INSIDE: Frontline Turns 90! A sad loss for our Frontline Family Member & Supplier Insights Ways Frontline can help your Business
CHRISTMAS 2021
IN THIS ISSUE: Frontline Milestones P.4 Member Insights
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CEO UPDATE Darren Lee (L), Glen McLeod (R)
Supplier Insights
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Frontline co-CEO’S
What a change a few weeks can make.
Digital Success FAB-Event Preview
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For the Melbourne-based Frontline Head Office team, we know all too well about the impact of lockdowns on our business, family, and personal lives. We continue to be in awe of the resilience of our independent Member retailers, Suppliers and staff after nearly 2 years of unprecedented challenges that were thrown towards us all. For the first time in a very long time, we have every retailer in every state finally open to trade at the same time again. We are very cautiously enthusiastic about the prospect that we can now remain open without any future lockdowns across the country again allowing you, our Member, to continue to rebuild and thrive as retailers. Thankfully, as we enter the Christmas season, we can all once again visit family and friends; and our independent Member retailers across Australia are back doing what they do best – providing wanted brands and niche items to their communities with outstanding personal service. And speaking of communities and meeting people, we can’t wait to finally host another edition of the Frontline Australia Buying Event (FABE) on February 6th & 7th 2022 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre after a forced 2-year hiatus, along-side the Melbourne Gift & Lifestyle Fair. Despite having delivered eFABE as an alternative option during the COVID-19 lockdowns, these simply can’t compare with meeting in person and having the ability to touch & feel product, while chatting to our knowledgeable and passionate Suppliers.
For More Information You Can Always Contact Us. Level 1, 210 Canterbury Road, Canterbury VIC 3126 tel: 03 9888 5766 | fax: 03 9888 5522 2
We are fast approaching a fully sold-out event with in excess of 100 suppliers stands and we hope to see you at the MCEC in February! For now though, we wish all our Members, Suppliers, and business partners a safe and happy festive season in the company of family & friends. It will be a special one.
Merry Christmas on behalf of the Frontline team!
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Vale – Bill Van Ast
“a real genuine and compassionate person who will be so sadly missed by those who knew him.”
It is with deep sadness we report the passing of Bill Van Ast on Tuesday 23rd November 2021. Bill first joined Frontline in 1980 and was a Frontline Member for just on 38 years when he retired in January 2018. Bill owned and operated a retail institution in Geraldton called Bennetts, which was a powerhouse department store in the town. During that period, Bill served as a Director of Frontline on two separate occasions totalling over 19 years, from July 1996 – May 2008 and again from September 2009 – February 2016. He served as Chairman of Frontline, a position he held with great poise and dignity for just under 5 years during the period from September 2011 to August 2016.
Bill was a great mentor to many including many of today’s Directors, and he always had a calming, broad and strong passion for both the Members and staff of Frontline alike. On a number of occasions he stood strong as a Director in absolute determination against fellow Directors, demanding decisions of the Board of the day to place the Members and staff first - a legacy he really helped shape, and the essence of what makes Frontline special. This remains as strong as ever today. Many of you will know and remember Bill and his wife Penny at our trade shows as he was always happy when he met new and old Members at the event and was usually larger than life when gathering socially after a day’s work.
Bill’s private passion among many, was flying. Bill upon obtaining his pilot’s licence, would fly as often as he possibly could and would always find a good excuse to justify going for a flight. Even after retiring, Bill would still regularly contact many staff and existing Directors to check in on the individual first to make sure they and their families were going ok, and then check in on how the Frontline group and its Members were going - a real genuine and compassionate person who will be so sadly missed by those who knew him. We would like to pass on our deepest condolences to Penny, his children Justin and Cam, and their families. He will be deeply missed.
FrontLine UPFRONT | CHRISTMAS 2021
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Frontline Stores Australia Limited Head Office, Canterbury, VIC
HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY FRONTLINE STORES In September this year Frontline Stores celebrated its 90th birthday. Therefore, we would like to share the history of how our Group was founded.
Members. Prior to this time, promotional merchandise had been obtained through local Australian manufacturers and importers.
In 1931 four Victorian Country Merchants banded together to form Newtorian Merchants Pty Ltd.
As a result of this, Newtorian Merchants was regarded as an importer, therefore it was decided that a new body be created, Quantity Merchandise Buyers Pty Ltd (QMB). The basic philosophy of this company was different in that it extended the membership base to include specialty stores such as Menswear, Ladieswear & Manchester. It created purchasing relationships between Members and Suppliers, which resulted in preferential discounts to Member stores for bulk buys of merchandise. These relationships resulted in the term “Preferred Suppliers”, which we use today.
