36 minute read
MARKETING MASTERCLASS Retail expert Wizz Selvey on honing the customer journey to increase sales
Down to Business
INSIGHT FOR FASHION INDIES
KARSTEN WINEGEART ON UNSPLASH
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Getting the right message across to shoppers is an essential part of the customer journey. Here retail expert Wizz Selvey explains how to communicate with both potential customers and loyal fans effectively…
Marketing masterclass
RETAIL EXPERT WIZZ SELVEY REVEALS HOW INDIES CAN USE THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY TO INCREASE SALES AND GET CUSTOMERS RAVING ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS
Acontinuing trend I’m currently noticing in retail is digital fatigue and overwhelm. From deleting sales emails to unfollowing brands on social media, many shoppers are feeling absolutely bombarded.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. If done correctly, a retailer’s communication strategy will actively increase sales, nurture loyalty and encourage word-ofmouth recommendations.
As a brand consultant, I work with clients on fine-tuning their customer journey. This can be defined in six stages: awareness, interest, purchase, retention, loyalty and advocates. Many retailers and brands focus on new customer acquisition too heavily compared to the latter stages of the journey. And this is something I see in cases involving the largest businesses all the way down to emerging newcomers.
Shifting some of the focus from awareness (which tops the ‘traditional’ funnel model) to retention, loyalty and then creating brand advocates may be more fruitful. Brand advocates are often neglected, and the customer journey frequently ends at stage five – loyalty. The reason being that advocacy isn’t always measurable, so it can be difficult when direct Return on Investment (ROI) needs to be demonstrated internally. However, shoppers who rave about your brand are clearly golden and need to be nurtured.
Here is a summary of each stage and what independent retailers should consider when reviewing their strategy to maximise profits:
Stage one: awareness
This is the point at which your customer stumbles upon you, whether they read something in the press or find you through Google. It doesn’t always happen on social media, as you may expect!
When customers come across your brand, what will they see? Make sure your visual first impression is what it needs to be to appeal to your ideal customer. Ensure that you have a well-developed customer profile so that you can do this effectively and get clear on the Unique Selling Points (USPs) you want to highlight, so that you stand out from the competition.
Stage two: interest
A potential customer has remembered your brand, though they may need to see you a few times before going from stage one to stage two.
How do you make it clear what your business is about, to make the most of the interest stage?
Stage three: consideration
Once a potential customer has seen you several times, they will consider purchasing from you. This number can be a lot higher, as the first few times they see your brand it may be subliminal. Each place you’re featured in is one piece of the puzzle, so expand your channels/touch points to get to stage three more quickly. Online: what content do you offer potential customers? Create videos and blogs to educate just like one of your sales associates would do in-store. Send emails that are truly valuable and aren’t just offering a discount code.
In-store: provide as much information as possible to your staff.
Wherever the customer is, they should be able to access as much information as possible about your business.
Stage four: retention
The biggest opportunity for retailers is nurturing that customer so that they come back and purchase from you again.
What’s your post-purchase marketing strategy? Make sure to set expectations through email, follow up with a customer, ask whether they liked the product and suggest other products that could work well alongside it, too.
Stage five: loyalty
This is when your customers are coming back to buy from you. They are your VIPs! It’s easier to encourage your loyal customers to purchase again than it is to get new customers.
How do you communicate with them on a regular basis? How do you reward them?
What else can you offer other than discounts and points? Could you offer early access to certain
products, limited edition ranges or something else that they’ll find exciting?
Don’t be scared to ask your customers about what they want and what they want to hear from you.
Stage six: advocacy
These are your VVIPs - they’re raving about you!
The key is to give these customers enough information so that they can then share it online or with friends and family.
Also consider referral marketing. Consider gifting instead of offering discounts, as it allows you to introduce them to a new product that they may want to repurchase later down the line. Maybe you could do events for VIP customers and also use this as market research?
Review your messaging and USPs (again!): What do you want your customers to be saying about your brand when they tell their friends? Listen to what people are saying about your business and whether it aligns with what you think your USPs are.
