What:Etam partners with Snowflake to accelerate its AI and cloud transformation, prioritising data foundation development before expanding AI applications.

Why it is important: The strategic focus on building robust data infrastructure before implementing AI applications represents a mature approach to digital transformation, addressing the industry-wide challenge where only 10% of retailers successfully scale their AI initiatives.

Etam Group, the French lingerie retailer with over a century of innovation history, is embarking on an ambitious data transformation strategy through a partnership with Snowflake. Under the leadership of Sophie Gallay, the company's global data and client IT director, this initiative aims to address the gap between advanced digital capabilities and data readiness. The project, structured in phases, dedicates 70% of initial efforts to building data foundations and 30% to value creation, with plans to reverse this ratio in 2025. The transformation encompasses all data domains within a single platform, avoiding the complexity of multiple systems. Key objectives include improving inventory management and sales forecasting, particularly crucial in current economic conditions. The implementation of Snowflake's platform promises to simplify data work processes, with capabilities for handling approximately 90% of data-related tasks directly within the platform. This strategic initiative also emphasises team engagement and retention, recognising the competitive nature of the technology sector.

IADS Notes: Etam's data transformation strategy aligns with significant industry developments in 2024. Breuninger's successful digital transformation in October 2024  demonstrated the importance of building robust data infrastructure with dedicated teams. This approach was further validated by JCPenney's $1 billion transformation plan in July 2024 , which showed tangible improvements in operational efficiency. BCG's December 2024 analysis  highlighted the rarity of successful AI scaling, making Etam's foundation-first approach particularly noteworthy. The strategy mirrors Chalhoub Group's November 2024 partnership with SAP , showing how strategic technology partnerships can accelerate digital transformation while maintaining operational focus.

How Etam is engineering its digital future with Snowflake