With extensive experience in marketing and hospitality from her time at Aéroports de Paris and Accor Group, Mélanie Carron now leads Maison Ladurée, renowned globally for its luxury French pastries and macarons.

As the brand prepares for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Mélanie discusses Ladurée's specially designed collection for the event, showcasing French craftsmanship. She also highlights their efforts to enhance customer experience through strategic seasonal collaborations, flagship renovations, and creating a welcoming, inclusive environment. Additionally, Mélanie emphasizes the importance of adapting to local markets while maintaining Ladurée’s pastry excellence, offering valuable insights for luxury brand enthusiasts.

Key Insights of the Episode

• Discussing Ladurée’s participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics, Mélanie explains, 'With this collection, it's obviously about showcasing our expertise to all the visitors who will come to Paris for the Olympic Games. We are also offering a souvenir because, as we know, Ladurée boxes are not thrown away but kept, and all the boxes stamped with 'Paris 2024' will allow visitors to take home a little souvenir.'

• She emphasizes the importance of being part of such a grand event: 'It seemed quite obvious to us to participate in this grand event that is the Olympic Games when we are a Parisian brand established since 1862 on Rue Royale. In fact, it would have been very strange not to take part.'

• Mélanie discusses the evolution of Ladurée's flagship stores, noting the significance of experiential retail: 'The shops become absolutely extraordinary places, which are journeys in themselves. The availability of materials, independently of the product, and the efforts put into the displays are absolutely extraordinary.'

• Mélanie also highlights Ladurée's seasonal collaborations, such as their partnership with Roland-Garros, creating unique macarons that embody the elegance and lifestyle associated with the tournament. She states, 'For Roland-Garros, we developed a special box and a dedicated macaron recipe, which are sold both within the stadium and in our boutiques.'

• Mélanie’s vision for Ladurée’s global expansion involves adapting to local markets while preserving the brand's identity. She shares plans for new markets, including South Korea and Southeast Asia, and the strategy of maintaining core products alongside localized variations: 'In all our countries, we have what we call the 'timeless' items, which represent Ladurée's DNA.'

Gain inspiration from this episode on major podcast platforms: 

🎙️Spotify - https://spoti.fi/4bIW5iY

🎙️Soundcloud - https://bit.ly/4cLcTaj

🎙️Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/3W7EbR7

Disclaimer: This podcast episode is available only in French.