330. Ashley Kechter, Global President at Vuori in Partnership with Shoptalk: Brand Fans, Community around the Store, Athleisure Category, Product Discovery

Speaker A: Foreign.

Speaker B: CG Guys, the podcast that dives into the innovation strategy and trends shaping consumer goods and retail in Europe and beyond.

Speaker A: Welcome to the FMCG Guys podcast. This is your host, Daniel Torres and we're here for another episode in partnership with Shop Talk Europe. Um, as we're recording, the show is less than a week away. I'm super excited. And actually today we released another of these episodes in partnership with Shop Talk Europe, um, with Rob, uh, Manhout from Procter and Gamble. So that's an episode I recommend you listen to and is a guest at. Well, this podcast will come out after Shop Talk Europe. But I definitely recommend that you listen to the podcast and hopefully you will have had the chance to see him on stage. This is a great partnership by the way. Uh, I think that Shop Talk and I honestly mean this is like the best event in consumer goods and retail in Europe. And um, yeah, today we're giving visibility to another of the star speakers at the Barcelona event. And we talked about Procter and Gamble and now we're going to a completely or quite different industry. I would say still a very strong brand. Um, but we're speaking with somebody from Vori who's a. Which is a premium performance apparel brand which we've seen very interestingly grow very rapidly. Whoever's been to the US in the last few years, they would have seen this stores appear in many premium locations. And um, that's happening more and more in Europe as well. And, and we have no other than Ashley Kor, who's their global president. Hi Ashley, how are you?

Speaker C: I'm good, thank you, thank you for having me.

Speaker A: So vuor, what a success story. You know, like, I think that it's a brand that maybe, maybe uh, I don't know when it started, but maybe at least before COVID I never heard about. But I remember going to the US in 2021 and we were going out of that situation and like it was the, the brand was like growing like hell.

Speaker C: Yeah, it's. I mean it's been an incredible story for the brand. Uh, you know, it was founded in 2015 in Encinitas, which is a small beach town in Southern California. It was founded by Joe Kudla who essentially founded the brand in his garage which was just blocks from the beach. And at the time he was very focused on how to. How do you bring a very values driven brand that's rooted in connection and um, an emphasis on living an extraordinary life and investing in happiness. And how do you do that with a fresh perspective on Performance apparel. And so, you know, over the last 11 years since the brand was born, um, that's the journey they've been on. And it's been awesome to be a customer because I was a huge fan before I joined as the president for the brand. But currently now I lead our, uh, teams across the globe.

Speaker A: Yeah. What is actually your role in the company?

Speaker C: Yeah, so I, uh, joined last year. Um, my role technically is global president. But, um, what that essentially means is I'm responsible for delivering our full brand sales and um, P and L. So I lead across teams and ensure that we're bringing our brand strategy to life, we're delivering on our product, we're delivering our sales targets. I lead across the channels and, uh, markets, and so have E Comm. Retail, wholesale, international. And I'm really integrating our, uh, product marketing and channels and how that shows up to the customer for our growth over the next, you know, however many years. I'm fortunate to be here.

Speaker A: Yeah, very exciting. And. Yeah. How many companies are, uh, there of the scale of Yuri that only have 11 years of existence? I don't know. I don't think there's many of them.

Speaker C: There's not a lot of them. And I'll say there, there. Maybe I should say it this way. There are quite a few, but not a lot that are as successful as Vori. So, you know, you, you. There's many that have been around for the last 10 years, but at the scale we've grown to, it's been really impressive to see what they've accomplished in such a short period of time.

Speaker A: Yeah. And actually I was looking at your as. As you do before speaking with someone on the podcast. I was looking at your, your, your profile and your career background. And you're mentioning your role now is like, very wide. You mentioned, you know, growth, sales, marketing, but you've done like a bit of everything in your career, so you're probably like the right, the right person to do that as well. No. And you've been really, like, focused on the apparel area as well.