The four founders of the Group were WJ Gorman (Yarrawonga), WJ Bowring (Mildura), GM Hawthorne (Kerang) and FAJ Langlands (Horsham). They appointed Hartley & Turner in Moorabbin to be the managing agents, which would last until 1984. The ensuing 30 years from 1931 to 1961, were to see the membership grow from 4 to 27, with the Group’s makeup continuing to be dominated by Victorian country stores. As the stores were predominantly departmental, the activities of Newtorian Merchants revolved around promotional merchandise and catalogues, together with negotiation on behalf of members for “special best buy items”. The years from 1962 to 1974 saw the Group expand into other states, with a total membership in 1974 of 41. From late 1974 the direction of the Group began to change, with Newtorian Merchants becoming involved in importing to provide exclusive promotional merchandise for its
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Toward the end of 1984 membership participation and growth continued in both companies. However, the retail mergers and takeovers which had begun in earnest in 1982, started to erode the importance of the importing function, together with the membership base of Newtorian Merchants. Despite these setbacks, by late 1984 the Group had an involvement with some 190 stores. With the move in the membership base away from departmental stores, and the subsequent declining relevance of
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importing, there was an opportunity to create an independently run group. In what were very uncertain times, the Directors seized that opportunity and through the sale of import quotas, raised sufficient capital to finance an operation independent of Hartley & Turner. In order to protect all parties, it was decided that both Newtorian Merchants & QMB would be incorporated in a new company, thus Frontline Stores Pty Ltd was formed. The company began operation at its premises in Hartwell in January 1985. From 1985, the membership and turnover of Frontline Stores continued to grow beyond all expectations. The Association of many hundreds of retailers had established itself as a major buying force. In 1986 it became clear that the continued operation of three companies, Newtorian Merchants, QMB and Frontline Stores Pty Ltd was unduly cumbersome and expensive to maintain. Therefore, the Directors decided to create a new company Frontline Stores Australia Limited and liquidate the other three companies. We continue to serve members and suppliers from our current premises in Canterbury, where our membership numbers are over 600.
Million Dollar Club
“It is our business to make your business succeed.” MILLION DOLLAR CLUB CAROLINE K MORGAN
Frontline Stores welcomes CAROLINE K MORGAN to our MILLION DOLLAR CLUB!
We wish to congratulate Raja, Shankar and the team from Caroline K Morgan for their ongoing support to our Frontline Members. Joining Frontline as a Preferred Supplier in 2004, we have watched as their sales have increased over the years. Being part of the MILLION-DOLLAR CLUB is a remarkable achievement, particularly as they supply all states except WA (due to a long-standing relationship they have with their WA distributor). CKM believe in innovation, ongoing research & development – and staying on trend with the latest fashions, while upholding ethical practices. Over the next 3 years CKM are moving towards becoming a sustainable wholesaler. Their primary focus is “to adopt repurposing practices and the use of recycled fabrication. We ensure that all our paper and cardboard waste from all our offices, warehouses and distribution centres is recycled. At CKM, we have completely eliminated the use of hard plastics and all non-recyclable packaging materials throughout our supply chain and are working towards becoming 100% plastic free and reducing carbon footprint.” You can rest assured that this fashion house is doing
their part to be further environmentally conscious and sound. CKM are known for building exceptional customer relationships and a trusted trade partner (which many of you would attest to). Specialists in denim, knitwear, vegan leather and loungewear; bringing the catwalk & highstreet looks to the everyday consumer at a fraction of the price; targeting the savvy 18-50 yearold. At the height of winter, you can trust CKM for the most on trend shapes in knitwear in the warmest & softest yarns, in the latest colours of course! Team these back with denim, joggers, leggings or jeggings. Not to mention dresses, skirts, pants and tops in winter hues, with jackets to layer.
CKM are also great supporters of our FAB-Events, always in attendance and with a very busy stand. They will be exhibiting again at the upcoming February 2022 FAB-Event – so make sure you stop in and say hello as you peruse and buy from their ranges. Being local for the last 43 years, they have established a family of stockists across Australia and beyond. Their local team provides friendly assistance and expertise in design, sourcing, fabrication, packaging, and delivery, in additional to their white label services tailored to meet your business goals. At the core, their ethos is “it is our business to make your business succeed.”
