Assembling a Winning DTC Retail Strategy with Frédéric Aubé, Founder and CEO of Cozey

The Voice of Retail

In this episode, meet Frédéric Aubé, the visionary founder and CEO of Cozey, a fast-growing player in the North American home furnishings market. Fred’s journey began with a simple observation during his days as a McGill University student: the frustration of moving bulky furniture through tight spaces in Montreal apartments. Inspired to make life easier for urban dwellers, he launched Cozey in 2020 with a mission to create modular, easy-to-assemble furniture that combines style with convenience.

Fred shares his story, from growing up in a family of entrepreneurs to founding Cozey right before graduating, all while navigating the challenges of starting a business during the pandemic. We delve into what sets Cozey apart in the crowded home furnishings space, from its customer-centric design to its commitment to quality.

Fred also offers a behind-the-scenes look at Cozey’s growth strategy, including the transition from a purely direct-to-consumer (DTC) model to physical retail with the recent openings in Toronto and Vancouver. He explains how this shift has enhanced customer engagement and influenced Cozey’s plans for future expansion.

Looking ahead, Fred discusses the evolving role of physical retail for DTC brands and shares his advice for independent retailers competing in today’s bifurcated retail environment. Don’t miss this insightful conversation about entrepreneurship, innovation, and the future of retail.

Tune in for a deep dive into how Cozey is redefining the home furniture experience!

About Frédéric

Frédéric Aubé's journey into the furniture industry began with a simple yet profound observation during his time at McGill University, where he faced the common struggle of moving bulky couches through tight spaces in small Montreal apartments. This experience sparked an idea: why not create a sofa that was not only easy to assemble without tools but also customizable and adaptable to changing needs for the modern, urban lifestyle? He quickly turned this insight into reality, launching Cozey in June 2020, just months before graduating McGill University. Under Fred’s leadership, Cozey has become known for its modular, stylish, high-quality, easy-to-assemble furniture and its commitment to customer-centric design and experience.

Fred’s vision extends beyond business success; he aims to make Cozey the world’s largest furniture retailer while maintaining a focus on exceptional customer experiences and community contribution. His journey from a student struggling with bulky furniture to the CEO of a pioneering company is a testament to his innovative thinking, resilience, and dedication to making life simpler and more comfortable for his customers.

Prior to founding Cozey he held positions at Tonus Capital and served on the board of Bestar. Frédéric Aubé attended McGill University from 2017 to 2020, where he pursued an Honours Economics & Finance, B.A. degree. Fred also played four years in the Canadian Hockey League amassing over 100 points in 250 games.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.