The takeaway
Come back to these six stages frequently and use them to ensure that you’re looking after your customer at each step of their journey. Doing so will help to boost your profits and gain consumer trust. Regular reviews of marketing channels, listening carefully to customer feedback and ensuring social media engagement is fed into the sales and marketing strategy are all valuable to better understand how to grow.
Wizz Selvey is a strategy mentor, retail expert and consultant/ founder at Wizz&Co. Watch a free trend insights webinar and learn more about creating the best customer journey via wizzandco. com/speaking. You can also keep up to date on industry trends by following Wizz on LinkedIn.
Live sales
HOW ONE BOUTIQUE HAS INCREASED ITS REVENUE BY 40 PER CENT ONLINE WITHOUT A TRANSACTIONAL WEBSITE
Live stream shopping is becoming big business for UK womenswear indies. Through broadcasting live video content on social media, indies are able to replicate a similar experience as shoppers would receive in-store while potentially reaching thousands of customers.
Take Swedish womenswear indie Kenja, which sells handpicked clothing and accessories both at its physical store and on social media. It currently operates without a transactional website but has a large following on Facebook and Instagram. Implementing live streams has proved to be a successful strategy: 40 per cent of its total revenue now comes directly from live sales while it has also increased footfall at its bricksand-mortar store.
Owner Anneli Lohmeier attributes its online success to Easy Live Sales’ ‘comment selling robot’ ELISA. With the system’s automated messages, cart and checkout, Kenja can focus on building a strong community with its viewers while ELISA takes care of the administration side.
Kenja goes live on Facebook every Tuesday and broadcasts shows that can last up to three hours. Anneli easily sets up the events on Facebook and in ELISA and is then ready to go live. The rest of the process is fully automated.
How does it work? Well, when a customer wants to buy a product, they write a comment on the video as instructed by Anneli. They will then instantly receive a confirmation in Facebook Messenger that includes a link to a shopping cart with the desired product already added. From there the customer can choose between store pick-up or shipping and can pay easily via Swedish mobile payment system Swish. Kenja does not even require its own webshop.
“Going live with ELISA is much easier than I ever anticipated,” says
For more information about how ELISA could increase your revenue, visit elisa.io Anneli. “That is why we go live every Tuesday night – and if I had more time on my hands, we would do it even more often.”
Results and achievements
Since Kenja started broadcasting lives with ELISA, 40 per cent of the store’s total revenue is generated from live sales. And that’s without including the increase in sales in the physical store, which the owner says is a direct result of the live shows.
The store’s lives attract as many as 7,100+ viewers and 2,400+ comments in one single broadcast. The comments consist of direct orders, follow-up questions about the clothing, and friendly small talk among the viewers. Facebook’s algorithm favours content with a high level of interaction and comments, contributing to even greater exposure. Therefore, the live shows are not only seen by existing customers or followers – they also reach many potential customers, too.
“Everyone should go live, that is the simplest way I can put it,” she says. “Thanks to ELISA, 40 per cent of our total revenue now comes from live sales. I am so grateful, because without ELISA, Kenja would have really suffered from the tough conditions during the pandemic.”
Retail update
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Although general EPoS systems can do the job, there are one or two unique systems out there that have been tailored with the specific needs of fashion retailers in mind. Top to Toe's EPoS and eCommerce integration is one of these. It is one of the UK’s highest rated EPoS systems, with fashion retailers scoring it a 4.9/5 across major review platforms.
Having worked closely with fashion retailers, Top to Toe has designed its system to solve the challenge of handling products that come in size and colour variants. Rather than listing each product variant separately, the data is organised in an easy-to understand matrix grid. This means that reporting on product variants has never been easier - with just minutes of work compared to spending hours using other systems.
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Contact the Top to Toe team directly to arrange a virtual presentation.