In summer, the ranges consist of very vast shapes, bright prints & flowing fabrics; dresses and skirts in varying lengths (maxis, midi and mini), jumpsuits, play suits, and prints to mimic the brightness and lightness of the season, along with their staple, denim. A fabulous point of difference, is the Reversible Denim range and Hand Loomed Linen range (made in Italy). Because who wouldn’t love to make the most of their clothing! With a curated range of reversible denim pants, skirts and jackets, your customer can now get both looks – staple and statement with just one piece!
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Member Insight
“The opportunity to build a business from the ground up – and succeeding has been very rewarding” NEW MEMBER
GH Clothing, Murgon QLD When Target announced the imminent closure of their Murgon branch late last year, it sent uncertainty around the township. Set in southeast Queensland between Gympie and Kingaroy, and 3 ½ hours from Brisbane, the population of around 2500 ( 5000 in vicinity ) feared not only for the loss of jobs, but that business would be lost to neighbouring towns. They needed a plan. The Graham House Community Centre stepped in and rose to the challenge. As a not-for-profit charity organisation that strives to serve their community, they wanted to invest in a project, and at a board meeting, decided to investigate the opportunity. The local council were also very supportive. The concept was to open a store to service the township, employ locals and channel the profits back into the community via Graham House. Following a Google search, a professional mentor was found, who put together a business plan. It was during his work that Frontline was discovered and became part of the framework. In mid-August, GH Clothing became Members of Frontline, and were then able to start sourcing and purchasing stock for the opening via our Preferred Supplier network.
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By this stage, all the ex-Target staff had moved on to other employment, so the search began for a Store Manager and 4 other supporting staff. With a background in hospitality and retail, Kristy was first to come on board. She was keen to develop her skills and work for a business with “heart and soul behind it – something that meant something and helped others”.
encouraged by the enthusiasm and feedback. We want our community to have a say.” For Kristy, the “opportunity to build a business from the ground up – and succeeding has been very rewarding”. Welcome to Frontline, and we wish GH Clothing a very successful future!
Over the following months, the site was developed, and stock was bought. It had to be at the right price points, and not conflict with existing businesses in town. (They were consulted as part of the development). The overall offering was to be affordable mens, womens and kids apparel and footwear – under $60 retail. This would cater to the lower socio-economic residents, the farming and indigenous communities. After a soft opening mid-November, the Grand Opening of the 250 square metre store was on Saturday 20th November, which featured broadcasts by the local radio station, ribbon cutting by town Mayor, and a competition for a gift voucher. Initial sales expectations have been exceeded, due to curiosity and support, and more stock is frantically being sought. Graham House Manager, Christelle says “the support from the community has been so positive! We have been
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Store Opening Ribbon Cutting
Kristy (L), Michelle (R)
Member Insight
“Their business model is based around the idea to give back to the community by providing opportunity, flexibility, and a safe environment for working mothers.” Angeline, Ine & Janine
CREATED BY WOMEN WITH PASSION Mega Boutique, Notting Hill VIC
The formula has obviously been working over the past 5 years, growing over 60% a year.
Janine, Ine & Angeline not only share a close connection through family, but also a common passion for cooking and circumstance as ‘home- based’ mums.
During this time Mega Boutique has moved from a garage to a self -storage and is now in its second warehouse and with over 4500 different SKU’s (and growing).
Mega Boutique became their ‘brainchild’ with the input & support of their IT trained husbands to create a strong and successful on-line homewares business.
With goals to grow the categories of Homewares, Kitchenware, Home Décor & Manchester they plan to move again in the future!
Their concept grew from difficulties they faced returning to the workforce after children and is built around a philosophy of providing a flexible work environment for working mothers.
While they rely on advertising through Google AdWords and social media, they believe the key to any retail business is word of mouth from offering good service.
Their business model is based around the idea to give back to the community by providing opportunity, flexibility, and a safe environment for working mothers.
They use their ‘bricks and mortar’ store on the premises to showcase the products for customers who prefer to feel & touch the products as well as ‘click & collect’.
The business currently employs 7 staff including Janine in Accounting & Customer Service, Ine as Product Manager and Angeline handling Purchasing. Their vision for Mega Boutique is to develop a one stop shop for all the home needs using modern technology, combined with good old fashioned customer service, treating their customers with respect & familiarity.
