Episode 14

🎙 Meet Élodie Gabas, store manager of Padd Montauban.

👉 After starting her career in mass retail, she chose to align her professional life with her passion for horse riding by becoming a Padd franchisee.

Her journey? The customer experience? Her relationship with Padd?

What was your journey before opening your Padd store?

After obtaining my master's degree in marketing and communication from ISEG, I started my career in mass retail, working at Leclerc, Unilever, Materne Mont-Blanc, and Lavazza. But after seven years as a sector manager, my passion caught up with me—I’ve been riding since I was four. In 2017, I decided to open my own tack shop, Hello Horse. It was a tough but enriching experience that gave me the freedom of independence but also the downside of working alone, always keeping a worried eye on cash flow. By 2021, I was looking for more structure and applied to manage the Padd store in Montauban.

And everything moved quickly—it seems Padd, as you like to say, changed your life.

I first met Arielle and Sarah in December 2021. At that time, I was exhausted, juggling my job at Centrakor alongside my tack shop—it was too much. I needed a stable framework where I could thrive and improve my quality of life. We immediately clicked, and to confirm my choice, I called several franchisees to hear about Padd’s daily support. Their advice: "Go for it!"

Step 1: Finding a location. Fortunately, I knew Montauban’s commercial areas well and found the perfect spot. Once the 200 m² sales space was approved by Arielle, we started renovations, planned the layout, merchandising, and stocked and labeled 8,000 references. I worked closely with my first employee, which helped us quickly master our inventory. Finally, on September 3, 2022—just nine months after my first contact with Padd—we celebrated the grand opening.

How were the first months, and what’s your approach to customer relations?

Luckily, I had no direct competition in the area. Riders were happy to avoid a 35-minute drive to Toulouse. Padd helped spread the word before opening, reaching all licensed riders in our market, while I connected with local clubs and stables.

Today's customers, even when they know what they want, still appreciate guidance—especially for technical products. In-store, it’s our job to take an interest in them, their horses, and their concerns, without ever pushing a sale. We must also be responsive, offer variety, and above all, be professionals. If our advice isn’t relevant, we lose the customer. That’s why I appreciate the weekly Padd Academy training and the opportunity to collaborate with other store managers.

Two years after opening, we process around 7,000 transactions per year, with an average basket of €60. And since I never like to rest on my laurels, I’m nearly ready to open a new store in Brive. This expansion into Corrèze is also a family project, as my partner—an equestrian instructor—plans to take over a local stable.

What qualities do you value most in people, and which traits do you find intolerable?

Listening, empathy, and honesty. I repeat this daily to my colleagues: the best salespeople aren’t necessarily those who sell the most, but those who make customers come back. On the other hand, aggression, disrespect, and dishonesty have no place in our profession.

Do you still have time for hobbies?

I followed in my partner’s footsteps and compete in eventing with my nine-year-old horse, Sultan de Bellevue. Starting amateur-level competitions not only fuels my passion but also builds credibility with customers.

Aside from riding, I’m also a singer in a pop-rock band, Les Divers Gens, a passion I share with my father, who’s the drummer.

Your motto?

"Where there’s a will, there’s a way." If you truly want something, you’ll find a way to make it happen.

Padd in one word?

Support. That’s more than one word, but it sums up how I feel about working with Padd these past two years!