Charles Vögele defines new group managemen structure and amends brand strategy

23.11.2011, Since September 2011, Group Management has been made up of two members, CEO Frank Beeck and CFO Markus Voegeli; but in future there will be two additional Group Management posts: a COO (Chief Operating Officer) and a CCO (Chief Commercial Officer). The CCO function will be handled by Frank Beeck in tandem with his CEO role. This new post covers product development, sales and corresponding marketing activities. The COO role covers quantity planning, merchandise procurement and logistics. The search for a COO has begun.

To ensure the best possible continuity in the company’s management, Hans Ziegler supported the Group Management following the change in operational management in September 2011. Hans Ziegler will in future concentrate on his function as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Charles Vögele Holding AG, thus returning to his original role.

Another central measure concerns the clear positioning and focusing of the Charles Vögele brand. “If we want to thrive in the current environment, the company needs clearer market positioning and a sharper profile. Our three current main brands Casa Blanca, Biaggini and Kingfield are not enough distinguished by our customers,” says Frank Beeck. Group Management will therefore concentrate in future on the strong overall Charles Vögele brand, and drop the separate Casa Blanca, Biaggini and Kingfield brands. All collections will be run under the Charles Vögele brand. The different styles of clothing will be distinguished by the way they are presented in stores. “We will continue to have different styles of clothes in our stores, but they will all appear under the same brand name. The way that items are presented and the communication that goes with them will be more targetgroup specific, so that the different styles are easy for customers to identify,” explains Frank Beeck. Implementation of this new brand strategy should be completed by the time the 2013 spring/summer collection arrives.

Markets still difficult
The challenging economic environment, the strong Swiss franc – which is hurting results in the second half-year too – and the unusually warm autumn have all had a negative effect on Charles Vögele Group’s sales over the last few months. Added to this were internal logistics problems associated with the opening of the new distribution centre and its integration into the process organization. Due to these negative factors the management expects today a clear deterioration of the operative result in the second half of the financial year 2011 compared with the first half.

With a syndicated credit facility due to expire in June 2012, the company is currently holding talks with a small group of partner banks. The new agreement should replace the existing loans and give the group financial flexibility.

CEO Frank Beeck summarises: “We are confident that the measures decided on have put the Vögele Group back on course for profitable growth.” The Charles Vögele Group's full-year results 2011 will be presented on 6 March 2012.

Charles Vögele Group is one of Europe’s leading vertical fashion retailers. It offers the latest fashions at great prices to people in the prime of their lives who want to feel good. With attractively presented goods, combined with friendly, knowledgeable advice, it creates a relaxed and enjoyable shopping experience. Charles Vögele has 815 outlets in ten countries: Switzerland, Principality of Liechtenstein, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. In 2010 the Group and its approximately 8000 employees generated gross sales of more than CHF 1.4 billion. Charles Vögele Holding AG’s shares are quoted on the SIX Swiss Exchange (securities number: 693 777).

Contact
Charles Vögele Trading AG Nicole Schöwel Vice President Communications Gwattstrasse 15 8808 Pfäffikon SZ Tel. 055 416 71 11 Fax 055 410 12 82 Email: nicole.schoewel@charles-voegele.com

« Back to main page