Sacha Vigna: “Our goal for Habitat is to win back an audience by the end of the year” – Retail

How did you experience this victory at the 2024 E-Commerce Trophies?

A business leader is above all a conductor. This victory rewards the work of the entire team that has enabled Vente-Unique.com to stay the course and develop for 18 years in a complicated e-commerce and furniture ecosystem. The pride that we all take from this shines on the company as a whole. Although, since the creation of Vente-Unique.com, we have not carried out mega fundraisings or made billions of euros in turnover, we have indeed been growing and profitable for 18 years.

Can you tell us a little more about the areas for reviving the Habitat brand?

The relaunch of Habitat had to be done in two stages. First, it was imperative to come to the aid of customers who had been impacted by the liquidation of its stores. Nearly 9,000 customers had been impacted, they had the possibility of filling out a form. We then studied each case individually to offer them a solution. This is really what we focused on. It should be noted that they were pleasantly surprised that a company, with which they had no contractual relationship, came to their aid. At the same time, we are working on restarting the operation of the site. A second, more active relaunch phase will open at the start of the school year.

Relaunching a brand or a website represents a major digital project. What is your plan?

The goal is to restart the website, as it was before. We will bring all the strengths of Vente-Unique.com to the relaunch of a great brand like Habitat: mastery of logistics and customer experience as well as our digital culture. Design and sourcing will also be at the heart of the project. Habitat was known for making design accessible. We will have to continue on this path with new achievements in collaboration with designers and the reissue of iconic products that made the brand famous, such as the Ribbon lamp. And there will be others… For Habitat, our goal is to win back an audience by the end of the year. The announcement of the detailed recovery plan will come at the same time.

Didn’t the rout in the clothing sector in personal equipment make you fear a similar movement in the
from home?

Clothing and home equipment are two radically different sectors, particularly because of the logistics and the weight of the products transported. The ready-to-wear sector has been really impacted by the arrival of Chinese online retailers, who are very aggressive on prices and have thus managed to gain a large clientele. In our field, the barriers to entry are higher, due to the logistical complexity. That being said, we must be careful of the forces contrary to the development of the business that are always at work, such as real estate prices, inflation, loss of purchasing power, all of which can weigh on the sector. The slowdown in the real estate market with the rise in interest rates is also something to watch out for.

Our advantage, however, is that we are a company that operates on a European scale. Today, we make less than 50% of our turnover in France. Our direct-to-consumer model appeals to all consumers, whether they are French, German or Spanish. The market is becoming increasingly digital. Retailers represent only a small part of the value chain. There will always be customers looking for competitive prices and the Internet is a fabulous price comparison machine. There are professionals on the Internet who, like us, can deliver competitive products with an excellent customer experience. When your customer is happy, you have already taken the first step towards good business.

How do you see the future of e-commerce, particularly in terms of customer acquisition?

This sector will only continue to grow because it meets many needs: the widest possible choice, the search for competitive prices, product comparison and ease of delivery. In my opinion, we still have many years of growth ahead of us. In absolute terms, it is quite “easy” to sell on the Internet. On the other hand, satisfying customers is more complicated, especially in a field like ours where the products are bulky and fragile. For two years in a row, Vente-Unique.com has been voted Customer Service of the Year in France in the Furniture and Decoration category. We will continue to seek proof of our know-how and operational excellence.

What projects are currently being carried out to improve this customer relationship?

We must constantly adapt to customer wishes. We are therefore working on setting up customer relations via messaging services such as WhatsApp. Historically, a large part of customer relations was done orally, but we are going to develop writing. In this regard, artificial intelligence (AI) can help us respond more quickly and more effectively to our customers. With AI, we are experiencing a new revolution.

How did this passion for e-commerce come about?

This came to me quite early when I did my MBA in the United States in 1998. I was lucky enough to study at an American university where e-commerce, digital marketing and information systems were taught. That’s where I “caught the bug” because we could directly observe this interactive side by testing, measuring and improving online operations. When I returned to France, I immediately launched into the internet and I never stopped. The sector is intellectually rich, whether we are talking about IT, logistics, data flow and exploitation or sourcing. You have to be an expert in each link in the value chain. And in each of them, the more specialized you are, the more you have to confront a greater degree of complexity. It is a profession where you have to be good in all disciplines, like a decathlete, to be better than your competitor and win the race.

What sustainability principles do you apply to your product sourcing?

All the factories we work with are audited to comply with a certain number of constraints in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR). On Vente-Unique.com, you will find a Good for Planet label that identifies products sourced in Europe and France for consumers looking for these criteria. We of course pay a certain number of taxes such as eco-packaging and eco-furniture on each purchase.

For several years now, we have been donating a number of our product returns to associations. This helps give them a second life. In addition, as a listed company, these criteria are monitored by investors.

What are the challenges of relaunching the Habitat brand in the logistics sector?

What is complicated in our universe are the bulky, fragile products delivered in several packages. This is exactly the same problem for Habitat as for Vente-Unique.com. The challenge will be to ensure the same customer experience, by guaranteeing that Habitat is there in this area. This ramp-up will have to be paced accordingly. As always, it will be necessary to order enough – but not too much – merchandise to revive the brand. We already have all the logistics infrastructure to achieve this.

Are recruitments planned to carry out this strategic project?

Yes, they are planned. We have already recruited about ten people at headquarters who are actively working on the relaunch of the brand. And to support the logistics ramp-up and the development of turnover, we will do the same. We have the culture of
“Do-it-yourself” within our company, so no recourse to strategy consulting firms. You are never better served than by yourself. I strive every day to recruit intelligent employees because they will find clever solutions. You should never be afraid to recruit people who are more talented than you, but it requires taking the plunge.

Is sharing operational knowledge and passing on know-how fundamental to you?

The first mission of a manager is to allow his employees to reach their full potential. I encourage them to get out of their comfort zone. I often tell them: “Be bold, be energetic”. Not being afraid, being enthusiastic and enjoying coming to work every day are essential points because we all spend a certain number of hours in our workplace. In any case, this is what I am looking for from a personal point of view and it is also what I wish for my employees.