Montreal’s La Vie en Rose is wise to take a gradual approach to U.S. expansion

Lingerie retailer La Vie en Rose operates in 20 countries, but they haven’t expanded to the neighbouring United States – until now. The Montreal-headquartered company is opening three stores in New York state, with an eye cast toward operating nationwide one day. But with a more crowded market for lingerie in the United States, they’re taking a cautious approach. “What they’re doing is quite astute,” said Charles de Brabant, Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management. “It makes sense for them to take a crack at the U.S. market, but many retailers have taken a beating by being too aggressive in the U.S. A gradual approach isn’t as risky.”