Speaker C: Yeah, my background, um, you know, I started on the product side, so I'm really passionate about product. Um, I started merchandising and buying and then expanded my career from there. So I've spent majority of my time in, um, large apparel brands, but have also done home furnishings because I spent seven years at RH and then, um, prior to this, I was at another activewear brand. So for me, I think of everything through that product, first lens and customer and then how to build strategies that really ladder up and enable us to scale within the markets that we're looking to grow in.

Speaker A: Hmm. Uh, it's interesting. Know the, the, the product piece, I don't know if it had been maybe forgot like in, in something to some degree. Well, you tell me what you think that maybe it had been like forgotten. But, but I think it's becoming more and more important as well, as well as maybe the focus on the brand. But like the whole product piece has probably become more important now, or at least maybe there's more attention to it.

Speaker C: No, I mean, I think speaking to Vuori specifically, from the beginning they've been very focused on fabric first and building with intention, the craftsmanship behind the product. And so I think that is one of the things that sets Vuori apart in how we bring product to market. And with that really, um, intense focus on building amazing, high quality product that's going to perform, whether it's in the gym or take you wherever you want to go. But to your point, I think there are many brands that sell performance apparel or performance activewear, and not all of them have that same caliber of product quality. Um, but it's to us imperative that we're delivering that. And then the how we amplify that and tell our story globally is through our brand marketing efforts. And that's equally as important in how we show up when we're bringing Vuori to a new country or we're building our stores in the U.S. yeah.

Speaker A: Is that like a typical thing that sometimes disconnected? No. Like the quality of what you do and actually making the consumers explaining it well and helping them understand that?

Speaker C: No, I mean, I think it can definitely be hard to consistently deliver that. I think it's easy to lose sight of it. And for brands that particularly ones that have been very successful, you can sometimes rest on your laurels and then you realize you've gotten behind. Right. And so I think we are really trying to keep product at the heart of everything we do. And I've been lucky to be at brands that were very product first driven, where quality and product and style mattered. And so I think that's for me what I like about Vuori and being able to bring what I've learned through the other experiences I had for us to execute with that in mind.

Speaker A: And can you give me a bit of an idea of like the, um, the size of the business in terms of like what, what presence you have currently? Because yeah, maybe we can start with like your home turf, which is North America, and then understand a bit about international as well.

Speaker C: Absolutely. Yeah. So you know, we, we're multi channel. So within the, the globe we, we have, we're in 30 countries, um, through our e. Com channels within the U.S. we've got over 100 stores and are rapidly opening more as we build and continue to grow. And then within the international markets, we're currently in China, we have um, stores in Korea, we're in the Middle east, um, and then you know, we have um, a few doors in London and we'll continue to expand within our China market as well as expand through the UK and Europe as we continue to grow. And so we are definitely early in our international journey, but it is um, quickly approaching in terms of the pace at which we want to open and grow across the globe.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And maybe as an industry insider as well, but I do know maybe I went to North, I've been to North America pretty often. It is, at least from a marketing standpoint it's gained like quite a lot of brand recognition. No. Do you think there's any like, secret source to that?

Speaker C: I mean I think the one thing that, that I always think of and whether this is right or not, but I think that people naturally respond to great product and to inspiring marketing, to brands that are able to bring community together for brands that emphasize that investment in happiness and living an extraordinary life. And if that can cut through in your marketing and then you, you match that with incredible product, I think the customers are able to see that, that there's something unique. And so that is, you know, for us it's about how do we protect our brand DNA, how do we make sure as we enter um, new international markets or we continue to expand in the ones we're in, we hold that brand DNA really close, but that we are very relevant locally. And so we're constantly thinking about how to find that balance of the inspiration we take from coastal California. But it resonate resonating in um, China or London or new markets that we're about to enter. And so we spend a lot of time going through that.

Speaker A: Yeah. And in terms of like the demographic that, that you've grown on is like their specific portion or profile or is it kind of pretty universal? Because for example, the person that showed me the brand was my friend from Connecticut who like probably was like 29 at the time. But I think that it's. But I've seen like people from different ages while wearing it.

