Michaël Amoros, Operational Director of Accastillage Diffusion - Intermer since December 2019, answers questions from BoatIndustry.
Can you tell us about the path that led you to take the direction of Accastillage Diffusion?
Like many in the boating world, it was passion that brought me here. For the anecdote, when I was 10 years old, I read the Accastillage Diffusion catalogue like a toy magazine. I then studied engineering in production engineering and then management school, living the last 2 years on a boat. I first worked in the outdoor industry at Millet, then at Airbus Helicopter before leaving for Italy in heavy industry in 2010. It was in Italy that I was approached by a recruitment agency for a position in the development of the Accastillage Diffusion network in the country. I did this for 2 years before returning to France for the launch of the AD Corner and the development and animation of the AD network until 2017. I then moved to Bénéteau as sales manager in France. It was a great experience as a contact for dealers, some of whom are yachting institutions. When Alliance Marine came to offer me the management of Accastillage Diffusion, I could only accept.
What are the main areas of work for AD?
My roadmap has several aspects:
- On the one hand, to give visibility to the brand and our stores through network animation and field coverage, drawing on my experience in the field.
- Rejuvenate the Accastillage Diffusion brand. The network, founded in 1974, is a forerunner in the hardware chains, but perhaps one ingredient is missing, given my 36 years of age: a bit of fun. We have a catalogue of "toys for big kids", we are sometimes a bit too serious.
- Continue to adapt our rather traditional business to new consumers and new consumption patterns as we have done with Click&Collect for the past 5 years. We must take the digital turn by accompanying the network. This is the "phygital". The physical goes with the digital.
The social and environmental aspects of the company are also important. Thanks to the good will of the network, we have recycling points for fire extinguishers, pyrotechnics... We are also reducing the printing volume of the catalogue. The web parcels leave for the stores with the same logistic flow as the deliveries from our network. We test potato starch-based adhesives for our web parcels and limit the use of plastics. This is a sum of important initiatives.
What about the development of the network abroad?
AD has been in Spain for 20 years, with 2 full time people to represent us and a stable network that has been able to get through the crisis. Italy is an axis of development with 7 new stores in 2020. For the rest, we are in a logic of opportunity all over the world, relying on our logistics which is one of our competitive advantages. We have a capacity to deliver by the unit and to limit the stock assets of the stores.
The Accastillage Diffusion stand at the Nautic, without equipment, was a surprise. What is your feedback?
The reception has been rather good. 95% of the visitors to the equipment hall already know AD and come to see us. The area for improvement is how to reach the remaining 5%.
