Eredi Zucca, a Milan-based grooming brand under the D Capital portfolio alongside Isamaya Beauty and Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, has officially entered the U.S. market through an exclusive partnership with Violet Grey. CEO Fabio Cantù explained that this move follows significant learnings from the brand's digital operations, identifying the United States as its number-one online market where customers demonstrate high loyalty and recurring purchase behavior. The collaboration aims to nurture this existing community while providing a local perspective on the American market.
Cantù highlighted Violet Grey as a globally relevant partner whose curation and physical presence offer unique advantages for direct customer interaction. The retailer will carry a curated selection of Eredi Zucca's core grooming and hair care products, which build upon the legacy of the Zucca family barbers dating back to 1652. Additionally, the brand's expanding fragrance and lifestyle lines will be featured, with Cantù noting these categories are particularly strategic for the upcoming holiday season. The CEO emphasized that while customers are initially drawn by the high-end grooming offerings tailored for modern gentlemen, they often organically expand their purchases to include fragrances once engaged with the brand's DNA.
The fragrance collection, which now accounts for half of the company's total sales, is being propelled by new scents such as "Santo" and "Ventuno." Launched last year, this eau de parfum line has been pivotal in expanding the brand's wholesale footprint. Cantù stated the goal is to continue adding between two and four new scents annually. The collection honors visionary figures who shaped Milan's cultural and artistic history, including tributes to Ludovico il Moro, Giuseppe Verdi, and Leonardo da Vinci. Each scent is housed in a glass flacon with brass elements and priced at 250 euros for the 100-ml format. While maintaining a genderless approach, the line will evolve to include female personalities from Milan's history, catering to an increasing number of female customers purchasing for themselves.
Beyond fragrances, the brand's home collection, comprising candles, diffusers, and air mists, represents 20 percent of total sales and will be enhanced through capsule collections. Starting in January, Eredi Zucca will debut a new range of amenities developed with specialist La Bottega Collective, including a partnership to become the official amenity provider for Orient Express. Cantù clarified that this expansion into hospitality will remain focused on high-end locations aligned with the brand's positioning rather than mass distribution.
Since taking leadership earlier this year, Cantù has overseen significant growth, with direct channels accounting for 40 percent of sales and wholesalers making up the remaining 60 percent. The wholesale network currently includes 100 doors globally, ranging from Antonia in Italy to Selfridges in the U.K., and is projected to reach 120 units by year-end. The brand has also consolidated its presence in Europe and the Middle East, where it partners with Al Tayer Group. While digital channels currently dominate in the Middle East due to regional conditions, plans are underway to develop physical strategies for the Gulf region.
Regarding future retail expansion, Cantù noted that a planned second standalone store in a European capital has been postponed due to complex real estate conditions and low turnover of spaces. The long-term strategy involves opening barber shops in key cities like London, Paris, Dubai, and New York, alongside smaller product-only units or shop-in-shop concepts. Recent developments include a permanent corner at Communité's Galataport in Istanbul, with another location planned for İstinyePark next year. Cantù confirmed the company's target to reach 30 million euros in sales by 2029.
Sources: WWD.