Speaker C: Yeah, you know, that's an interesting question. We've been talking a lot about that. Right. As we think through who you know, brands always have a target customer, Target Muse, they're, they're trying to attract. But one of the things that we hear a lot from our customer that's unique to Viori, that is something we want to protect, is that we make really versatile product and we make product they can trust in their highest intensity workout moments, product they can wear in between, you know, to and from the gym, product they can wear to work. And so I think it's uh, you know, while we want to make sure that we're attracting the right customer and that we do have focus in terms of the age demo, we are a brand that has a, uh, wide product offer that's diverse and gives a lot of versatility. And so to your point, my 20 year old loves our brand. Um, I also love our brand and was a huge customer before. And there's a big age gap between the two of us. So we spend a lot of time just thinking about the product and how we want that to show up in marketing, but making sure that we've got enough reach.

Speaker A: Not easy either to like appeal to different, to be cool to different generations at the same time.

Speaker C: No, definitely. I mean, you know, look, that's not to say we don't have a target. You know, I would say our, our sweet spot putting maybe a bigger range on it is 25 to 45. But it, it's not something that we are obsessing over where we only want to attract those customers. We really want to build brand fans and create enough reach and an assortment that has um, enough versatility to it that it'll reach a wide audience.

Speaker A: Yeah, and it's a good age also to set trends and so on which people from different demographics, um, can feed off as well. Mm, how? I mean a lot of people would place Vuori within the uh, so called athleisure trend, um, which is basically, I don't know, I would probably define it as like kind of premium clothing that's like very comfortable that you can wear. Like uh, I think originally it was more meant to do like some like sports, like a bit like yoga, but then it went to running. But now people wear it in all kinds of occasions. I mean, what's your reading of like this whole trend?

Speaker C: I mean I think that trend really was set and changed post Covid, where pre Covid everyone was wearing product to the gym and they had their fitness wardrobe and that was very separate from what their day to day wardrobe was. And so there wasn't necessarily this blending of, of your gym clothes into your Life. And so I think for Biore, what they've done so well is that the product is meant for movement. It is a brand that really emphasizes performance activewear and apparel. But we also have a really strong lounge business. We have a portion of the business that is lifestyle that absolutely is worn to work. Um, and blending those together and thinking about it with that new perspective on performance activewear, that is really how the brand was um, built many years ago.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker C: And I think fast tracked that.

Speaker A: Yeah. So in other brands it was kind of like happened a bit by accident. Whereas in Vori, I think that if you look at the product as well, you can see that it's very intentionally done for that type of like you can wear it anywhere, but it's very comfortable and cool. Type of. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's a bit at least my perception of it.

Speaker C: Yes. There's definitely a lot of focus on product and end use and how we think about that product serving the customer as they go throughout their day and night.

Speaker A: Yeah. And you were telling me about like that you're like an Omni Channel business. But also I think that your stores, at least in North America are very important. How do you think of like your business on. Yeah. How did you grow the business? And also interested to know like as much as you can share how you planning to grow that. Also in Europe, for example,

Speaker C: the stores are incredible part. Are uh, an incredible part of our business. For us it's about. And it's really the way we are able to make a relationship and build a connection with the customer. And it's a way for our customers to experience the brand beyond what they might, might see on a website. And so I think that it is really that relationship aspect of the brand and building the community that happens within our stores. And so for us it's a key part of our strategy, um, both in the US and then how we think about opening as we enter Europe. And we've got, as I mentioned, several stores in the uk but that's going to continue to be a key growth strategy. And what will, you know, what will shift potentially is maybe some of the design elements within the stores as we go into international markets or the product offer that in the stores. So it feels like it meets the customer where they are and that we're not trying to cram a ton of outerwear in a store when it's their, it's their summer. Right. And it's our winners. So there are going to be nuances to product Offer and design and who we partner with on the influencer side that are maybe more relevant within those markets. But as we grow in the US and international, expanding our store base is a huge part of the strategy.

Speaker A: As is, I guess as well, um, the online website. And are you, are you doing your own DTC only or do you also partner with selected retailers?

