Aymeric Faucheux ǀ Director Buying & Merchandising ǀ Fashion & Luxury Retail ǀ Entrepreneurship
Deputy, then Retail Director, Maasmechelen Village
The Bicester Collection, Belgium, 2023-2025
Value Retail is a company specializing in the development and operation of luxury outlet shopping destinations. It was founded in 1992 and is known for its "The Bicester Collection", a network of high-end shopping villages across Europe and China. These villages offer discounted luxury and premium fashion brands in a setting that combines retail with hospitality and entertainment.
The Villages are located near major tourist destinations such as Bicester Village (UK), La Vallée Village (Paris), and Fidenza Village (Milan).
The company emphasizes high-end services, including VIP lounges, personal shopping, and fine dining, to attract affluent international shoppers. It collaborates directly with luxury brands like Gucci, Prada, Dior, and Burberry, ensuring exclusive collections and curated merchandising. Bicester Village is considered the most profitable retail location per square meters.
L-Catterton, the LVMH backed investment group, took a 40% participation in Value Retail in 2024, confirming the luxury status, and the growth potential of the company.
While the brands in the village operate under a lease agreement, all Villages at the Bicester Collection have a full Retail team that work closely with the brands's store teams and Area directors on topics such as product assortments, Visual merchandising, staff covering or promotions.
My role as a Retail Director, with the support of my team, was to create strong bonds with the brands to help them drive a successful business. The 3-engines model I put in place focused on Products, People and Promotions pillars. Each of the pillar is equally important to ensure the performance of every of the 100 brands in the village.
Additionally, the villages are focusing a lot on experiences, meaning that I was in charge of the 4 restaurants in the village, but also the in village Visual Merchandising, and partnering with Marketing to develop activations and initiatives to drive footfall and experiences in the village.
Senior Merchant Manager, Wertheim Village
The Bicester Collection, Germany, 2020-2023
The Bicester Collection excels in driving high footfall to its locations, thanks to effective marketing campaigns, but also to Tourism activities and strong partnerships. It also differentiates itself from the competition with it extensive retail team, working very closely with the brands, influencing on all the aspects of the store's performance. In 2020, Products was the last topic on which the villages had no visibility nor influence. It was an even more critical topic during Covid since the supply was more limited and it was vital to ensure the products were coming our way. They therefore created a Merchant position in each village, to help drive a Product vision. The goal was not only to partner with the brands to get the right product quantity and quality, but also to drive a stronger fashion message in our communication, with a product-focused approach.
As an experienced merchant, I brought to this role a lot of new ideas and ways of working that helped us drive sales and were replicated to our other villages across Europe.
MAASMECHELEN VILLAGE
Maasmechelen Village is strategically located in the north East of Belgium, at the crossroads of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. It is less than 90mins drive from key cities such as Brussels, Antwerp, Dusseldorf or Cologne.
The village has a selection of 100 brands, ranging from Sportswear to premium RTW and Luxury.
It is the most profitable retail center in Belgium, and was named "the most beautiful shopping street in Belgium" by Rituals' CEO.
The village also has 4 restaurants and multiple food and coffee kiosks.
WERTHEIM VILLAGE
Wertheim Village, nestled in the picturesque Tauber Valley near Frankfurt, Germany, is a premier luxury outlet shopping destination. It offers a unique and upscale shopping experience, attracting both local and international visitors.
It is home to 110 boutiques from leading national and international Fashion brands such as Armani, Tod's, Ralph Lauren, etc.