Van de Velde appoints Yan Aerts as International Retail Director

By

Anaïs Lerévérend

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Jul 8, 2016

The Van de Velde group has reported a modest growth in the first six months of the year, and at the same time announced that a new retail boss will soon be on board. The Belgian lingerie group did indeed anticipate a reshuffling at the top of its retail management in order to improve results, and the choice fell on Yan Aerts.

Yan Aerts was formerly Sales Vice-President of Mexx, which he joined in 2001. In the past he also worked for another Benelux retailer, WE, and for French department store Inno. He will begin his duties at Van de Velde on 1st September.

Aerts is new to the lingerie industry, and his mission will be to expand the retail business both in Europe, via the Rigby & Peller and Lincherie brands, and in Asia with Private Shop, as well as driving the recovery of Van de Velde's US business. For several years the Belgian group has been struggling to stabilise its retail sales in the USA, which have been constantly decreasing after the acquisition of the Intimacy chain, and even after the latter's switch to Rigby & Peller.