from day one of the opening because we improve every day and I can’t wait to see how we do in the upcoming years." - Enzo, Retail Team
"Every day, I'm motivated by the desire to exceed our customers' expectations and contribute to the continued success of our company. It's an environment where I feel valued and supported." - Junior, Retail Team
6. What are you most excited about the Champs-Élysées store?
It is a milestone in the Retail Store journey for On, opening on one of the most prestigious retail streets in the world and making a mark in the timeline of retail for our company. I am especially excited to see the team bring the brand to life as a sportswear brand by being able to show even more of our range. In this store, we’re really showcasing our apparel in a way we haven't seen fully in this setup before through our store design.