ST AR AW ARDS 2022
Finalist
Shop Talk
JAI PARBAT
INDUSTRY OPINION
Start-up success
The idea for Cuckoo in Horsham was conceived in the first lockdown. And for owner Jai Parbat, it has taken hard work, patience and sheer determination to bring her dream to life. Here the former insurance broker reveals the catalyst behind her unexpected career change while discussing the importance of a good work-life balance…
Cuckoo land
OPEN FOR JUST 18 MONTHS, HORSHAM’S CUCKOO IS PULLING IN THE CROWDS WITH ITS STRONG BRAND MIX AND SERVICE. GEMMA WARD MEETS OWNER JAI PARBAT TO DISCUSS HER EVENTFUL JOURNEY INTO RETAIL
Starting a new business is notoriously tough – particularly in the middle of a pandemic. But for Cuckoo founder Jai Parbat, who opened the womenswear boutique last April, it’s been challenging and rewarding in equal measures. Its journey to establishing itself amid lockdowns and then a cost-of-living crisis has been a bumpy road. However, with a strong line-up of brands and standout experience, it has already built up a loyal customer base with strong sales to match.
Family affair
Although the former insurance broker never planned to open her own boutique, you could say she was destined for a career in retail. Jai’s father was a market trader in Crawley for many years selling fashion and later ran a womenswear shop called Abigail’s with extended family. Meanwhile, her mother ran her own boutique, Orchid, in nearby Horley for over 25 years.
In 2018, in a cruel twist of fate, her mother was involved in a serious car accident. The injuries left her incapacitated and in and out of hospital for six months. “It was a really scary time,” says Jai. “It meant she would probably never be able to work again and as a family we had to make some big decisions about her business.”
Jai felt there was no other option than to take over the shop. Initially she worked over the weekends and continued with her full-time job. But as time went on and it became clear her mother wouldn’t be able to return, she left her role as an insurance broker to take over the business.
Orchid is a well-established bricks-and-mortar retailer selling Indian cotton dresses and Italian womenswear sourced from stock houses. And after three months of immersing herself into buying and business operations, Jai had been well and truly bitten by the retail bug. “I realised really quite quickly that I wanted to do it for myself,” she says. “I was getting to grips with what was selling and seeing the reaction from customers; I found the whole process really fulfilling and exciting.”
After a while Jai began to put her own stamp on the boutique’s product line-up and realised that she had a natural flair for buying. However, she knew there were only so many changes she could make without alienating the store’s customer base. So, with encouragement from her mum, she decided to open another boutique in a new area with a vision to offer timeless womenswear that focused on quality and longevity.
Fresh start
Sometime during the first UK lockdown, the perfect vacant unit became available in Horsham and Jai decided to bite the bullet and sign on the dotted line. The area, positioned about 20 miles south of Guildford, seemed like the perfect choice as it has a strong retail offer while there was a gap in the market for another boutique. “That was back when we were all still wondering when we’d come out of lockdown,” she says. “Things were really hanging in the balance with the landlord but luckily they decided to wait it out with us until we were able to take it on.”
Cuckoo was originally scheduled to open in November 2020, but its launch was pushed back to April 2021. As it turned out, securing premises wasn’t the only challenge. With harsh covid restrictions in place and in-person buying still on hold, obtaining the kind of stock Jai wanted was verging on the impossible: “I remember having meetings with potential stockists just four weeks before we opened,” she says. “At that point I hadn’t set a definite date for the launch as I had no idea if we’d have anything to sell. Some brands had in-season bits that I could order and the agents helped to make sure we got stock in. Some UK brands also scraped around to find pieces for us. There were certain lines that we couldn’t get in a full size range, but it gave us enough to merchandise. I also selected some stock from the existing business that I felt would sit well alongside the brands I’d chosen. We were still opening boxes on the day before the opening.”
Now fully stocked with forward order Scandinavian, European and British brands, Cuckoo’s line-up includes Ichi, Numph, Grace and Mila, FRNCH, Soya Concept, Kaffe, Sugarhill Brighton and Louche. Jai says the brand mix appeals to a younger demographic than those shopping at Orchid, although the boutique does attract a broad spectrum of customers aged from 25 to 90 years old. “We offer an eclectic edit,” she says. “Shoppers can find something fun and quirky but we also have everyday elevated basics that they will wear year after year.”
The owner says her main aim when selecting the collections was to fill a gap in the market and bring something new to the area. “I did spend a lot of time looking at what was already available in Horsham and trying to figure out what was missing,” she says. “I felt the market was already saturated with the kind of pieces my mum had been stocking but there were also shops like Jigsaw and Hobbs alongside more premium boutiques. I felt like there was a gap there for the everyday shopper who was becoming more conscious and wanted quality.”