Anything not on display can be accessed from the warehouse for customers to see and products on display are rotated regularly to keep it fresh. The team love sharing their passion with their customers whether it be in the showroom or on the phone. Like every business, they also have their challenges and while the business
has grown significantly through COVID, it has also created issues with stock availability, slow deliveries & customer claims for items not received. Growth has also put pressure on space issues and staff requirements. There has also been a sharp increase in credit card fraud which they have overcome by implementing AI assisted automatic checks together with a manual checking system. Being a Frontline member has had huge benefits to the business during this time including the ease of paying 1 bill each month, providing new supplier opportunities across categories and the ease of setting up new trading accounts. They have been working closely with the team at Frontline including Sharon & Rachel in Home Living and really appreciate their ongoing support and guidance. “They are amazing to work with”. It’s clear to see that the friendship & respect shared by the Mega Boutique family, together with their industry passion and enthusiasm provides an exciting recipe for success now and in the future! We look forward to being part of their journey ahead.
FrontLine UPFRONT | CHRISTMAS 2021
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Member Insight
June & Shane Mills
SLEEP DOCTOR Echuca, VIC
We recently spoke with Shane about his journey as a retailer – the changes, challenges and successes….
How and when did you enter the retail world and when did you join the Sleep Doctor group? We first entered the retail world in early 1987, retailing floorcoverings. We had been in the floorcovering business for almost 10 years before we decided to start our own business. We purchased the local furniture store in Cohuna in 1992, and this kickstarted our time in the furniture and bedding industry. We owned multiple stores in the area before settling in Echuca. After a two-year break and much research, we joined the Sleep Doctor group in 2010.
What have been some of your biggest challenges so far in retail, and how have you overcome them? Every day is a challenge in the retail industry – we are ALWAYS learning! When we bought our first business, fax machines didn’t even exist! Technology is forever evolving. We have seen some big changes with the way customers shop these days they have more knowledge, and do a lot more research prior to buying. GST has also created a lot more work, with all the changes from the government.
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How has your business evolved over the years to keep up with retail trends and challenges? One of the biggest challenges would have to be staying on top of our website, with product and pricing, as there seems to be a lot more price increases from suppliers. Then there’s new and discontinued product, which needs to be maintained – on top of the actual retail floor.
Has COVID-19 changed the way you run your business? With the COVID-19 shutdowns, there has been a big movement towards online research and shopping. We are in the process of further developing our website. In the long-term, we are looking forward to our customers coming back into store as that is a big part of our customer experience.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic Has Frontline helped you in any affected your business? way during these times? It, like most retail, has had a negative impact. Sleep Doctor has been closed throughout the lockdowns - as per government requirements.
Frontline have been present during these times, offering care and assistance. Thankfully we’ve required no additional support than this.
Being a border town, and facing varying state restrictions, there are some additional challenges we are continuing to face.
What are you most proud of with your business?
COVID-19 is also affecting our supply - obviously imports are being hugely impacted. Some overseas manufacturers have been closed for months, and this has created some long lead time for customer orders. The only positive from this is that the local manufacturers should grow from it.
It’s also great to have customers who have followed us from business to business.
Fortunately though, mobility and home care are a growing part of our business. During the pandemic and its lockdowns, this part of the business is deemed essential. This has allowed us to remain partially open to service those customers in need. For this side of our business, we have been very grateful.
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Longevity. We’re proud to have been in business for so long.
What’s your goal for the future of Sleep Doctor Echuca? Prior to the last lockdown, an opportunity arose to expand our business floor space, and double our street frontage. We have been able to work on the expanded fit-out through most of the lockdowns. Apart from the new signage and a few more products, the expansion is almost complete. We now look forward to welcoming our customers back to the updated store. Shane & June Mills Owners of Sleep Doctor Echuca
Supplier Insight
“Sustainability is important to SHINY so in 2016/2017 SHINY commitment to programs that benefit the environment, improves working conditions and saves on expenses.” SHINY
