More Fnac stores to win back trade

HIGH-street giant Fnac has unveiled a new plan to win back customers from online rivals - by opening more shops.

The culture and electronics group wants to expand, with 80 new outlets between now and 2015.

Fifty of these will be large, warehouse-style Fnac stores on the outskirts of towns and cities. Another thirty will be scaled-down, local shops, some of which will be run on a franchise basis.

Fnac has seen disappointing sales in recent years as it faces competition from Amazon and Apple's iTunes.

The "Fnac 2015" plan, outlined yesterday, will see the chain do more to attract families, with more activities and a wider range of products.

Each store will include a new children's space with technology, books and educational activities.

Fnac also wants to develop ticket sales and other activities such as cultural holidays.

Chief executive Alexandre Bompard wants the group to find out more about its customers through its loyalty card scheme and personalised offers.

"We have 21 million customers, but we only really know two million of them," he said.

Fnac started off life in 1954 as a club in a Paris apartment selling photographic equipment, offering its members significant reductions on usual prices.

The second shop opened in 1969 on Avenue de Wagram in Paris, then the next in 1972 in Lyon.

Photo: jonezes/Flickr