Digital world
As well as the buying, Jai had to get to grips with the technical side of running a new retail business – especially at a time when most of her competitors had moved into omnichannel. However, her previous work experience in insurance broking and IT stood her in good stead: “I didn’t pay anyone to set up any of the systems in the shop,” she says. “From the barcoding to the website, it’s all my own work. Having the experience of working with computers in my previous job – and being a millennial – really helped.”
So far Cuckoo’s shoppers have mostly been using the site as a shop window, browsing its product range before visiting the physical store. As the boutique becomes more established, Jai says she hopes to expand its reach to shoppers further afield using the power of social media. “A big focus for me at the moment is growing the online side of the business,” she says. “We haven’t been as bold as doing live streams yet, but we’re now in a better position to start showing customers what we think they want to see. We’d like to replicate what we
do in the shop in our videos, and we hope that will generate some more online revenue.”
Sales have been strong so far at Cuckoo, with year-on-year figures increasing despite the cost-ofliving crisis. Jai has noticed a distinct difference, however, in her customers’ buying habits over the past few months: “Premium brands seem to be doing very well,” she says. “People are investing in quality at the moment and are really thinking about the longevity and versatility of the pieces they’re buying. Our most popular items have been good quality t-shirts over the summer and now we’re selling a lot of timeless wardrobe staples like oversized white shirts.”
Jai says that helping customers find items they love is one of the best aspects of running a boutique. “Getting great feedback is amazing,” she says. “Some people are so genuinely happy they skip out of the shop - then they come back again for a repeat purchase. You can’t help but feel a real sense of achievement about that.”
Christmas plans
The coming weeks will be an important time for the business as Christmas approaches. Jai is planning to host some in-store events to help promote gifts and the store’s AW22 collections and will also take part in late night shopping and Small Business Saturday: “We celebrated our first year in business with a party for our customers and it was really successful,” she says. “It’s a great way to get people into the shop and we’ll also offer an incentive on purchases.”
When it comes to Black Friday, Jai is still undecided about whether she’ll be taking part this year. “We didn’t partake in it last year and some people did ask us why,” she says. “I would like to do it in an independentfriendly way if we are able to strike the right balance. If we decide to take part, it won’t just be to drive sales – it’d be more about supporting customers like they’ve supported us. Some shoppers may be looking for promotions because of their financial situation and I would like to give back where I can.”
For the longer-term future, Jai has her sights set firmly on growth. The staff on Cuckoo’s payroll has now expanded to four, with the owner working full-time alongside three parttimers. Each brings their own unique set of skills, with visual merchandising and customer styling at the fore. And this will be important for Jai moving forward, as she is keen to achieve a good work-balance: “The business has grown massively in a short space of time – and that’s great,” she says. “But I’ve been running on pure passion and adrenalin for the past 18 months and that’s not sustainable long-term. I’d like to think there will come to a point where I’m able to take a step back. I want to see my friends and look after my mum. There’s no point working hard if you can’t play hard, too.”
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JATC FOUNDER JULS DAWSON ON APPEALING TO BUYERS’ CHANGING NEEDS AND LEADING A NEW GENERATION IN FASHION TRADE SHOWS
Having experienced rapid growth since its launch in 2020, London and Manchester-based trade show Just Around the Corner (JATC) is gearing up for its next instalments this January and February. Here we catch up with founder Juls Dawson to find out what buyers can expect from the popular events for AW23…
How would you describe Just Around the Corner and the overall buying experience it offers independent retailers?
We describe it as an event for the industry, by the industry. Our agency JUST Consultancies and the people within that company have over 25 years’ experience exhibiting at other shows and we wanted to give something back to the trade. We aim to take all the best elements and avoid the worst aspects of these experiences, which is essentially the DNA of JATC. What does JATC offer that’s different from other trade shows?
We offer a pared back event with all brands on a level playing field and no stand builds. This allows the product to do the talking rather than which brand has the biggest stand. We have baristas serving complimentary coffees and pastries from tuk-tuks and artisan street vendors providing delicious plates of world cuisine. We are one of the only shows in the UK covering menswear, womenswear and footwear and other specialist categories under one roof. Plus, JATC is the only event with dual locations in both Manchester and London set in venues with industrial backdrops, not staid conference centres.
