The Lafayette Plug and Play innovation platform has entered into a major new partnership with Etam Group. This key player in lingerie and fashion will boost the Lafayette Plug and Play ecosystem’s virtuous open-innovation model and benefit the retail and fashion sectors. And the startups in the ecosystem can now enjoy preferential access to Lafayette Plug and Play’s 16 corporate partners, to rise to their new challenges in the phygital sphere.

Etam Group is a pioneer in the digital customer experience, constantly building bridges between its bricks-and-mortar stores and online universe, and places its phygital approach at the core of its strategy. This partnership is putting Etam Group in a position to build closer ties with the sector’s most innovative startups in France and worldwide, to take the customer experience to the next level and invent the future of retail.

To do this, Etam Group will be able to leverage the ecosystem that Lafayette Plug and Play has been building for over four years. It is accelerating 141 startups and scaleups, has identified hundreds of targeted solutions around the world, and these solutions are ready to be harnessed to enable its partners to reach their goals in the digital arena.

This partnership will for example enable Etam Group to fast-track a solution based on Livestream Shopping, with startup Bambuser, at its next Live Show.

“We’re thrilled to be part of the Lafayette Plug and Play ecosystem. This platform is geared for retail and is a perfect fit for our lines of work. We can pinpoint the French and international startups that are exactly right for us, to tap into their expert insights and first- class support. Our goal with this partnership is to keep on speeding up the integration of innovative solutions, to enhance the customer experience and roll out an omnichannel business model,” says Elya Hasson, Etam Group’s Chief Digital Officer.

Pieter Lammens, Lafayette Plug and Play’s Director, adds, “We’re very pleased to welcome Etam Group into our ecosystem. Retailers need to adapt faster than ever to the new trends reshaping consumption habits, as these trends are gaining traction due to the health crisis. Now that it has joined our 15 other corporate partners, France’s leader in fashion and lingerie is enjoying tailored sourcing solutions and an open environment for conversations between the big players transforming the sector.”