Speaker C: Well, so we do um, Primarily our own D2C. We have E M comm presence in over 30 countries where we're leveraging partner to help us execute from a fulfillment and shipping standpoint. And then we have wholesale which we're in a lot of different retailers, whether it's um, you know, larger retailers like Nordstrom's or smaller, more boutique retailers. Um, and occasionally a uh, few of them have online and we'll, we'll sell uh, our assortment on their sites. But for the most part it's our owned DTC business that we're focused on for Econ.

Speaker A: And then it's not from our selected retailers which are uh, obviously have a premium positioning. No,

Speaker C: exactly. So I think that you know, we spend a lot of time thinking about where our product is and making sure that it meets what our one. It has to be relevant for our price point. We're, you know, we are a premium brand. We have elevated product and we don't discount. And so when you think about that aspect, there's only so many retailers that can, that there's that price, product and brand mix. And so we really spend time thinking about who those retailers are for our product as we open in new uh, wholesalers.

Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. Uh, it's an interesting one as well. Like the whole uh, relationship with retailers, how you leverage them. I think that retailers also have to really be intentional about it as well now in which a time, which discovery, you know, if everybody's talking about it like it's being altered by AI and recommendations and even like influences to a point and new types of media really can deviate the consumers from their traditional way they bought.

Speaker C: No, yeah, that's, that is fascinating to me. We've been talking a lot about how you know, Google is shifting and new areas like ChatGPT are going to become the way that the customer shops and that people are just going to start typing questions and, and wanting to know the brands that they should be shopping at and so making sure that you've got your site structured in a way that you're going to be picked up in those um, in those solutions and then thinking about our own site and how we can make it feel More like what people like about a ChatGPT or a Claude, which is they're going in and asking questions or they're learning. And we want to think through what that means in our own site so customers can start to shop in the way that they're just living their daily life and the way they're using those platforms.

Speaker A: Yeah, it's, uh, as you said, finding customers where they are not.

Speaker C: Yes, exactly.

Speaker A: Um, so look, um, as I mentioned before, this, uh, podcast is, um, in partnership with Shop Talk Europe, and that's. And you'll be speaking there, uh, which is really interesting. I'm curious to know. Yeah, well, first of all, like, for an executive like you, why do you think that going to events like Shop Talk is, is important?

Speaker C: I mean, for me personally, I find a ton of value in learning from these events. And so I think it's very easy to get wrapped up in the four walls you work in and to, to be a little insular in terms of your point of view if you're working with the same people, talking to the same people, building your brand and driving your business in one way, but you're not learning and listening to everything else that's out there. And things are moving so quickly, whether that's with AI or new brands entering. And so I think for me personally, I get a lot out of these moments to listen to the people that are there network, understand what's happening. And it all always gives me a new perspective of what to bring back to Vuori and how we would incorporate some of those things that we might be learning about.

Speaker A: Yeah, I guess it's also a good opportunity to like, see different use cases and solutions out there, because I guess that sometimes things are moving so fast and you hear so many things on new tech and so on that it must, it gets, I guess it gets overwhelming at times. So I guess that having, like, an intensive, uh, course during three days of like, different solutions, different applications and so on at least gives you some degree of perspective.

Speaker C: No, exactly. Because I think for me, it's often hard to find time to learn about new things when we're busy at work and we're pretty slammed with what we're trying to accomplish. And so where I can take a few days and really focus on it and dedicate the time there to learn, and it, it's more productive than if I'm trying to fit a call here or there on a, on a schedule that's fairly crammed. Uh, so I really appreciate these moments to be able to do that and to focus on it.

Speaker A: Yeah. And by the time this podcast goes out, you will have already spoken at Shop Talk. Um, but I was looking at the topic which sounds very interesting. It's something that you referred to before, which, uh, is going global. Like, global ambition, local execution. Like, what are the key. Very interesting topic, but what are you. What are the key topics you want to talk about?

