Jimmy Fairly, the young brand which offers luxury glasses at affordable prices, has revolutionized the optical sector in France. The company indeed provides access to luxury models for less than 100 euros. Zoom in on this success story.
In just a few years, Jimmy Fairly has established itself as a leading eyewear brand in France. Their strengths consist of establishing themselves in strategic locations and deploying numerous stores across the territory, thus getting closer to the French.
Their salespeople stand out for their warm side and the devotion they demonstrate towards their profession. In addition, the prices are very affordable and the quality is impeccable. All these ingredients have made the brand a dazzling success in record time. Their primary objective? “Make their customers smile by offering them quality glasses at a fair price. While having a positive impact. »
The Jimmy Fairly Story
Antonin Chartier had the idea of creating Jimmy Fairly in 2010, when he was still a psychology student. He was then 23 years old. His ambition was to create a product that was as aesthetic as it was useful. The profession of his parents had a great influence on his future choices, given that his father was a trader and his mother devoted to the associative sector. He recognizes: “I know today that both influenced me in their own way. »
If these parents influenced his career, what was at the origin of Jimmy Fairly was above all an experience of buying glasses at an optician. He specifies, speaking of the beginnings of his brand: “ One day, I needed glasses and when I went to the optician, I naively said to myself: “how can such a simple object cost the price of an iPhone?” “. As I dug deeper, I realized that a multitude of intermediaries came to take their share of the pie. And that the eyewear industry was no longer interested in us, the customers. »
The young entrepreneur had identified a problem. He then thought about how he was going to address this problem. So he asked himself: “why couldn’t what is accessible be beautiful and of quality? » This was the question that changed everything! He decided to answer this question himself and embark on an entrepreneurial adventure with his Jimmy Fairly project.
To succeed in offering a product that is as beautiful as it is accessible, the company has removed as many intermediaries as possible. The design of the models is done in-house, the manufacturing of the collections is carried out by renowned partners around the world and sales are exclusively possible in their boutiques. Jimmy Fairly’s miracle recipe is described by Antonin Chartier: “It’s possible if we take care of our glasses from A to Z. From design, to manufacturing, including the stores. Directly from Us to You. »
Jimmy Fairly: a human enterprise based on empathy
Behind this genius idea are two entrepreneurs Antonin Chartier and Sacha Bostoni. If the latter is a graduate of HEC, Antonin Chartier does not necessarily have a classic entrepreneurial profile. He specifies: “I followed a sports-study program in volleyball in the suburb of Clamart, where I grew up. Before the matches, we did mental preparation and I found it fascinating. »
His sporting career ended after his baccalaureate, so he began studying psychology with the conviction that a successful project must be based above all on empathy. Psychology was therefore of great help to him and pushed him to understand the mechanisms of how people work and everything that can motivate them to engage in the act of purchasing. He uses his course to better understand the mechanisms that are triggered in consumers.
When he started at 23, he initially had the idea of selling glasses only online. However, he quickly changed his mind by seeking advice from a more experienced contractor. He explains: “We say a lot that we are alone in entrepreneurship, but you have to know how to listen, change your mind, be resilient and open-minded. »
Antonin Chartier has never renounced his human and emphatic side. He decided to take inspiration from the concept “buy one give one” launched by Tom’s shoes. He chose to implement it in his own business. For every product purchased, another is offered to a person in need. To date, the company has sold 600,000 pairs of glasses and donated an equivalent number to the international organization Restoring Vision. To go further, the company is preparing other actions such as a monthly solidarity meeting and a selection of models where 10% of sales will be donated to partner associations.
The origins of the name Jimmy Fairly
In November 2010, Antonin Chartier went to an entrepreneurship competition in Toulouse where he competed with around thirty other participants. Antonin Chartier says, speaking of the origin of the name of his brand: “ A girl was eating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream with the “fairly nut” flavor, I loved the word, added the first name Jimmy for James Dean and the brand name was found. »
When Jimmy Fairly won the competition, Céline Lazorthes, founder of Leetchi and member of the jury, decided to introduce him to Sacha Bostoni. He quickly became his partner and together they embarked on the entrepreneurial adventure. The founder of the online prize pool found them their first investor who contributed 200,000 euros to the project. “He sent me a message to say yes on December 24, I read it in the snow, it was like in a movie! “, remembers co-founder Jimmy Fairly.
The strategy followed by Jimmy Fairly and his responsible commitments
Jimmy Fairly adopts an atypical model: she offers attractive design at affordable prices (from 99 euros) and a united commitment. For each pair of glasses purchased, one is offered to people who cannot afford them: more than 600,000 glasses have been distributed since the creation of the company.
“We have removed certain intermediate links, by designing our collections, assembling frames and lenses and selling them directly in our stores and on our site”underlines Antonin Chartier. This makes it possible to limit costs and strengthen profitability.
Jimmy Fairly has an assembly workshop not far from Paris. The group ensures delivery within 24 hours throughout Europe. “It’s a unique offer in France, very popular among young people with its original and affordable side, and which is growing through word of mouth”underlines Jean-Bernard Lafonta.
“We helped Jimmy Fairly prove his model. It is a gem that has succeeded in disrupting the market, with a digital mindset and mastery of its direct communication with its customers. It has all the assets to initiate a second phase of acceleration. » explains Emmanuel Pradère, president of Experienced Capital
After France, Jimmy Fairly sets out to conquer the world
Very quickly, the two entrepreneurs opened around ten stores in France and sought to expand by finding new investors. In 2017, they began a rapprochement with Frédéric Biousse, former director and shareholder of the SMCP group (Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot), who had just founded his investment company Experienced Capital Partners. He does not fail to recall: “When we invest, we look at the brand. This offers a new way of selling very fashionable glasses, with short collections and constant renewal, stylish sellers, good vibes in the store and a nice image.. We also pay attention to the leaders. Antonin and Sacha are two war beasts. I see Antonin, whose sporting mentality but also his dreamy spirit I appreciate, every two weeks to talk about development and life. »
Thanks to the support and trust of the businessman, the company now has 32 stores in France and plans to eventually open 40, notably in Strasbourg, Marseille and internationally. The investment company specializing in the growth of European companies, HLD, has entered into negotiations with the founders and the Experienced Capital (ECP) fund to take the majority of its capital and expand its presence in Europe, starting with the United Kingdom. United.
Jimmy Fairly inaugurates a 100th store in Paris
Jimmy Fairly opened his 100th store and the optician didn’t do things by halves. Indeed, this boutique located in the Marais is directly inspired by the film 2001, A Space Odyssey. The 40m2 boutique was also inspired by Millennial Pink. An octagonal interior, a store with an entirely pink interior to give customers the illusion of entering a parallel universe. Looking at the queues in front of the French brand’s boutiques, the craze for the optician is not about to stop…
