Bunty Stokes is a brand new FBC member and she’s also a fairly brand new employee at vente-privee.com. vente-privee.com is the pioneer of online event-based sales for members (launched in 2001), and Bunty has taken up the post of UK country sales manager to develop the market on this side of the Channel.
Bunty wanted FBC to understand what vente-privee.com was all about, so arranged for us to take a trip over to Paris and check out the operation.
A 6:55 departure from St. Pancras on the Eurostar deposited us in Paris where we were collected in black and pink vente-privee.com branded mini-buses and taken to their HQ. There were rails and rails of clothes everywhere, and the first thing I noticed is that everyone is really friendly and cool – and quite young, with a workforce (1000+) average age of 31.
The Bear
Wire hanger sculpture and FBC member Rebekah Roy
Second, the art. I’m thinking of relocating to Paris and trying to get a job at vente-privee.com so I can look at the art all day: giant statues made from wire hangers, a small brown bear wielding rotary saws, skull coat hangers, and photographs and paintings galore!…and the CEO, Jacques-Antoine Granjon has really good hair and shoes.
Isabel Dexter (R) and I in the billiard area
The UK PR manager, Isabel Dexter (a French-speaking British transplant) introduced us to the multi-level building and it’s various departments. They have their own sound studios (5 of them) where they create original music for the trailers and films that they produce to market the sales. They have 18 photographic studios and are building 30, yes 30 more. We strolled by the buyers, met the sales co-ordinators, were fed an amazing lunch, then got to go to their warehouse: forklifts, palettes, box squishers, bar codes, and miles of high shelving.
The Warehouse
vente-prevee.com has 8 million members and about 1,000 join up in the UK everyday since it was launched. They work with over 850 brands and their sales (offering 50%-70% off) last for 2 – 4 days. It’s super-easy to register, just log on and canoe yourself to a good deal (that will make sense when you visit the site): www.vente-privee.com
Sales co-ordinators for Britain
Meet Bunty at the next FBC meeting on the 26th of November where board member and editor of Vogue.com, Dolly Jones is interviewing Browns buying director, Erin Mullaney along with fashion designer, Jonathan Saunders.
Courtney Blackman Co-Founder & Co-Chairman
