Gucci Notes
Gucci Notes
Gucci Notes
leadership” (Y-axis) and “Product differentiation” (X-axis) strategy map. Where is Gucci’s position on
this map in 1990, 1994, and 2000 respectively.
2) What were the critical strategic choices made by De Sole in his turnaround strategy. Try to match
this to internal value chain activities of Gucci.
<History of Gucci>
1953: Gucci opened a shop in New York, its first outside Italy.
(미국 호황과 더불어 sprouted up in Chicago, Phillie, San Francisco, Beverly Hills and Palm Beach)
By the late 1980s, some 22,000 products, including tennis shoes, playing cards and cigarette holders,
bore the Gucci Name. Fake Gucci bags.... The ubiquity of the double Gs.
Brian Blake recalls “Gucci would not truly be considered a luxury company by luxury goods players
like Chanel and Hermès. It was pretty much trading on its past reputation... No truly discerning
luxury goods client would stop at Gucci.
In the early 1990s, the entire industry was suffering from a downturn. (요인: Gulf War, U.S recession)
Thanks to its unique customer base, the luxury market was less vulnerable to economic slumps than
many other categories, but still, as this period showed, it was no way immune.
<Manufacturing>
1) in-house
- vertically integrated approach
- by Hermes (by mid-1990s, the company employed almost 600 artisans handcrafting leather goods
in workshops outside Paris)
- single craftsman was responsible for all the steps involved in assembling a handbag, which might
take 17 hours of more
- Hermes (80% of its products in such way)
2) outsourced
- Gucci, Prada (outsourced most of their production through a carefully controlled network of small
Italian firms)
- minimized fixed asset investment
- 1998, return on invested capital of 36% in 1998, compared to 19% for Hermes,
<Distribution>
- Trend in latter part of 1990s --> greater relaince on DOS (directly operated stores)
- most industries pulled back from wholesale distribution through department stores or independent
boutqiues.
- costly BUT, maintaine complete control over presentation, service, pricing and the range of
products that were sold
- reduced vulnerability to gray market or parallel trade
- duty-free sales 부진 --> many companies put increased effort into developing local markets,
which were less sensitive to short-term macroeconomic moves.
- most of the companies reluctant to ecommerce exceept for Tifanny and LVMH
<COMPETITORS>
- 35 companies shared 60% of the market
- $1 bn: 6 firms,
1. LVMH 2. Vendôme 3. Cartier 4. Vacheron Constantin 5. Mont Blanc
Leather goods:
Hermès (top of the market, Kelly bag) $4,300 Price was not imp, wmn crowded Hermès waiting
lists around the world
Chanel bargain hunter, ($1500) one step down the ladder
Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada ==> middle range, basic leather models typically ranging from $600-
$1100
<Gucci in 1990>
- 엠생 그 자체
- From 1991 through 1993, Gucci’s losses amounted to $102 million.
- Gucci was unable to finance new collections and advertising or even to pay suppliers and
employees.
- Gucci’s core customers was a wealthy, somewhat conservative, older woman
<Gucci in 1994>
- 개혁의 시작 by De Sole
- Reorganize and reposition the firm
- instituting professional management and financial controls, cost-cutting was an early priority for
the new team.
- 50 people were fired at the corporate level,
- negot. with unions --> manufactre workforce cut by 100
- Gucci also created a merchandising function to collect customer data, channel market demands
PRICING STRATEGY
- lowering prices on average by 30%
- This strategy positioned Gucci below Hermès and Chanel and on par with Prada and Vuitton
Hermès $2,000 Gucci $950
(Product were equal, in terms of material, in terms of workmanship)
- Gucci aslo made it possible for a wide range of people to enter its world, by offering articles
ranging from scarves to fur oats (diff로 해석? cost leader로 해석?)
- determined to preserve Gucci’s luxury status
- resisted the temptation to extend th e brand by launching diffusion lines
MARKETING STRATEGY
doubled advertising expenditure (이건 differentiation advantage 구하려고 한 것 같은데???)
$5.9 mil in 1993 --> $11.6 mil in 1994 4.6 of revenues
2000년도에는 13% of sales 이건 완전 differentiation이잖아!!!
- new program for partners (provided selected suppliers with technical and financial support)
- faster and more predictable delivery of classic products
- encouraged guccis production staff to invest in technological innovations (computerized
equipment for cutting leather)
- high flexible production system built on three pillars: skilled artisans, advanced technology, efficient
logistics.
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES
- strengthening the network of directly operated stores
- DOS: both flagship stores and shops-in-shops
- product 뿐만 아니라 매장도 young 하게 만들자~
-
<Gucci in 2000>
- The Pinault infusion: The Pinault infusion and the Sanofi Beauté transactions transformed
Gucci into a multi-brand luxury group with nearly $3 billion in cash
Between 1997 and 1999, Gucci increased the points of sales to a planned 6,000 doors (of better
quality overall) by the end of 2000. Gucci also realized considerable savings by consolidating back
office operations, such as warehousing, for all of its product groups.
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