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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW : Boggi Milano’s store experience in Asia

Boggi

Since 1939, Boggi Milano has been providing garments for cosmopolitan Gentlemen all over the world, men who are attentive to their own personal style.

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Its values are primarily quality and Italian identity, factors that influence everything that the company does. It selects the finest quality materials and applies contemporary Italian Style, allied to craftsmanship at the highest levels.

Paolo Selva
Paolo Selva, Board Member at Boggi Milano, Source : Boggi Milano

Boggi Milano’s pursuit of excellence and passion is reflected in the brand’s stores, where customers can enjoy an experience defined by the same values: Italian style and traditions, quality products, customer-oriented service, excellent quality-price ratio.

Retail in Asia interviewed Mr. Paolo Selva, Board Member at Boggi Milano, to understand more about their expansion plans for Asia.

RiA : What is the current status of your Asian expansion?

Paolo : Boggi Milano’s presence in Asia began fairly recently, with stores in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Macao. But the company has embarked on an ambitious plan for expansion that of course includes a number of new stores in Asia.

Part of our success in Asia is due to our local partners, Debora Marzocchi, Fouder & Director at M2A DESIGN, an Italian design studio based in Hong Kong. Debora was key in managing our store openings thanks to her vast network of contacts and great experience in the field. She has been supervising the construction of the Layout designed by the HQ and remained actively engaged after completion assisting with the full package of documents and the release of Fit Out deposits.

Debora’s assistance enabled us to present our stores up to our customers’ expectations and offer the level of service our customers are used to in the perfect cocoon.

RiA : What is your customer profile?

Paolo : The typical Boggi Milano customer is a Gentleman aged from 25 to 55, generally businessmen living in cities. They expect garments with a high intrinsic value and an advantageous quality-price ratio, based on innovative technology and cutting-edge production techniques, and they are sensitive to the latest developments in menswear style trends.

RiA : In which way you are targeting Asian consumers?

Paolo : Boggi Milano’s typically Italian Style appeals to Gentlemen in Asia because it enables them to stand out from the crowd, as a result of the brand’s distinctive design approach. Su Misura events are regularly organized in Asia to promote the brand’s made-to-measure service, and the excellent results attained show that Asian men appreciate this service in which the customer can choose from over 150 quality Italian-made textiles, along with details and finish such as buttons, buttonholes and accessories, in addition to made-to-measure tailoring.

RiA : In which way are you enhancing your store experience?

Paolo : In addition to the quality and creativity of its products, Boggi Milano has been able to expand worldwide by means of the expertise of its in-store staff.

The company considers this factor as fundamental to ongoing growth, and for this reason it founded its internal business school, the Boggi Academy, in October 2016. Its courses are delivered to all staff, imparting Boggi Milano’s quest for excellence, and providing instruction on the Boggi Milano Selling Ceremony that gives each and every client a unique, unforgettable experience in all Boggi Milano stores around the world.

RiA : What are the touchpoints that drive the customer journey both offline and online?

Paolo : Boggi Milano customers experience the brand through various touchpoints, primarily the quality of the products and services both in-store and online, the store’s image, layout and style, Boggi Milano’s advertising campaigns, and all the interactions that customers have with staff within the store and on the digital platform.


Source: M2A DESIGN

The attention that the brand dedicates to all-round customer service is perfectly illustrated by its Omnichannel Experience, which creates a close interaction between offline and online channels, enabling customers to select products on line and collect them, or try them on, in the store nearest to them, or alternatively to order online in-store and have the products shipped free of charge to any address or to another Boggi Milano store.

The brand recently won the Reta Award (Retail Technology Awards Europe) for the category “Best Instore Solution and Best Omnichannel Solution,” eloquent testimony to its commitment to giving customers an efficient service across all retail platforms.

RiA : Can you provide us some insights regarding menswear trends in Asia?

Paolo : Boggi Milano’s products express an Italian style approach and so they represent a distinct contrast with respect to the Asian marketplace, but this constitutes the brand’s added value, contributing to its success.

The Autumn/Winter 2018-19 collection represents a radical departure, propelling the company into a new stage of development, with an innovative menswear style based on the combination of classical and sportswear characteristics.

The contemporary Gentleman will no longer be restricted to jacket, shirt and tie, but he will be able to choose from a refreshing new mode of dressing, with garments that include polo shirts, crew-necked and polo-necked sweaters, and drawstring trousers, items that can be combined in different ways to create distinctive and personalized looks.

This highly contemporary style is enhanced by the colours chosen, lighter than in previous seasons, with shades of grey, camel and cream. Accent colours include Bordeaux, and above all Royal Blue, a colour that is present in all product categories.

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RiA : What’s next for Boggi Milano?

Paolo : The brand has ambitious plans for Asia in the near future. During the course of 2018 there will be new openings in Macao, Singapore and Malaysia with the objective of tripling Boggi Milano’s retail presence in those markets. In addition, the brand will soon establish a presence in Mainland China with the intention of gaining a strong foothold on the market.

Plans are under way for an extended regional presence, encompassing Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia, along with other nations. And there will be some important new developments in the Boggi Gentleman Style concept, for which we invite you to watch this space!