What do today’s buyers want now when they visit a show and how is JATC answering their needs?
Along with seeing established or regular brands, buyers want to see newness, which is something we certainly provide, as well new categories they may have not considered before. In today’s everchanging climate, buyers are also looking for short order or stock and that is also something we encourage our exhibitors to bring along.
How do you ensure you’re creating the right mix of brands that appeals to leading retailers and buyers?
We are extremely careful to ensure that our brands reach a certain standard of product and appeal and vet all those that approach us. We also make sure that they are not too early in their journey for wholesale. With regards to the right mix, we want to provide a show for all, but naturally we are stronger in certain areas. Currently, our women’s products and categories is where our real strengths are. We also aim to be relevant to market changes and therefore cover up-and-coming categories that are on many of our buyers’ radars.
How popular was the show’s new The Edit section among womenswear buyers last season and how are you improving the show’s offer?
I’m always brutally honest, and we are still a relatively young event and are learning all the time. The Edit was successful but there were several lessons learned which we have taken on board. We still have work to do on brand awareness in the premium sector of womenswear and are focusing on driving this through marketing in order to increase footflow from boutiques as we have a great brand mix lined up in this zone for next season. We are also giving a few new treatments to this area, both physically at the event and via a branding exercise.
What new additions can buyers expect at the upcoming shows?
We are expecting 300 brands in London and 200 in Manchester, 30 per cent of which will be new to the show. We are launching new zone Together, which will feature brands offering both menswear and womenswear. We are also launching a new beauty and lifestyle area curated by industry stalwart Karen Berman covering a wide range of categories including beauty, skincare, grooming, wellness, fragrance, jewellery, wearable accessories, tableware, stationary and seasonal gifting.
How much womenswear is presented at the show and what sort of brands/ categories can buyers expect?
We have 200 womenswear brands at the show covering contemporary, denim, sportswear, streetwear, nightwear, swim, lingerie, footwear and accessories.
What would you say to veteran buyers and brands who are perhaps a bit hesitant to venture out to East London?
East London has changed so much over recent years and now boasts eateries and hotels to rival the west end with The Mondrian and The Ned plus restaurants from Ceconni’s and Nobu. It is edgy yet safe, and any discerning buying team will always visit the vibrant streets for inspiration. We have our head office just off Brick Lane and there are so many other agencies and brands based around us. It is now an essential stop-off on most buyers’ calendars.
What incentives will be in place for buyers who place orders while at the show?
We are already an ordering writing show but to further drive this message we are inviting exhibitors to participate in a new scheme that offers buyers a 5 per cent discount for placing orders at the show. We will be promoting the participating brands in the run up to our events and during the shows.
Is sustainability important to you as a show? How are you supporting brands and buyers that want to operate more sustainable businesses?
This is super important to us as an event and the brands that are in this zone actually were some of the busiest stands last season as this sector becomes more and more important to retailers. We actually position this zone at the entrance in order to give it the greatest impact.
How do you see JATC growing in the future?
We are looking to grow our brand offering within the existing zones while adding new zones and categories. We’d also like to attract a wider international audience. We’ll maybe look at some other capital cities going forward as some of our international brands have asked us to consider going overseas. But for now we have our hands full here - our journey has really only just begun.
ANDREW GOODACRE, CEO AT BIRA, ON PREPARING FOR THE GOLDEN QUARTER
“T he cost-of-living crisis has been a real concern for some time. Consumers and businesses need confidence, which comes from the feeling of certainty. When confidence is low (and it’s at an all-time low at the moment), shoppers become more cautious with their spending.
“According to the chancellor, the mini budget was designed to initiate growth and improve consumer confidence – and yet it seems to have achieved the opposite. The reaction of the financial markets suggests that interest rates will rise quicker than expected, causing more concern (and even lower confidence) to shoppers than reassurance. The energy support scheme has been largely forgotten about amid all the turmoil. And yet we must remember that this support was absolutely essential for the high street’s survival. If nothing else the government’s announcements were a lesson in how not to communicate major policy changes.
