“The women’s line will sell better than the men’s line”

Scalpers’ international goal is to expand in France and Italy, while studying and exhibiting in Asia. However, the landing in the United States will have to wait. “Now it would be shooting yourself in the foot,” says the CEO. Of course, when the time comes, they will do it from a Latin perspective, a market in which the company has been growing for years.

Vázquez has just received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in Andalusia. He is having a dizzying day and offers us a snack from the refrigerator he has under his desk, in an office where the sun’s rays illuminate the tables and where clothes and samples of his brand’s products coexist. “Let’s go to the nougat.”

—Scalpers started in men’s fashion and entered women’s wardrobes a few years later. What future awaits the women’s line?

—Today it represents 30% of sales, but our strategic plan indicates that by 2028-2029 it will overtake the men’s line. It grows much faster! In the industry, 75% of sales correspond to women and, in our case, in digital this already represents 55%. As soon as we have equal commercial space, I’m sure it will be bigger.

—Scalpers’ strategic plan aims to position the brand in the “premium bridge” segment. What does this mean and how will the customer notice it?

— This involves many changes. We will strengthen and elevate the brand image. We intend to update it by focusing collections on products that can increase the value of the brand and improve its qualities. This will be particularly visible in the women’s line. The range of accessories and the Scalpers logo are probably much more important. Additionally, a substantial investment will be made in the customer experience. I’m not talking about providing a gin and tonic, but about guaranteeing the expected and perceived quality of service. Additionally, we are in advanced negotiations with certain “partners” who will distribute our product and improve the perception of the collections.

—Will they slow down the opening of new stores?

— We will probably concentrate and have less capillarity. In previous stages we opened very quickly to gain market share, now we filter a lot of what we open. These will be absolutely representative points of sale. The problem arises when you develop a large network, but not all points always meet what the customer expects from the brand. We will reduce to fewer points, which will be larger in size, and we will advance technologically with in-store advice.

—Will you bet on growth with large establishments?

—It’s a market trend: we have to gain in size. Omnichannel implies that many operations are carried out in the store which are not exclusively linked to sales, but to service. The collections are larger and the client needs space. We will have fewer openings, but with larger stores, with greater billing capacity and with more qualified teams.

—What is your assessment of 2025 and how do you plan to close the year?

—The turnover in Spain will be around 220 million, although the overall figure is higher. It was a year full of international openings, where many stores are franchised. Our goal is to reach 400 million in 2028. It was also a year of transition with the robotization of the logistics platform. We presented an ERA because it was a necessary condition for the implementation of the technology in the company. This makes us infinitely more efficient and significantly improves the service we provide! Unfortunately, this has a number of employment implications, but that’s life… We have to be a competitive business.

—One of the company’s goals was to make the jump to the United States. Will they do it despite the current turbulence?

—Now that would be shooting yourself in the foot. When the time comes, we will probably do it from the Latin vision of the United States. We are a company present in Latin America, where we open 25 points every year. It makes sense that we have an impact on the Latin community. We already sell in the United States via the web and marketplaces, and we will develop physical expansion via Florida, California and Texas.

—What new markets does Scalpers plan to reach in 2026?

“We will develop Italy and France at the end of 2026 with our own operation. We were interested in the Middle East, but we didn’t want to do it without having a substantial impact in Europe. We could explore Asia! We have the interest of a very powerful local partner.

—Will Scalpers go shopping?

—We are always open. If we do it, it will be with much larger companies than we have previously been involved with. These will be businesses that offer immediate synergies and the ability to scale much more quickly. Opportunities always present themselves and we analyze them all! But the main idea is to focus on the strategic plan.

— I understand, can you imagine acquiring a competing company?

-Yes and no. We would only embark on an operation that complements our offer and presents very clear team and structural synergy. We haven’t really analyzed any. There aren’t many operations that are this effective, although we are exploring many options. There are a lot of new players who are doing very well.

—What advice do you give to entrepreneurs?

—This is advice from an older person. Good years don’t last forever. It’s great to take advantage and grow quickly, but you still need to keep an eye on your cash flow and debt structure. You have to have a very healthy balance because you never know. Even if we think that exponential growth is not going to stop, we must measure it carefully.

—Are Scalpers for sale?

—No and it depends. We are still in the market, where there is a lot of interest. We do not have an active sales position nor do we have a mandate to sell to anyone. We simply listen when they contact us. Even if we don’t want anything to distract us from the strategic plan!

—To the Home or Adrenaline line, focused on sportswear, is added Scalpers Lab, focused on cosmetics… What will be next?

—We must develop and evolve them. These are projects that involve a lot of resources and equipment. At Lab we have made a foray into recognized laboratories. It is a line that we will rethink and relaunch next year with much more force, infinitely greater investment and more focus.

—At the beginning of 2026, the company inaugurates its new headquarters with its own building in Seville.

—This is a fundamental step. This is the first acquisition of a relevant asset that we have carried out in 18 years and represents a very significant economic effort. We will benefit from facilities exclusively built to meet the needs of our teams. It will be an open and cosmopolitan work environment, which will integrate a privileged point of sale and function as a space for connection with our community, our customers, our suppliers… It will be a dynamic and eclectic space! It will have multiple uses and will constitute a very interesting space both for the brand and for Seville.

—Recently, Francisco Gutiérrez, a profile of the house, assumed the position of deputy general manager. Will there be other meetings?

—We have exceptional talent. She is a person who knows the house and who has traveled a lot with us. He understands the plan and strategy well, he comes from the digital field! Anyone running the operations of a fashion company needs to have a very good understanding of how the digital industry works. We reorganized the structure and a new creative director arrived, Patricia Condé. Its stamp will begin to be visible in the spring-summer collection. We are in full development of the strategic plan and the profiles are continuously integrated.

—Are you worried about clothing being tampered with?

— It doesn’t matter that it’s a drama that must be continued… If they copy you, it’s also advertising for which you don’t pay. There is a public that buys counterfeits and another that never would. Those who buy counterfeits are unlikely to buy the original. It’s a way for the brand to be seen on the street. We are now faced with numerous scams and thefts. There are fake sites, from Scalpers and other brands, that proliferate. People have suffered a lot and no longer trust them.

—What do you dream the Scalpers will look like?

—Infinitely larger than today and much more profitable. I hope it will be a global company, not only in terms of markets, but also in terms of supply. I want it to be a brand that has increased its perceived value from its current value and is a very socially active company.