Taking the Joe out of Joe Fresh: Loblaw exec quits brand he built
Joe is saying goodbye to Joe Fresh.
Grocery retailer Loblaw Cos. Ltd. has confirmed that Joe Mimran, the design maven behind Club Monaco and the founder of Loblaw’s cheap chic house clothing line, is handing over control of the brand he created nine years ago to current Joe Fresh president Mario Grauso.
“As I step back from my day-today responsibilities, I’m happy to pass the baton to Mario and his team — experienced hands committed to our shared vision,” Mimran told the Financial Post.
“I look forward to seeing the continued growth of Joe Fresh as we introduce this iconic Canadian brand to new markets and customers around the globe.”
Mimran, 62, has been a stylish ambassador of the Joe Fresh brand since its debut, appearing frequently at society events wearing pieces of the men’s collection mixed with luxury blazers and loafers.
Loblaw asked Mimran to create the brand after Walmart Canada rolled out the clothing brand George, a successful line from the mass merchant’s British division, Asda.
Unlike Loblaw’s other general merchandise initiatives, which saw the retailer get into categories such as housewares, electronics and decor, Joe Fresh was an unprecedented hit for the retailer when it launched in 2006, and became even more popular when it introduced kids and baby clothing in 2007.
Grauso’s transition had been in the works since he was courted by Mimran to join the Canadian apparel retailer to help kick-start Joe Fresh’s international expansion.
That happened just six months after the brand nimbly sidestepped a potential PR nightmare after the April 2013 Bangladesh factory collapse that killed more than 1,100 workers, including members of a group sewing Joe Fresh clothes. Loblaw hired a full-time manager to oversee sourcing and standards in Bangladesh, gave aid to the families of the victims and established protocols to raise working standards in the region.
Grauso was president of Vera Wang Group before he was named chief operating officer of Joe Fresh in 2013, and was made president of the apparel brand last July.
“Joe is certainly going to look in on us regularly to make sure we stay true to his founding principles,” Grauso said, vowing Joe Fresh will retain the aesthetic and price point that helped it to become the No. 2 private-label apparel line in Canada behind George.
Club Monaco, owned by Ralph Lauren Corp. since 1999, has been able to maintain the striking aesthetic and tone Mimran, designer Alfred Sung and his brother Saul established when they founded that fashion retailer in 1985, Grauso added.
No changes are being made to the brand or the logo in the wake of Mimran’s departure. Grauso, who reported to Mimran, will now report directly to Loblaw president Galen Weston.
Joe Fresh, which is sold within 340 Loblaw stores including 16 free-standing streetfront boutiques, went global in 2011 when it opened the first of six stores in New York.
It started to open stores overseas with local retail partners in 2014, beginning with South Korea and Saudi Arabia last May. Stores in Mexico and Central America will open this year, and Africa and Europe are markets slated for future growth as part of a plan to open 140 Joe Fresh outlets in 23 countries during the next four years.
To help give Joe Fresh a brand boost, the retailer is launching a widespread marketing campaign this year featuring model Karlie Kloss, who just resigned from Victoria’s Secret after four years as a model for the lingerie company.
As Mimran cedes control to Grauso, the Joe Fresh brand faces another critical turning point as executives look to extend parts of the apparel and accessories into Shoppers Drug Mart stores, beginning with the introduction of Joe Fresh cosmetics in the spring of 2016.
After that rollout, industry experts have suggested Loblaw may test scaled-down assortments of Joe Fresh baby, sleepwear, underwear and socks at Shoppers.
“One step at a time, but there are other categories we are discussing ” for Shoppers, Grauso said.
The retailer is also making an effort to expand and improve its shoe assortment, having just signed a deal with Aldo Group shoes for the design of all Joe Fresh’s footwear, which until recently was designed in-house. Those shoes will be introduced in spring of 2016.
Loblaw will debut a larger family footwear department in 54 Joe Fresh stores next year as it moves to expand more aggressively into the discount footwear business, and the locations are also being refreshed to have a bigger baby and kids’ departments.
Joe Fresh was an unprecedented hit … when it launched in 2006, and became even more popular when it introduced kids and baby clothing.