Carmen Steffens (Brazil) to Franchise in Australia
05 Mar 2010 - Carmen Steffens is a Brazilian-based franchise that sells high-fashion shoes and handbags and has over 150 franchises around the world, with plans to boost its Australian presence over the next few years.
As part of its expansion plans, the franchise will, over five to ten years, increase the number of Australian outlets from two to 15. The existing franchises are located in Perth and Canberra.
According to Perth's master franchisee, Fernando De Geus, one of the best things about being part of the Carmen Steffens brand is that franchisees still retain a significant amount of control over the store's stock. "Carmen Steffens has the catalogue products, that are the recommended products and in my opinion they are the best selling products," he said. "But franchisees can choose the quantity and they can choose pretty much all of the range.
"A good benefit is that you don't have to buy more than you need. With some franchises you have to buy a minimum quantity and then sometimes the minimum quantity is really high, but for us the minimum quantity represents 30 per cent of what we sell every season."
Despite the geographical distance between Brazil and Australia, De Geus is adamant that Carmen Steffens provides all the support required for an up-and-coming franchisee, both in terms of the store fit-out and staff training. "The franchisee will receive all the necessary training including how to run the business, how to sell, how to assist customers and management," he said. "Carmen Steffens will design the shop. They will do the drawings. They'll send the furniture and someone to set up the place ... From the base to the ceiling, you'll have support."
New franchisees are also provided with a trainer from Carmen Steffens who will provide in-store assistance for 15 days after the franchise's opening.
While previous retail experience is not essential for Carmen Steffens franchisees, a passion for fashion is. "It is better if they have it [retail experience] but if they don't, if they really have a passion for it and they really want to do something, we'll give them all the support necessary.
"They should like shoes and handbags and love fashion," he added.
The company's modest expansion plans - another 13 Australian stores over a five to 10 year period - are part of Carmen Steffens' attempts to ensure that the brand doesn't become too visible, therefore maintaining its high-end fashion reputation.
"We want to keep it a little bit more exclusive," De Geus said. "We don't want to have like 200 stores in Australia ... because it's a high-end brand. How many Louis Vuitton stores do you see in one city? Maybe two or three".
De Geus plans to open another franchise in Perth in the near future, while Canberra's franchisee plans to expand into Melbourne. Other Carmen Steffens franchises are located in Brazil, France, Spain, Portugal and the US.
Carmen Steffens
