Frenchologie: a UK e-store dedicated to French brands

By

Sophie Chaudey

Published
Jan 21, 2013

It is a well-known fact that the British are partial to the ‘French touch’. Cashing in on that are Beatrice Drovandi and Cécilia Cauville, who transplanted to London from France. The two have launched an e-store called Frenchologie which allows the British public to access French brands. The site offers a variety of products, ranging from fashion and accessories to food, art, culture and even homeware. Coming from e-commerce giants Net-à-Porter (Drovandi) and Farfetch (Cauville), the Frenchologie founders have the necessary expertise on web culture and the English market.

“There are many products sold in the UK with French names, but that have nothing to do with France. We want to sell real French products with a real authentic feel,” explains Cécilia Cauville. When selecting the brands, one criterion is above all important: the brand must have a story behind it. “You have to remember that Londoners make bold choices when it comes to their look and their environment,” says Cécilia Cauville. With a total of 32 brands available on the site, 15 of which are fashion and accessories, Frenchologie offers a selection of products from high-end brands, mixing emerging designers and established names, like Constance, Boutet, Christine Phung and Jean-Charles Castelbajac, which will be sold on the site from February.

Launched on 16th December 2012, the site receives around 150 visitors a day with an average spend of 300 pounds. For the moment, England remains the main focus of the site, but the founders are considering entering the Chinese market in the mid-term, where French goods are equally sought after. In the meantime, the site is looking to expand its art and sculpture offerings and to develop editorial content to focus more on design and French culture. Currently, the site has blog section called So French, where the founders present themselves via a Proust questionnaire.