SMCP S A : launches its academy “ Retail Lab”

Press R elea se - P aris, 30 J anuary 2 023

SMCP launches its academy "SMCP Retail Lab"

SMCP, a global player in the accessible luxury market, with a portfolio of four unique Parisian brands (Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot and Fursac) announces today the launch of the first class of its SMCP Retail Lab academy, in partnership with EMA SUP Paris and Institut Français de la Mode (the Paris Fashion School). 

SMCP Retail Lab is a school delivering certified training to students enabling them to become the sales advisor of tomorrow. The idea was born during a hackathon around the theme "Challenges of Retail" organised in November 2021, and was formally implemented by a project group made up of internal talents.

This key project is supported by the founders of Sandro and Maje, Evelyne Chetrite & Judith Milgrom, and by Isabelle Guichot, SMCP CEO.

Isabelle Guichot, CEO of SMCP, commented, "I am very proud to announce the creation of the SMCP Retail Lab academy, a project that is very close to my heart. Within the Group, we encourage our teams to think outside the box and develop their entrepreneurial spirit. The birth of our academy, which follows a hackathon organised by the Group, is a perfect illustration of our passion and our entrepreneurial spirit that enable us to face the challenges of our market."

SMCP Retail Lab is offering an innovative and certifying omnichannel training course for sales advisors. The course will take place over a year in the form of work-study programmes offered within our four brands. The programme has been designed around a tripartite organisation: firstly, it is based on a customised omnichannel training course in sales consultancy run by EMA SUP Paris; secondly, Institut Français de la Mode (the Paris Fashion School) will host several days on fashion culture and the new challenges of Sustainability; and thirdly, SMCP will be responsible for educating students throughout the year about the brands, their DNA, and their functioning.

Nathalie Malavoy, Global HR and Sustainability Director, highlighted: "The launch of this school is in line with the innovative and open human resources strategy and our ambition towards Sustainability, which is central to the Group. This unprecedented project, carried out in a very short time and involving employees from all of our brands, is a proof of the vitality and strength of the Group's values.

For the enrolment of this first class with about twenty students, SMCP has chosen to welcome candidates from all backgrounds, with the only selection criteria being the candidates' motivation and interest in fashion.

An innovative, modern and inclusive admission campaign was launched on social networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) and on different channels such as Spotify, Indeed, LinkedIn, etc. No resume or level of experience were required from the candidates, who had to answer a series of questions on video to express their desire to apply for this programme. The most motivated among them were invited to attend a selection event in the Maje showroom around fun workshops. In total, more than two hundred applications were received to join the first promotion of SMCP Retail Lab.

ABOUT SMCP

SMCP is a global leader in the accessible luxury market with four unique Parisian brands: Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot and Fursac. Present in 43 countries, the Group comprises a network of over 1,600 stores globally and a strong digital presence in all its key markets. Evelyne Chetrite and Judith Milgrom founded Sandro and Maje in Paris, in 1984 and 1998 respectively, and continue to provide creative direction for the brands. Claudie Pierlot and Fursac were respectively acquired by SMCP in

2009 and 2019. SMCP is listed on the Euronext Paris regulated market (compartment A, ISIN Code FR0013214145, ticker: SMCP).

CONTACTS

INVESTORS/MEDIA

SMCP	BRUNSWICK
Amélie Dernis	Hugues Boëton [phone]
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