Eventually SHINY outgrew our Collingwood premises so in 2003 FAIRFIELD, VIC SHINY moved to a much larger SHINY began in 1993 as a small complex in Fairfield where we embroidery decorator business in remain today. Over the following humble premises in Abbotsford years in these premises there have with 1 second-hand computerised been many improvements in the embroidery machine and 3 staff. original building and equipment With the passion for the best and including the acquisition of a large the motto of “God is our guide” building backing our site which we provided quality embroidery gave us the expansion to establish at realistic prices, and we put our our substantial warehouse. Today customers first by delivering what we have a facility that covers we promised when we promised. 20,0000m2 and employs 121 staff As the business increased so in Victoria and 160 staff nationally. did the need for larger premises We currently have 48 computerised and SHINY relocated to a larger embroidery machines with complex in Collingwood during 700 embroidery heads and 4 1999. As the embroidery business screen printing machines in our and our customer numbers grew, Melbourne complex and we also our customer feedback indicated have additional computerised the customer benefits for SHINY embroidery machines and screen to provide the product and the printing machines in our interstate embroidery combined saving time facilities. SHINY now have 4500 and money with a one stop service. distributors throughout Australia SHINY began to import apparel and export products to Pacific to decorate in-house offering the countries including New Zealand complete solution for customer and New Caledonia. The journey needs for quick turnaround time over the past 28 years has seen in a growing industry. Since then SHINY gather substantial market SHINY has continued to grow share and SHINY are now one of and is now the largest embroidery the top three suppliers within our company in Australia and the industry. southern Hemisphere. FRONTLINE STORES AUSTRALIA
LTD and SHINY have a long term partnership which continues today and growing, so we are pleased to be an exhibitor at the 2022 FAB EVENT to showcase our products and services! Sustainability is important to SHINY so in 2016/2017 SHINY committed to programs that benefits the environment, improves working conditions and saves on expenses. 1. SHINY upgraded to energy efficient LED lighting in 2016 · (1043) lamps installed · Annual energy saving (kWh) (357,916) · Carbon abatement (kg) (357,916) · Up to (90%) less heat in work areas and reducing cooling needs. · Glare reduction in work areas 2. Solar was installed onto our existing roof area in 2017. · Size 93.15kWp Solar PV System · Panel numbers: 345 Jinko panels. · Considerable reduction with dependability on regular energy sourcing.
FrontLine UPFRONT | CHRISTMAS 2021
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Supplier Insight
NEW RANGE FROM EXPEDITION APPAREL Liverpool Football Club
In August, Expedition Apparel expanded their already large menswear casual and tailoredwear range to include licensed product under the Liverpool Football Club brand. This coincides with the 130th anniversary of the club in 2022. One of the most iconic and successful English football clubs in history, founded in 1892, LFC are the most followed club in the Premier League. They have 2 million followers in Australia/New Zealand, including 461,000 on various social media. With a design and manufacture license, Expedition created an initial mens winter range for 2022, consisting of 20
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pieces. Retail price points start at $39 for selected printed tees, and go up to $140 for puffer jackets. All pieces are available in sizes S to 4XL, and cater for a relaxed lifestyle. Supporters can choose between either subtle or boldly branded designs, made from quality-weight fabrics, prints and trims. The reception to this initial range has given way to a second range for Spring/Summer 2022, which will premiere at the upcoming FAB-Event in February. Please join us and be part of the world greatest football family….”You’ll never walk alone” For product queries, please contact: (03) 9388 0817.
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Supplier Insight
UNIT 2022 will mark 20 years of UNIT, solidifying it as one of Australia’s most recognised and enduring lifestyle brands in an everchanging landscape. Built on a foundation of art and action sports, UNIT has kept its design DNA at the centre of its path of progress. It is this direction that has kept the brand engaged with its core fans and followers from its earlier days, while allowing it to set its sights on how the brand will continue to grow in the future. Distinct and original artwork and design stories continue to set the brand apart from the rest. Every concept is created from scratch, designed specifically with the Australian market in mind, whether it be for kids, youth, mens or ladies. The design process ensures the brand is aligned with fashion trends within its own scope and direction. With its ability to adapt to changes in the fashion landscape, UNIT is also in the unique position where it is effectively introducing a ‘new generation’ to the brand.
Many of its original core fans and followers are now starting their own families and are being constantly delighted by the range and quality of the ever-expanding kids and youth ranges. The last few years have seen UNIT expand its ranges in technical riding gear and add the categories of sport and activewear. This focus on creating core, functional products with a renowned level of quality specifically for the Australian market has been met with a strong response from fans and followers. By adding apparel and accessories for active lifestyles and working out alongside an already extensive range of casual products (along with technical riding gear and workwear) UNIT is reaching a greater audience than ever before. And during this growth the commitment to excellence and quality has only strengthened. The brand continues to build on its strong support of Australian retail, determined to deliver an equally exceptional level of service and brand experience to every door that stocks its products.