Speaker C: Some of it I alluded to. It's around the concept of how do you enter new markets and ensure you're relevant within those markets, but protect the brand? That obviously has and is inspired by your brand DNA. And so I think as a California brand that's very, um, energized and inspired by coastal California. How do we do that in a way that's still relevant within the markets we're entering? And so we'll talk through. And I'm going to be on the stage with Jose Gomez. He's from ETAM as their Chief Development officer. And then Gaurav from, uh, Incisive to talk through those nuances. And how do you balance your brand identity and your brand DNA with local markets that have very different cultural needs and product needs and partnerships, uh, within those markets? And so how do you bridge those two things?

Speaker A: Yeah, it's interesting because, like, I mean, California is probably one of the best known regions in the world, and we've seen it in movies, through music, and, like, the cultural references are there. What's the, um, how do you do it? Like, because then, like, every country has their own culture, but also the view of what California is, is that something like, how. What are the points of consideration? How do you do it? I studied sociology as well, so it's a very interesting topic to me.

Speaker C: Yeah, it's good. And I'll tell you my two cents, but if there's anything you have as an insight, I'd love to hear it, because it's definitely not something that's, um, easy to do. Um, but as I spoke to earlier, as a brand, um, as a leader, I'm always rooted in product. So understanding what the customer, product preferences are is really important. Um, we spend a lot of time talking to our teams that are on the ground because they are seeing directly what the customers are coming in and looking for. And it's very easy when you're sitting in California to think you know what's best, but then you're missing a lot of customer insights. And so our stores are the vehicle for us to get that store and customer feedback, and then our local teams on the ground that are living and Breathing the market every day. And so there's a lot of emphasis on what is the right product offer. We're doing a hybrid of where we've got, um, partners that we work with that help get our brand and our awareness out. Um, we have a combination of local influencers that are really relevant within the markets, as well as our global ambassadors that have a wide reach globally, but on a bigger scale. And so we're not isolating our strategy on the marketing to only the. The folks we work with in California. And so we work with partners in each market to find those. Those influencers or. Or collaborations that really help within the individual market itself. And then the other area that we're, you know, we're focused on is that on the store design side, are there elements within the store design that need to feel different or are special for a market? And so within our, um, King street store in London, we've got a beautiful mural on the wall. And that was done as a little bit of a, uh, you know, inspiration from California, but it helped build something special in that location. And so we spend a lot of time thinking about what does the store design need to look like in these markets, what does the product offer within the store, how are. How are we marketing it so it feels relevant and then leveraging our customer and our teams to really get that combination right.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Because one could think like, oh, London, let's make it London theme. But of course, to find a piece of California in the middle of London sounds much better. No, now that you've said it. So.

Speaker C: And it is a piece of California on the wall. But the way it was done was just thinking through how does someone in London really experience the brand as a California brand? But in London. Right. And so, uh, you know, that's kind of the example there.

Speaker A: Yeah, I would say that also, like, being from, like, the California element has a lot of positive to it. No, that's why I think that Californian music, movies and also fashion brands. I don't know, like, uh, if I think of, like, the whole surface type of movement and brands and skate brands, that did very well here, at least when I was young, like when I was a kid and in the early 2000s. I mean, that's what they kind of transmitted back then. No, I mean, now we're in a different.

Speaker C: I think so. But. But I'm biased. I grew. I was born and raised in California. I grew up here, so I think it's, uh, one of the best places in the world. But certainly, uh, yeah, it Definitely has influence.

Speaker A: Well, I mean, whoever's been to California, I think would agree that it's pretty spectacular place. And I haven't even seen that much personally. Um, m. On a completely different note, I think that, I mean one of the topics that I think is very fascinating to talk to with people like you, you've been leading people for probably quite a few years.

Speaker C: Um, long time too many.

Speaker A: I have a few questions for you about that. Um, well, first of all, how did you get into leadership, leading teams in the, in the first place? Like, did it, was it something that kind of came, came naturally to you? Um, did you do it early on in your career? How was that?