“While we let the politicians fall out over whose ideas are best, indies must focus on the job in hand. We are now entering the most important three-month period for retail – often referred to as the ‘golden quarter’. There are key dates on the horizon for events such as Halloween, Black Friday and obviously Christmas. And while consumer confidence may be low, I do not believe that the purchases in this quarter have yet been decided. There is still opportunity for retailers.
“Research suggests that consumers will look for value, and that prices for essential items will play a big role in deciding what to buy. We are already seeing this in terms of the food sector. Independent retailers do not normally compete on price, and I would urge indies to maintain their high service levels, engage their customers through social media and create value propositions. These are different to simply reducing prices. Understanding the pricing strategy is crucial in maximising sales and optimising the margins, which is why added value promotions are a good alternative to simply discounting.
“That said, price reductions can be an important sales tool and Black Friday can be all about a special one-off offer. This retail event doesn’t always work for indies, but if you are taking part then focus on discounting the slow sellers rather than being tempted to discount across your entire product range. This same principle can be applied to the way you approach the run up to Christmas.
“The economic outlook remains uncertain. This is still worrying, but now is the time for independents to step up their consumer engagement campaigns, plan their promotional offers and really shout about them. I recently had the pleasure of being a judge for the Boutique Star Awards. Based on the entries, I know that indie retailers have the skills and determination to succeed - even in these most challenging of times.”
Added value
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Loyal customers who buy from you over and over again are every boutique owner’s dream. But while it’s always great to attract new customers, it can be an expensive and time-consuming process.
Retaining your existing customers is an effective and less costly method of generating sales. Having people who come back to buy from you time after time helps build profits, strengthens your brand and lowers your customer acquisition costs.
Citrus-Lime’s Cloud POS Loyalty is a scheme that offers benefits to customers in the form of points that give them money off their next purchase. It works in-store and online, so customers signing up to it can collect points every time they buy from you. By giving something of value, they have a reason to be loyal to you.
Retailers can set the rate at which customers earn points and how long they remain valid. You can also send automated emails to let customers know how many points they’ve earned and monthly statements.
Cloud POS Loyalty is easy to implement and helps you build a loyal customer base. It lowers your customer acquisition costs by reducing the prospect of ‘one time only’ shoppers and helps you cut down on end-of-season discounting. Get in touch with the Citrus-Lime team to find out more.
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PHOTO BY ALEXANDRE DEBIÈVE ON UNSPLASH
HARI KRISHNADASAN, MD AT CAPRI LONDON, UNPICKS THE CHANCELLOR’S MINI BUDGET
“C hancellor Kwasi Kwateng’s mini budget, which he unveiled to parliament last month, has been met with much criticism from both MPs and constituents. There’s been no escaping the mayhem surrounding some of the policies – particularly the now-scrapped plan to reverse the £0.45 tax rate for the country’s highest earners.
“But amid all the bad press and disapproval, there had to be some good news for independent retailers and brands, didn’t there?
“The announcement that the government will cap energy prices for businesses this winter was undoubtedly welcome news for boutique owners. Although, unfortunately, the support could only last for six months in comparison to two years for households.
“In a statement released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), CEO Helen Dickinson OBE said: ‘The chancellor’s improvements should help to shore up consumer demand going into what will be a challenging winter for households and businesses alike. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme, set out earlier this week, and announcements on National Insurance and Corporation Tax will help retailers shield their customers from some of the effects of inflation.’
“In 2019, international visitors contributed over £28bn to the UK economy. Retail groups responded positively to the reintroduction of tax-free shopping for tourists, which will give retailers across the country a much-needed boost in trade as international shoppers return to the UK. It allows us to compete equally with our European neighbours to attract high spending international visitors back to our shops, hotels and restaurants. Britain is the only country in Europe where EU visitors can shop tax free. This will provide a huge boost to our retail, hospitality and tourism sectors, with regional airports set to benefit from a surge in visitors, too.
“However, the absence of business rates from the government’s ‘growth plan’ did not go unnoticed. The BRC said: ‘Retailers are facing immense cost pressures…Yet what was missing was any mention of business rates, which are set to jump by 10 per cent next April.’
