Tape à l'oeil
Tape à l'oeil is a French specialty retailer (founded 1994) selling children's clothing, footwear, accessories, and nursery products for ages 0–16 through 256 domestic stores plus e-commerce and mobile channels, targeting parents and caregivers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersWasquehal, France
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Tape à l'oeil does
Tape à l'oeil is a French specialty retailer of children's clothing and accessories founded in 1994 and headquartered in Wasquehal, France. The company operates an omni-channel distribution model anchored by 256 physical retail stores across France (with select operations in Belgium), complemented by a proprietary e-commerce platform (taokids.com) and native iOS/Android mobile applications. The product assortment is organized into three age-segmented lines — Bébé (0–36 months), Enfant (3–14 years), and Ado (10–16 years) — spanning apparel, footwear, accessories, ceremony wear, nursery/puériculture products, and developmental toys, with additional themed "nursery decoration" collections. Auxiliary programs include a loyalty scheme (Club Fidélité, offering 5% purchase credits), a second-hand resale channel (Tao Newlife), digital gift cards, and community/CSR initiatives (Family Lab, Fondation Tape à l'oeil).
The business model is purely direct-to-consumer retail: revenue is generated through one-time unit-priced apparel and accessory sales, with pricing tiered from essentials at €3.99 through standard items (€5.99–€12.99) up to premium and ceremony collections, supported by up to 60% promotional discounting and an outlet channel. GTM is omni-channel (bricks-and-mortar browsing, e-commerce, mobile, loyalty-driven repeat purchase), targeting parents and caregivers of children from birth to 16. Underlying technology consists of an integrated e-commerce stack with mobile applications enabling account management, order processing, and multi-payment options (credit card, PayPal, gift cards); no proprietary AI/ML, data platform, API, or third-party integrations were disclosed. Customer reach is evidenced by 7,496 verified reviews averaging 4.6/5 on Avis Vérifiés, and the company maintains an active multi-platform social presence (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok) plus email/newsletter marketing. Headcount is reported at 501–1,000 employees, consistent with a mid-sized specialty retailer of this store footprint.
Tape à l'oeil firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tape à l'oeil
- Legal name
- Tape à l'oeil
- Website
- https://t-a-o.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Tape à l'oeil is a French specialty retailer (founded 1994) selling children's clothing, footwear, accessories, and nursery products for ages 0–16 through 256 domestic stores plus e-commerce and mobile channels, targeting parents and caregivers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tape à l'oeil industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Apparel Retail
- NAICS
- Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers (424350)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Children’s, Baby & Maternity Apparel Brands (CRAAAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Children’s & Baby Footwear (CRAAACAF), Baby Apparel (0–24 months) (CRAAAHAA), Kids Apparel (5–12) (CRAAAHAC)
Keywords
Where Tape à l'oeil is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wasquehal
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Tape à l'oeil business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Clothing Sales: One-time purchase model for children's clothing and accessories across multiple categories including baby, child, and teen segments. Products range from basic essentials to fashion-forward items with seasonal collections.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Basic/Essentials starting at €3.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Regular priced items from €5.99 to €12.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium and ceremony wear |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sales and outlet up to 60% off |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Tape à l'oeil product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tape à l'oeil is a French children's fashion retailer selling clothing, footwear, and accessories for children from birth to 16 years across three main age segments (Bébé 0-36 mois, Enfant 3-14 ans, Ado 10-16 ans). The company operates an omni-channel model combining 256 physical retail stores in France with an e-commerce platform (taokids.com) and mobile applications.
Product overview
Tape à l'oeil is a French children's clothing retailer operating as a unified e-commerce platform and physical retail chain (256 stores in France). The core offering consists of three main product lines organized by age: Bébé (0-36 months), Enfant (3-14 years), and Ado (10-16 years), each spanning clothing, footwear, and accessories for boys and girls. The portfolio extends beyond clothing to include puériculture (nursery care) products, awakening games, and nursery decoration themes. The company also operates complementary services including a loyalty program (Club Fidélité), second-hand clothing resale (Tao Newlife), gift cards, and community initiatives through the Family Lab and Foundation. The business model combines brick-and-mortar retail with online sales across multiple countries (France, Belgium), supported by a mobile application.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Vêtements Bébé (0-36 mois) Clothing and accessories for babies from birth to 36 months, including bodies, pajamas, blankets, swaddles, birth bundles, and nursery items. Targeted at parents of newborns and infants.
- Vêtements Enfant (3-14 ans) Clothing for children aged 3-14 years, spanning girls' and boys' categories with dresses, tops, pants, swimwear, pajamas, shoes, and accessories. Targeted at parents of young children.
- Vêtements Ado (10-16 ans) Clothing for teenagers aged 10-16 years, offering age-appropriate fashion for both girls and boys including jeans, shorts, dresses, and accessories. Targeted at teens and their parents.
