Mélanie Caron is the new guest on the LuxurynsightXFashionNetwork podcast. Together with Olivier Guillot, Editor-in-Chief of FashionNetwork.com France, the Managing Director of Ladurée talks about his career and the current challenges facing the famed Parisian pastry house, known around the world for its macarons. Founded in 1862, the company is preparing a special collection and a renovated flagship store for the Olympics to cater to the influx of tourists to the French capital.
Ladurée is a partner of major sporting events such as Roland Garros, and this summer it is riding the wave of interest generated by the international sporting event: “We were approached by the Paris 2024 organisation, who were looking to develop a range of licensed products that reflected the best of French know-how,” explains Mélanie Calon.
This licensed gourmet capsule contains boxes of 12 or 28 macarons (priced from €39 to €83), pastries such as Eugénie biscuits (with a soft chocolate filling) and mango tarts, as well as marshmallow-scented candles. All of these products are designed and sold as “souvenirs” and come in original packaging that “reflects the visual identity of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games”. “The Ladurée gift box is not something to throw away, but to keep,” the manager cautions.
Ahead of the Olympics, Ladurée is also renovating its flagship store at 16, rue Royale in the 8th arrondissement, which opened at the end of the 19th century, and its boutique on the Champs-Élysées (75, 8th arrondissement), aiming to express French art de vivre and elegance and improve the customer experience in-store. “The idea was to rethink what we wanted to say about the company and how we could integrate all our patisserie expertise into the boutique. We have created very different spaces where customers can move between the boutique, the tea room, the dessert bar and the cooking classes,” adds the general manager.
Adapting to local tastes
The chain, which will be taken over by Stéphane Courbet’s Lov Group in 2021, is currently present in around 20 countries and aims to recover to pre-COVID business levels, with sales of more than 110 million euros. In autumn 2021, Mélanie Calon took over the management of the company founded by Louis-Ernest Ladurée in 1862. A graduate of ESSEC and the London School of Economics, she is an expert in customer experience, having spent three years in the marketing department of the Accor Group’s Ibis chain and four years in charge of hospitality strategy for the ADP Group.
“Just like fashion, we have timeless creations,” smiles Ladurée’s managing director. This masterpiece of French cuisine combines traditional products with “vibrant collections of pastries four times a year in each country.” “These local adaptations are very important for our business, because we have to have iconic products for those who come to experience a pure French pastry, and at the same time, for consumers who come regularly, we have to offer products adapted to the regional tastes, changing ingredients and shapes,” adds Mélanie Calon.
In this podcast (in French), the entrepreneur also details the Parisian house’s ambitious plans for international expansion into various new Asian markets such as South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong, positioning itself as a luxury brand with superior products. At the same time, Ladurée plans to expand its presence in the United States, where it has been present for 15 years in New York’s SoHo district.
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