Unless the chancellor tackles the issue in his Medium-Term Fiscal Plan this month retailers will be faced with a £800 million tax rise. It’s inevitable that most will have no choice other than to increase their prices. And by doing so, the population’s collective purse will be squeezed all the more. Let’s hope that government steps in and helps small businesses – and shoppers - when they may need it more than ever.”
One of Capri London’s sales agents summed up the industry mood best, saying: “Despite business being okay at present, there is definitely an air of caution about where we will find ourselves on the other side of the winter. There seems to be a constant bombardment of bad news and the effect of that is to make even fairly affluent people feel like there is a storm coming. Businesses need confidence and all the political shenanigans is not helping. I had hoped that after Brexit and the pandemic, things would calm down and pick up. However, I think we have some way to go before we emerge from the doom and gloom.”
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Events and Exhibitions
Boutique Star Awards Organiser : Boutique Professional Media Ltd T: Tel 01795 515288 E: Julie@bpmedialtd.co.uk Event Date : 8th November 2022
Harrogate Fashion Week Harrogate Convention Centre W: harrogatefashionweek.com T: +44 (0)1423 623 701 / 07551329675 E: sarah@harrogatefashionweek.com Show Dates : 5 – 6 February 2023
Home and Gift Harrogate Convention Centre Organiser: Clarion Events W: homeandgift.co.uk
Indx womenswear and footwear Cranmore Park Exhibition Centre Organiser: indx shows W: www.indxshows.co.uk INDX Woman- 1st-2nd February Opening Times: 1st February 8.30am-8.00pm 2nd February 8.30am-5.00pm Messe Frankfurt France E: visitorservice@france. messefrankfurt.com Show dates : 6-8 February 2023 at Paris le Bourget
Moda/ Autumn and Spring Fair Organiser: Hyve Group Website: www.moda-uk.co.uk
Pure London Organiser: Hyve Group Website: www.purelondon.com T: +44 (0)203 855 9550 E: visitor@purelondon.com Show Dates: 12 – 14 Feb 2023
Scoop Organiser: Hyve Ltd Website: scoop-international.com Show dates: 29-31 January 2023, Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
Top Drawer Olympia – London Organiser: Clarion Events W: topdrawer.co.uk Show Dates: A/W 11 -13 September 2022 S/S 15 – 17 January 2023
Footwear
Caprice Shoes T: 07734 247 669 E: Capriceshoes@gmail.com W: www.capriceshoes.co.uk Facebook: /capriceshoes
Lofina Agent: Joanna Edwards Agency T: 07989014141/ 07512550346 W: www.shoebox.dk
Womenswear
Apt Collections: Brands: Alembika, Alquema, Elsewhere, Igor, Ozai n Ku, Philomena Christ Contact: Nigel Hughes T: 020 7580 3202 W: www.aptcollections.co.uk
Carol C Collections Brands : Foil, Orientique ,Tirelli, Oopera , Moke , Tara Vao Contact : Carol ,Andrew and Lisa T: 0800 6129009 E: info@carolccollections W: www.carolccollections.com
City Goddess/Goddiva/ Goddiva plus T: 0044 208 597 2744 E: sales@citygoddess.co.uk W: www.citygoddess.co.uk
Double H Agency Brands: Eden Park , St James . Contact: Marc Querol Linkedin - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram W: www.doublehagency.com T: 02034326387
Extravagance Brands: Sarah Pacini, Thanny, Caraclan, Marco Moreo shoes Contact: Nazma Chaudhry T: 07881 622 888 E: nazmachaudhry@gmail.com W: www.sarahpacini.com W: www.ny77design.com
