Patrick Lions and Valérie Roubaud, the two co-founders of Terre d’Oc

Terre d’Oc’s first outlet in the U.S., opened its doors early September in New York in the Rockefeller Center on 49th Street in between the prestigious 5th and 6th avenues. A logical step for the French brand of cosmetics and well-being products, after the opening its first store, rue des Abbesses in Paris.

"We are setting foot in the U.S. with a distributor and with a desire to express our concept and values, to give visibility to our brand, before we decide to launch our products in department stores. The opening of a second store is also planned, again in New York", explains Valérie Roubaud, CEO and co-founder of Terre d’Oc.

Like its counterpart in Paris, the outlet in the Rockefeller Center was designed as a showcase for the four product universes of Terre d’Oc - beauty care, make-up, tea, and fragrances - the common thread being the discovery of the world’s beauty and well being rituals. The brand is also relying on strong values: ecological (in particular with a partnership with SGD and its Infinite Glass), biological (with certified products), ethical (with special attention given to fair-trade for the sourcing of raw materials) and of solidarity (with the financing of aid projects to the poorest).

The brand, which in France is exclusively distributed in the stores of Nature et Découverte, is already present in twenty countries, mainly in Europe, with Denmark, Finland, UK, Russia, Sweden and Ukraine. It is now closely focusing on Asia, and its participation last year to the Cosmoprof Asia trade show, allowed the company to make many contacts and get started in Taiwan, with two outlets, and Korea where a store opening is planned late 2011-early 2012. The project of launching the brand in Hong Kong is also well on track.

The new store of Terre d’Oc in New York City

The opening of its own outlets is at the heart of the strategy of international development of Terre d’Oc. "We seek to open a dozen outlets internationally this year. In addition to the two outlets in New York, the two of Taiwan, and the one planed in Korea, we will also open our own outlets in Mexico and Ukraine. Not to mention, this fall, the opening of two outlets in Portugal, in Lisbon and Porto, the two first in Europe after Paris", Roubaud announced. And when the brand will be better known, better established and the concept fully finalized, the idea of expanding the network with the launch of franchises is not excluded.

For now, Terre d’Oc will attend the next TFWA Tax Free TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes from 18 to 23 September 2011. "We are not present yet in travel retail. That said, the show will also be welcoming international buyers from other upscale distribution channels", Roubaud added.