FrontLine UPFRONT | CHRISTMAS 2021
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Digital Success
STEWART’S MENSWEAR Mullumbimby. NSW stewartsmenswear.com.au
Give us an overview of your store, location and brief history? We are located in Mullumbimby, which is part of the Byron Shire on the Far North Coast of NSW. Stewarts Mercery was established in 1929 by Norman Stewart who was married to Audrey Barrett (the owner of the shop building). The original menswear store also housed a billiards parlour and a barber shop. There was a change of ownership at one time to the owner of the billiards parlour, but Norman Stewart became the owner again in 1937 during the War. Norman’s only son Tom Stewart and his wife Jean took over the business in 1955. Interestingly Jean was the daughter of F.I. Ward, the owner of the F.I. Ward Emporium next door. Freehold to the property was passed to Tom in 1968 and the name was modernised to Stewart’s Menswear in 1980 when one of their sons, Bill Stewart took over the family business. We bought the business from Bill (who was a member of Frontline Stores) when he retired in 2004. Gerard had worked for the Stewart family for 25 years and now has over 40 years’ experience in the menswear retail trade. We were both born and raised in Mullumbimby, we love our community and it is a privilege to continue the tradition of local family ownership. We continue to offer the same friendly, personalised service that our locals have come to know and appreciate.
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Give us brief highlights of your current business and challenges? Staying competitive with current price inflations due to increases in the price of raw materials and shipping from overseas. There also comes with this, delays in the receipt of stock. Customer expectations are constantly evolving. With the internet at their fingertips 24/7, they are more informed than ever on products and comparison prices etc. In our local area, there has been a real estate boom, with many city dwellers moving to the country. They bring with them a sense of urgency and a different expectation of service which can be particularly challenging in our once laid-back town. Because of the lockdowns, people are simply buying the basics, there is no need for any going out or more formal attire, so fashion ranges have been slow to move. Who knew flannelette shirts would be the biggest seller of 2021!! The uncertainty of COVID-19 lockdowns has been a huge challenge this past few months. Last year during COVID-19, any business that was able to open was deemed essential, so although we had a downturn, there was little actual business interruption. As we are now on the “non-essential” list, when there is a lockdown, we are not able to physically open the store. A series of open/shut/open/shut is the biggest challenge we have faced this year. The looming restrictions on those who are unvaccinated entering nonessential business is a real concern
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right now. We are not sure how this will unfold for small businesses such as ours who do not have the manpower to police the store entrance.
What are your thoughts on your current industry and where it is headed? Although we are seeing statistics of high e-commerce use by consumers, there is still very much a place for bricks and mortar stores, particularly independent stores like those in the Frontline membership base. Our number one demographic is aged 45+, they prefer to shop in person rather than on-line. Even during lockdown, we have found that this age group prefers to phone through, have a chat and place their order. Even if an order is eventually placed on-line, they usually initiate social media contact or a phone conversation first. We have many day trippers from the Gold Coast and Brisbane who prefer to shop in our type of store where they are likely to find something different to the clothing found in the shopping mall chain stores. Obviously, the QLD border closure has had a large impact on this demographic for us. We have changed the way we buy, choosing those suppliers who have stock service lines that we can fill in as necessary, so we are able to do smaller orders more often. People still like to look, feel, and try on their clothing. Even as a retailer this is true! Missing out on the Frontline Buying Events can give retailers a lack of confidence in buying new, unseen ranges.
Digital Success
From a digital/online perspective what do you do that has helped your business grow? Where do I start? In January 2020, I started studying a Certificate IV in Bookkeeping and Accounting, the first study I had undertaken since leaving school in 1980!! I absolutely loved it and when COVID-19 hit in March, I resigned from my part time job to work ON our business rather than simply IN it. I undertook a Statement of Attainment in Digital Solutions for Sole Traders and Small Business Operators through TAFE NSW, together with several other free courses through Business NSW. I did a two-day course on Branding and Canva with our local adult education facility, Byron Community College and went on to do some paid courses with the teacher of that course through her personal business, Hello Media in Bangalow. We received a Digital Marketing Grant from the NSW Government during 2020 and used it to have the Frontline digital team set up an e-commerce store for us which became live in October 2020. I am now working full time on our business doing the bookkeeping, managing our Facebook and Instagram pages, email marketing and maintaining our e-commerce store. We try to be entertaining and informative on our social pages rather than just trying to sell all the time and we are attracting followers who are engaged and interested in our socials. I continue to do group coaching with
Hello Media and keep my eye out for any other free webinars being offered. Due to COVID-19, there are many available through government and Industry groups right now.
What advice would you give to other retailers who are looking to improve their business by utilising the online space?
How have your digital efforts helped you during COVID-19?
Get your branding sorted first. Not just your logo, but your colours and voice as well, so that all platforms share a cohesive look and feel - a look that customers will know and recognise at a glance. Carry this branding over to the packaging of your on-line orders, including a branded handwritten thank you note and stickers to seal your package. Make package opening a pleasant experience!!