From My Mothers Garden Contact name Penny Callaghan T: 07825 148040 / 01308 426517 E: info@frommymothersgarden.co.uk W: www.frommymothersgarden.co.uk Joseph Ribkoff Contact: Mark Rowe London showroom: by appointment only 1st floor, 40-41 great castle street, london w1w 8lu Jrdl uk ltd Addlepool business centre, clyst st george, exeter, devon ex3 0nr T: 01392- 876390 Partners In Fashion (2019) LTD Brands: Erfo – Franks Walder – Just White – Kris Fashion – Lecomte -Manisa -Maria Villalobos – Marina V – Relaxed by Toni – Toni 35 Percy Street London W1T 2DQ Contact: Cathy Vandeputte T: 020 7636 4207 E: cathy.vandeputte@ partnersinfashion.co.uk W: www.partnersinfashion.com
Pomodoro Contact : Noreen and Hemant E: info@pomodoroclothing.com W: pomodoroclothing.com T: 0208 961 4000
Leap N Link Ltd Brands: Pause Café , Fuego Woma – Oliver Philips – Bleu d’Azur Contact : Pierre & Bhavna T: 0161 713 1803 E: info@leapnlink.co.uk W:www.leapnlink.co.uk
Lily & Me Amari Designs Ltd, Unit 15, Gabwell Business Park, Quadrant Distribution Centre, Hardwicke, Gloucester, GL2 2JH T: 01566 779477 / 01566 772121 E: enquiries@lilyandmeclothing. com info@lilyandmeclothing.com W: www.lilyandmeclothing.com
MDA INTERNATIONAL Brands: Blueberry, Mama B, Mes Soeurs Et Moi, Kedziorek, Thing, Papucei, Baci & Amici. E: office@mdainternational.co.uk T: General: 020 7971 1084 Hannah: 07813925975 W: www.mdainternational.co.uk Instagram: mdainternational
Nomads 9 Western Road, Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 7AR Contact: Shallon and Jo T:01566 777 338 E:info@nomadsclothing.co.uk W: www.nomadsclothing.com
Olivia Darcy Luxury Womenswear , designed and made in Yorkshire E: info@oliviadarcy.co.uk W: www.oliviadarcy.co.uk/ Sally Dawes Agency Brands: ESTHEME CASHMERE, SFIZIO, INDIES, BLEU BLANC ROUGE, PRET POUR PARTIR T: 0776 997 03 87 E: sally@sallydawes.com W: www.sallydawes.com
Tate Fashions Brands: Lizabella, I.nco, Ella Boo, Bella Premium & Gracie B E: tatefashions@hotmail.com T: 07712398549 01132459064
Tempest Designs Brand names: Sarah Tempest Fashion Jewellery, Handbags & Accessories Contact: Michael Webster T: 01656 842102 E: enquiries @tempestdesigns.co.uk W: www.tempestdesigns.co.uk
Tor Fashion Brands: Cream, Frank Lyman, Orientique, Tirelli, Condici, Ispirato, MOKE T: 07855 481651 E: info@torfashion.co.uk W: www.torfashion.co.uk Instagram: torfashionltd
BOUTIQUE STAR AWARDS 2022 SHORTLIST
RETAILERS
Womenswear Independent of the Year Biscuit Clothing and Living DJV Boutique Dressed by Dee Gemini Woman Iris and Violet Kitty Brown Simply Devine Stick and Ribbon
Independent Group of the Year Biscuit Clothing and Living Iris and Violet Sassy and Boo The Pantry Underwear
Creative VM Independent of the Year Dressed by Dee Sassy and Boo The Pantry Underwear Velvet Ladieswear
Social Media Strategy of the Year Chloe James Lifestyle Gemini Woman The Pantry Underwear Maisie K New Independent Retailer of the Year Cuckoo Evie Black Occasionwear Moo and Boom
SUPPLIERS
Sustainable Brand of the Year Aspiga By basics Capri London Jianhui London Naeco Nesavaali No One True Anything Nudea
British Brand of the Year Capri London Chalk UK From My Mother’s Garden Luella Miss Milly Pomodoro The Bamboo Wardrobe
International Brand of the Year Caprice Carla Ruiz Foil Jianhui London Orientique Fashion Distributor of the Year Capri London Carol C Tate Fashion
Ocassionwear Brand of the Year Carla Ruiz Gill Harvey Lizabella Olivia Darcy
Accessories/ Footwear Brand of the Year Caprice LIOU Miss Milly Scream Pretty Simply Devine
NOMINATIONS
Lifetime Achievement To be announced during winners’ party
Newcomer To be announced during winners’ party
Outstanding Business To be announced during winners’ party
