“Anything they throw at us at retailers today is just to prove and build resilience.”
That line from Jose Gomez, Chief Development Officer at ETAM, captured something bigger than international expansion.
It captured what modern retail leadership actually looks like now.
Because sitting down with Jose at World Retail Congress 2026 in Berlin, the conversation quickly moved beyond store growth and market entry strategy.
It became a discussion about operating in a retail environment where instability is no longer the exception.
It is the operating model.
And for global retailers like ETAM, the challenge is not just expanding internationally.
It is learning how to adapt market by market, model by model, crisis by crisis, without losing momentum.
Why Global Expansion Has Become More Complicated
One of the clearest themes throughout the conversation was how dramatically international development strategy has evolved over the last decade.
ETAM still uses many of the same core business structures it always has:
franchise,
consignment,
and joint ventures.
But the way those models get applied today looks very different.
According to Jose, traditional franchising used to dominate international expansion because economic conditions globally made that structure easier to scale.
Today, the environment is far more fragmented.
Economic uncertainty.
Trade volatility.
Regional instability.
Operational complexity.
All of it changes how retailers evaluate risk and control.
As a result, ETAM now approaches each market much more selectively based on local economic conditions, growth potential, and operational realities.
“The business models continue to be the same, but we apply them differently.”
That distinction matters.
Because global expansion today is less about finding a repeatable formula and more about matching the right operating structure to the realities of each market.
The Growing Importance of Joint Ventures
One of the most interesting parts of the discussion was hearing how ETAM thinks about joint ventures versus traditional franchising.
For Jose, joint ventures only make sense when the market opportunity is large enough to justify deeper operational involvement and long-term investment.
And increasingly, those are the markets ETAM prioritizes most aggressively.
Mexico became one example discussed during the interview, where ETAM has already built a successful joint venture model that continues to expand.
The reason is scale.
A strong strategic market creates enough long-term upside to justify closer partnership, shared ownership, and deeper operational alignment.
“Joint ventures have to have scale.”
That framework reflects a broader shift happening across retail expansion globally.
Brands are becoming more cautious about handing off entire markets through pure franchise structures, especially in regions where customer experience, pricing consistency, and inventory visibility matter more than ever.
The result is a more hybrid approach to international growth.
More flexibility.
More operational involvement.
And significantly more complexity behind the scenes.
Consignment Changes the Operational Relationship
Another fascinating layer of the conversation was ETAM’s use of consignment models across Europe.
Unlike traditional franchising, consignment gives ETAM far greater control over inventory and operations.
The company manages stock centrally, much like it would with company-owned stores, while local partners help support execution within the market.
That changes the operational relationship entirely.
Instead of simply supplying product to franchisees, ETAM becomes deeply involved in inventory management, replenishment, and performance optimization across locations.
Jose described it almost like managing an extension of ETAM’s own retail fleet.
“There is a list of requirements that you need to hit in order for the consignment model to work.”
That line stood out because it highlights how operationally demanding international retail has become.
Expansion is no longer just about opening doors.
It is about building the infrastructure and systems necessary to support multiple business models simultaneously across dozens of countries.
Why the US Market Remains One of Retail’s Toughest Tests
The conversation also revisited ETAM’s US expansion efforts, which have accelerated since Chris first interviewed Jose in Paris several years ago.
Most notably, ETAM has now expanded into 55 Nordstrom shop-in-shop locations across the United States.
And according to Jose, customer response has been strong.
But entering the US market has also reinforced just how difficult and unpredictable expansion can be, even for established global brands.
Tariffs.
Pricing pressures.
Supply chain disruption.
Macroeconomic uncertainty.
All of it creates constant operational recalibration.
Trying to maintain regional pricing consistency while absorbing tariff pressure became one of the company’s biggest balancing acts over the last year.
And yet, Jose framed those challenges less as obstacles and more as part of modern retail itself.
“Every time we come out of one of these, we come stronger than before.”
That mindset feels increasingly important right now.
Because retail leaders are no longer operating in cycles of stability interrupted by occasional disruption.
Disruption itself has become continuous.
Retail Resilience Is Now a Core Business Skill
One of the most compelling moments in the conversation came when Jose reflected on how dramatically retail volatility has changed since he started his career decades ago.
Years ago, retailers dealt with occasional recessions or downturns that happened every several years.
Today, the shocks feel constant.
Financial crises.
Pandemics.
Trade wars.
Tariffs.
Geopolitical instability.
Supply chain breakdowns.
“We have crises every year, every two years.”
That observation likely resonates with almost every retail executive right now.
And it helps explain why resilience has become one of the defining leadership characteristics in modern retail.
Not because companies can predict disruption.
But because the winners are increasingly determined by how quickly they respond once disruption arrives.
“The success is in the reaction time.”
That may have been the single biggest takeaway from the entire discussion.
The Only Real Way to Learn a Market
Another important insight came when Chris asked Jose what advice he would give other European retailers considering entering the US market today.
Jose’s answer was refreshingly honest.
There is only so much you can learn before launch.
You can study.
Research.
Benchmark competitors.
Learn from others.
But eventually, you have to enter the market and start operating.
“I don’t think you can learn… until you are in the market.”
That perspective reflects a broader reality about retail expansion.
Strategy matters.
Preparation matters.
But some lessons only emerge once customers, operations, pricing, and execution collide in real time.
And in markets as competitive and dynamic as the US, adaptability becomes just as important as planning.
The Bottom Line
International retail expansion has become significantly more complex.
There is no universal playbook anymore.
The retailers succeeding globally are the ones building flexible operating models, adapting market by market, and learning how to respond faster than disruption can slow them down.
Because in modern retail, resilience is no longer a competitive advantage.
It is the requirement to stay in the game.
To catch more conversations from World Retail Congress 2026 in Berlin, follow Omni Talk Retail on LinkedIn or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you to Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail’s live coverage from Berlin.
Be careful out there,
Chris Walton and the Omni Talk team
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Omni Talk® is the retail blog for retailers, written by retailers. Chris Walton founded Omni Talk® in 2017 and have quickly turned it into one of the fastest growing blogs in retail.