Pompeii: A Step Forward

In 2021, Pompeii sold over 81,000 pairs of sneakers and its turnover was close to ?5 million. The Higby sneaker was cementing its position as a best seller, and the model was a trendsetter among affluent young Spaniards, mainly in Madrid, though in 2021, 15% of sales were already outside Spain. The company's physical sales channel, which included five stores by that point, had shown that it could work very well as a complement to the digital channel, which was the main one they launched on. More than five years had passed since Pompeii's founding, and many things had happened in that time, including the departure of a Pompeii co-founder who had served as its CEO and his replacement by Jaime Garrastazu. The new CEO was mulling over new strategic decisions that he knew would have a significant impact on the company's future: Should they continue to open more physical stores or focus on other digital channels? If they decided to commit to the physical channel, what criteria should they follow? Should they consider new geographical areas or make the most of opportunities in the markets they were already in? Should they consider partnerships? Would the franchising model be a good fit for Pompeii?