The cohesive look and feel of our social pages together with our website have increased our visibility in the on-line space. We are able to use our socials to drive traffic to our website by including links to blog posts and lead magnets, adding value for our customers, not just selling to them. It has given us a platform to share information to a large audience without the expense of advertising in print media. Ultimately, people buy from people so we include regular posts about ourselves, the story of Stewart’s Menswear and the history of Mullumbimby. The engagement on those posts is phenomenal compared with product posts. We are so glad we had our website put in place well before these latest lockdowns, enabling us to iron out any hiccups with regular customers who were happy to be our on-line guinea pigs. Although our results were well down on previous years, we were able to drive reasonable sales through our website in the lead-up to Father’s Day. As our store was physically closed, we were able to give our time to providing extra service such as gift wrapping and home delivery, which resulted in satisfied customers leaving some valuable reviews on Google and Facebook.
Encourage your customers to leave a Google or Facebook review which you can then share on your socials and publish on your website. People trust what other people have to say!! Make sure you have an email signup form on your website and actively grow your email list. Your email list is the most direct way to communicate with your customer base and unlike your social pages, it belongs wholly to you. My number one tip is naming every single photo on your website and social pages for SEO. It’s a great feeling when you do a Google search for images and a page of photos from your website and socials pop up in Google with direct links straight to your page!! It does take a minute or two, but if you start from the beginning you will never need to “go back” and do it all again. Your e-commerce store really is entirely a whole other business, not just a side hustle!!
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Digital Success
babygoodswarehouse.com.au
BABY GOODS WAREHOUSE
Mornington, VIC babygoodswarehouse.com.au
Give us an overview of your store, location and brief history? Baby Goods Warehouse is located in Mornington, Vic. The store is approx. 500 sq metres and located in more of an industrial area rather than in a shopping centre or strip shopping centre, so we are really a destination shop. I bought the store in 2008 and have quadrupled the turnover over the last 13 yrs, mainly by listening to customers and offering great service.
What are some highlights of your current business and challenges? COVID-19, and many lockdowns, has certainly challenged the majority of businesses, and we are no exception. The 5 km and 10 km limit distances have made trade very difficult, being on the Mornington Peninsula and not in the city limits. Competing with our biggest competitor is also challenging as we cannot compete with their freight charges. I try to carry products that are different and not available in all stores to give us a point of difference.
How have your digital efforts helped you during COVID-19? Luckily, the baby industry is ongoing and customers still like to ‘touch & feel’ when choosing certain products.
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We need to continue to grow the business, and this is being done through our website and with the help of the great Digital Team at Frontline Stores.
What advice would you give to other retailers who are looking to improve their business by utilising the online space?
Alex has worked with us for several years now and we are still a work ‘in progress’.
If you don’t have a website you will not survive in the future – contact Alex and team at Frontline Stores and let them advise and assist in helping your business grow to its full potential.
I think our store has challenged Alex and his team at times, as we have such a diverse range of products in all shapes and sizes, but they have been outstanding in their support and assistance. Shipping is probably our biggest issue and we have solved many problems over the last couple of years. We have approx. 4500 products on our website and this is constantly changing with new products, colours, sizes etc. We know people tend to browse online before shopping, and it is imperative to have as much on our website as possible. It has been challenging over the last year as with lockdowns we have had to reduce staff.
Utilise your Frontline membership and take advantage of their services and great pricing. I had a previous website that was hacked and therefore lost everything that was on that webstore, and the help from Frontline to rebuild and start fresh has been outstanding. They take the time to explain everything and make it easy enough for you to navigate and virtually run your webstore yourself, and they are only an email away if you need help.
Sometimes it is hard to get products on the website quickly enough, but it is rewarding when you enter a new product and see sales almost immediately. Learning how to offer codes and discounts and other marketing incentives is also rewarding when results start to roll in. We are currently running Google Ads on a certain product range and the results have helped keep our business growing We are currently looking at changes to the layout of our webstore to keep it fresh and user-friendly.
www.frontlinecentral.com.au
Get Online Now!
FrontLine Digital now offers digital marketing. Available for all members with a Shopify Online Store.