Speaker C: I did early on want to lead teams. I mean, I felt really lucky because where I started, which was Gap Inc. Um, they have very robust training programs. And so I was able to go through a lot of training. Not only like functional expertise across the different areas that I was in, but leadership trainings. And I was also fortunate to learn from a lot of leaders within that period of time that I was there, that I looked up to, that were inspiring, that helped me get to where I am. And so for me that was always something that I wanted to do. Um, and of course when you start leading teams, there's a lot to learn. It's hard to delegate when you're used to doing. It's hard to, um, you know, to, to balance the positive feedback with constructive feedback that's required. And so I think obviously it wasn't like there were bumps in the road, but it was something I was very eager to do and excited to do and then was fortunate to have a great company and a foundation to help develop some of the leadership skills that I, I lead my teams with today.

Speaker A: Yeah. Well, if, if anyone says there's no bumps in the road, maybe they have a self awareness problem. No, because obviously they're gonna happen and you have to learn from them. And now, now you're a leader of leaders of leaders, probably. So you have different levels. How, how do you balance that? Like, you know, that need of like high level decision making and seeing the big picture, but also, especially since you're like a growing company with different markets at different speeds and you have to be hands on. How, how do you balance that? And also. Yeah, how do you, yeah, like manage your direct reports, have time with them, but also know what's happening in the actual business?

Speaker C: I mean, I generally am a leader that likes to understand the details. I think it's, it's where my comfort level is. Just in terms of thinking big picture, to needing to know what's working, what's selling, what's not, um, where we've got challenges and in certain markets or not. So for me, my approach has always been where I have an opportunity to stay connected to, to the teams that are like hands on keyboard doing the work. I get a lot of value out of that. And I think that there are a lot of people in the roles that know new ways of doing things that I didn't grow up doing or didn't learn. So, uh, AI is relatively new to me in the last several years. Whereas people coming out of college, it's the way they think and the way they operate. And so for me, I like to be grounded in the, in the business. I like to be grounded in, uh, the people that are driving the work. And I like to stay close to people on the team that are the new thinkers and know how to do things differently. And so I spend a lot of time with not only my direct reports, but their direct reports. I have, like, a very approachable leadership style. I like people just to pop in to grab me when they can. I like when someone texts and says, hey, can you meet? I want to talk. Like, that type of leadership for me is the way I operate. Um, and so it helps me stay more connected to people in the organization that don't necessarily directly report to me.

Speaker A: Yeah, especially when, like, if I think of, um, Gen Z. Right, which is part of, like, the demographic that's kind of your target group. That's what you need to do. No, you need to, like, make sure that that voice is somehow going up. Because they'll see things that, you know, people at the director, VP C level will not see.

Speaker C: Exactly. And they're going to have, whether it's product insight or technology, um, they think differently. And we're really trying to understand that consumer. And so we've got a lot of them in our own office. And so how do we tap into that in a way that we can bring it to life authentically?

Speaker A: Yeah. Um, so actually didn't. This wouldn't be an FMCG guys episode if I didn't ask you our famous last question, which is if you went back to yourself as you were starting to work, um, what would be that one piece of advice you would give yourself? There'd probably be a few, but I'll only let you do one.

Speaker C: You only let me do one. Okay. I would say leverage anyone around you, whether it's mentors or leaders in the organization that are willing to give you your time and willing to coach and help you grow. I think that to me is like number one perfect.

Speaker A: Yeah. And I think that people, sometimes we don't realize how much people actually willing to help as well.

Speaker C: Exactly. I think it's a two way street. I get a lot of value when I work with, um, I meet with a lot of college students that are graduating and looking to build a career in the same field. And there's a lot of time that they want to spend and talk about it and I can equally learn from them. And so I really enjoy it and I think it's valuable when you have someone willing to give you your time, you should take it.

Speaker A: Yeah. Agreed. Excellent. Uh, Ashley, we really enjoyed the conversation. Really looking forward to. Let's see if we can grab some time in Barcelona. We always. We know these shows are crazy times. Um, but yeah, really excited to. I'll try to go to your session and I'm very excited to see also the future of VUORI as you grow in Europe and globally. I'll be watching and I think our listeners will as well.

Speaker C: Awesome. Thanks, Danielle. It was great to meet you and look forward to meeting you in person.

Speaker A: Well, thanks everyone for tuning in and we'll see you in the next episode of dfmcg. Guys, have a great one. Bye.

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