The story behind Dior Travel Retail Americas' VM Star Program

Dior needs little introduction. Its travel retail network is another matter: a constellation of points of sale stretching from Canada to Argentina, across airports, cruise ships and border stores. 

Warm, quick to smile, with an infectious good mood and a natural talent for bringing people together, Esteban Arias leads Visual Merchandising for Dior Travel Retail Americas. His passion for the work shows within minutes, and so does the goal that anchors it: every store, in every market, held to the same Dior standard.

What makes his approach stand out is where he looked for the answer. Not in more travel or tighter control, but in the people closest to the product: the Beauty Consultants who are on the floor every day.

"We want people to be part of something bigger"

Esteban begins, describing the conviction that became the VM Star Program in 2024, a regional first that is now drawing interest from other markets.

I spoke with him to hear why he felt the brand needed it.

Q: WHAT IS THE VM STAR PROGRAM?

Esteban Arias: It is really the way we train and make sure every point of sale we have in the region is up to
standard in terms of VM. We have very strict guidelines, and all our points of sale at Dior need to
reach the same level of VM execution.

But behind that, the idea was simple: we want people to be part of something bigger. It was
about how to elevate, and how to bring our teams with us.

Q: YOU COVER AN ENORMOUS REGION. WHY DOES THAT MAKE THE PEOPLE ON THE FLOOR SO IMPORTANT?

Esteban Arias: We handle all of the Americas, from Canada to Argentina: airports, cruises and borders. We have VM field teams in North, Central and South America, but they cannot go to every single store. It is
impossible. And the environment keeps shifting, especially at airport level. The way people travel changed completely before and after the pandemic, and it will keep evolving. So you have to understand what is happening at store level and adapt with the team and the resources you have. That is where the Beauty Consultants come in. They sit within the retail team, not the VM team, but they love doing visual merchandising, and honestly it is part of their job, because they are the ones making sure the store is up to standard.

That is why the program is mainly dedicated to them.

Q: WHERE DID THE IDEA ACTUALLY COME FROM?

Esteban Arias: Once a year we have the Beauty Consultant Seminar. It is mainly a training moment for them, about novelties and new products, and our VM team takes advantage of it to run workshops for the Beauty Consultants during the seminar.

But when we saw it was only once a year, it felt like very little. So the VM Star Program was created to give them different activities and opportunities at different times of the year: more workshops, more ways to instruct and involve them. We also created digital content, so they have access to it whenever they need.

Q: DO THE BEAUTY CONSULTANTS WORK WITH THE PLANOGRAMS YOU CREATE IN IWD?

Esteban Arias: The VM field teams are mostly the ones in charge of the planograms and executing them at the point of sale, in contact with the Beauty Consultants and the clients. In the workshops, we train the consultants to understand how our planograms need to work, so they know how to read them and how to handle the display. It depends on the novelty, on the product we are pushing at that specific moment, and they all know that.

Usually we create the general planograms in IWD for most of the configurations, the generic ones, because there are a lot of them. Then the VM fields adapt them to specific stores based on the needs of their region. We create the guidelines, and they translate them internally. The VM field for North America, for example, understands her stores and their needs better than anyone, so she builds another set of planograms for the stores that require it.

Q: HOW WAS THE PROGRAM RECEIVED, BY MANAGEMENT AND BY THE TEAMS?

Esteban Arias: It is really the way we train and make sure every point of sale we have in the region is up to
standard in terms of VM. We have very strict guidelines, and all our points of sale at Dior need to reach the same level of VM execution.

But behind that, the idea was simple: we want people to be part of something bigger. It was
about how to elevate, and how to bring our teams with us.

Q: YOU COVER AN ENORMOUS REGION. WHY DOES THAT MAKE THE PEOPLE ON THE FLOOR SO IMPORTANT?

Esteban Arias: It was really well received. Management loved it, because they realised how important it was to put the Beauty Consultants at the heart of the program.

As a brand, we really encourage people to grow and to feel they belong to something. The point was to expand what a Beauty Consultant can do: not just selling, but also being able to do visual merchandising. You are helping people grow, and helping them understand the talents and skills they already have.

Q: WHAT RESULTS HAVE YOU SEEN?

Esteban Arias: We track KPIs and we run surveys, and the rate is really positive. They love being part of the
program, because they feel they belong to something bigger.

And they love to understand the brand, what the brand is doing, not just executing. Why do you put this visual in this section? Why does this piece of POSM go in that part of the store? We want them to think, and to understand all the elements at store level. That is why they love to participate.

Q: TELL US ABOUT THE "STAR" ITSELF.

Esteban Arias: At each seminar we pick one VM Star per region, and we recognise them in the plenary, so the  whole team knows. It is a really good moment for them to showcase what they can do, and it becomes a kind of friendly competition: who is going to win the next VM Star at the BC Seminar?

It is amazing to see how happy they are when they get that opportunity.

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ANOTHER VM LEAD?

Esteban Arias: Reunite your group, and create things from inside your own team. Just go. You can build these kinds of programs yourself, to help people grow and feel part of something bigger.

And when you have people who know what they are doing, you can trust them, and the
teamwork is simply better.

The VM Star Program did not begin with a tool or a target. It began with a conviction that the people who keep Dior's standards alive every day deserve to be part of the story, and to be recognised for it. From a single workshop inside an annual seminar, it has grown into a year-round program built on growth, trust and recognition.

And if the friendly rivalry at each seminar is any sign, the Beauty Consultants of Travel Retail Americas have made Visual Merchandising their own.

Thank you, Esteban!

Click here to discover the full interview 👇