- Puériculture Baby care and nursery products including bibs, changing mats, teether clips, doudous, bedding, storage baskets, and bathroom accessories.
- La Chambre de Bébé Nursery decoration theme collections including cabane secrète, douce tanière, nid douillet, jardin secret, sous l'océan, and appel de la jungle.
- Jeux d'Éveil Developmental toys and games for children including first manipulation toys, teething rings, plush toys, outdoor games, dolls, and stationery.
- Collection Cérémonie Special occasion and ceremony clothing collection for babies, children, and teenagers including dresses and formal attire.
- Club Fidélité (Tao My Community) Loyalty program offering 5% credit on all purchases, discounts, event invitations, access to private sales, and other benefits for repeat customers.
- Seconde Main (Tao Newlife) Second-hand clothing service giving a second life to clothing items, part of the brand's sustainability initiative.
- E-Carte Cadeau Digital gift card service allowing customers to purchase and redeem gift cards for in-store or online purchases.
Companies that use Tape à l'oeil
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Tape à l'oeil technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Tape à l'oeil partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tape à l'oeil competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vertbaudet: Vertbaudet is a major French children's and maternity apparel specialist with strong catalog and e-commerce heritage, directly comparable to TAO on age coverage, nursery extensions, and the parent-focused value proposition.
- Smallable: Smallable is a French premium multi-brand children's concept retailer combining curated designer labels with its own private label; overlaps with TAO on the parent demographic and omni-channel approach but competes primarily on premium positioning.
- Catimini: Catimini is a French children's fashion brand producing coordinated birth-to-teen collections distributed through its own stores, concessions, and wholesale; similar product segmentation and target customer as Tape à l'oeil.
- Cyrillus: Cyrillus is a French multi-channel children's apparel retailer operating its own e-commerce site and stores, serving the same birth-to-teen customer segments as Tape à l'oeil with a comparable omni-channel model and value-to-mid market positioning.
- Orchestra (Orchestre Prémaman): Orchestra is one of France's largest children's apparel and maternity specialty retailers, combining an extensive physical store network with e-commerce; directly competitive with TAO on full-age children's wardrobe, ceremony wear, and nursery categories.
- Okaïdi / ÏDKIDS: Okaïdi, part of the ÏDKIDS collective, is a French children's clothing retailer with a comparable birth-to-teen positioning, loyalty program, and store-and-online omni-channel presence, competing head-to-head for French parents.
- Jacadi Paris: Jacadi is a French heritage children's apparel brand operating its own boutiques, e-commerce, and wholesale distribution across Europe with comparable ceremony and babywear categories targeting similar upper-mid parents.
- Kiabi: Kiabi is a major French family-focused value apparel retailer with a sizable children's segment and large store footprint in France; competes with TAO for the same value-oriented French parents across baby, child, and teen age groups.
Broad incumbents
- H&M Kids: H&M is a global fast-fashion incumbent operating a dedicated Kids line across physical stores and HM.com; competing with TAO on price, trend frequency, and breadth even though children's apparel is one division of a much larger apparel business.
- Zara Kids (Inditex): Zara Kids is the children's apparel extension of global fast-fashion leader Inditex, operating in-store and online; directly competing with TAO on trend-driven children's fashion while benefiting from parent-group scale and supply chain advantages.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tape à l'oeil social profiles
Digital presenceTape à l'oeil financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tape à l'oeil leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Tape à l'oeil funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tape à l'oeil M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tape à l'oeil
What does Tape à l'oeil do?
Tape à l'oeil is a French children's fashion retailer selling clothing, footwear, and accessories for children from birth to 16 years across three main age segments (Bébé 0-36 mois, Enfant 3-14 ans, Ado 10-16 ans). The company operates an omni-channel model combining 256 physical retail stores in France with an e-commerce platform (taokids.com) and mobile applications.
Is Tape à l'oeil a public or private company?
Tape à l'oeil is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Tape à l'oeil founded?
Tape à l'oeil was founded in 1994. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Tape à l'oeil based?
Tape à l'oeil is headquartered in Wasquehal, France, in the Europe region.
How does Tape à l'oeil make money?
One revenue line is on record: retail Clothing Sales.
Who are Tape à l'oeil's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vertbaudet, Smallable, Catimini, Cyrillus, Orchestra (Orchestre Prémaman), Okaïdi / ÏDKIDS, Jacadi Paris and Kiabi. Broad incumbents are H&M Kids and Zara Kids (Inditex).
Does Tape à l'oeil have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tape à l'oeil.
What industry is Tape à l'oeil in?
Tape à l'oeil's product category is Children's Apparel Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAAAG, Children’s, Baby & Maternity Apparel Brands, with a secondary code of CRAAACAF, Children’s & Baby Footwear. Its NAICS code is 424350 and its SIC code is 5600.