WHAT YOU GET for $499* per month: We’ll set up email marketing and automations using This will help with gathering data Klaviyo. on your website performance Klaviyo (paid service) works and marketing efforts. beautifully with Shopify to We’ll link your eCommerce capture and communicate with store to Google Shopping. your audience via email. This will allow us to run product We’ll send 1 email campaign to ads on the Google search your audience each week. network. If you provide us the information, We’ll add your site to Google we can send an email campaign Search console. to your audience each week. You This will help us assess your can also send as many as you keyword ranking and search/site like yourself with our help. performance. We’ll set up relevant email We’ll set up a custom automations for you. dashboard and monthly These may include welcome reporting. emails, upsell emails, product This easy-to-read dashboard refill reminders and more. will show you sales data, We’ll set up and manage your demographic data, marketing Google Ads according to your performance and more, budget. We’ll set up Google Analytics.
Paid Google ads are one of the best ways to generate sales. We will setup and optimise your campaigns, improving them over time to try and get you the best possible ROI. We’ll make frequent suggestions and updates to your site to improve performance. This may include additional app suggestions, resolving small issues or helping with theme updates, site speed suggestions and more. We’ll have screensharing sessions with you to keep you updated and help with your ongoing website improvement. Our assistance will come with regular touch points to help you understand your site better and to work with you to continue to improve your online performance.
If you’re interested, please call Frontline or email
webhelp@frontlinestores.com.au with your store information and contact details and we will get in touch to discuss. *excludes additional marketing, third party costs and GST. Service is subject to FrontLine’s eCommerce Terms and Conditions.
FrontLine UPFRONT | CHRISTMAS 2021
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30 Year Celebration!
Craig (L), Hugh (R)
SOLEMATE SOFTWARE 30 years of success & growing proudly Australian Software for the Retail & Wholesale industries
As a premium point of sale software provider for 30 years, SoleMate Software prides themselves on the quality of their software and 24/7 service. This is reflected in the quality of their longstanding clients across Australia and some based internationally. Client for a decade, Evans Shoes has seen success using SoleMate’s software and service, and it can be done remotely. However, CEO and owner, Craig Cookesley keeps his finger on the pulse by personally visiting clients across the country to ensure he can adapt the software and team to clients’ needs. This has been the key to SoleMate’s longevity and ever-growing client base. Success for Evans Shoes from SoleMate’s software has been mainly across:
Evans Shoes management are based in Echuca and the set up and management is mostly done remotely, with SoleMate team members in the Melbourne office. Hugh Evans, co-owner of Evans Shoes says, “With SoleMate Software we have continued our brand integrity as we have seamless inventory control, saving us time, so we are able to fill orders efficiently in store and online. As a business owner, I appreciate having up to 80 financial reports and links to our accounting package, as well as adaption to Xero”. “With SoleMate we also know accurately our inventory across stores, including our online store. This saves us time and inventory costs, as well as the ability to meet our consumer needs and desires”. Proudly family owned and committed to their identity as a high quality Australian operator, like SoleMate, working together with Evans Shoes has meant both organisations have benefitted.
• Time efficiency, and
Part of the appeal of SoleMate’s point of sale software for Evans Shoes is the colour/size matrix, which enables Evans Shoes to easily distinguish between their models of footwear, allowing for efficient and effective stock handling.
• Inventory control, with visibility in store and online.
“SoleMate is really easy for everyone to use, whether we’re transferring stock
• eCommerce online store with 24/7 service,
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www.frontlinecentral.com.au
or selling online. It’s provided us with a really strong backbone”, Hugh confirms. Like SoleMate, Evans Shoes is an Australian business, which meant they were eager to use a supplier that’s committed to investing and supporting the local community. With a service team based entirely within Australia, SoleMate is readily disposed to collaborate with Evans Shoes and assist them with a true understanding of their business objectives and needs. This has been instrumental for the online side of the business. SoleMate has ensured seamless integrations to their online store with Shopify, and importantly to the warehouse. “SoleMate have been so supportive of customising our software in ways that will help to run our business better. It’s been really great to have that level of service and to be able to tailor their product to what our company needs, particularly in terms of updating their software in line with technological trends,” Hugh says. As Evans Shoes continue to expand into the future and strengthen their brand, SoleMate couldn’t be happier to work alongside them to help them provide their footwear to customers in country Australia.
Business Developement A Snapshot
the value that new members bring to Frontline in the form of increased Business Developement turnover with suppliers. Business Development at Frontline As with any form of recruiting new is responsible for helping grow our business, a case must be built member numbers by finding new for the potential new member to retail opportunities, researching understand the value proposition leads, establishing relationships Frontline is offering. In other with potential new members and words “what’s in it for me??” We presenting a solid case for joining have numerous tools available to the Frontline “family”. present this value proposition to the It can be stressful trying to develop prospect which include fact sheets, business opportunities – you are testimonials from current members, dealing with external and internal member services e.g. discounted challenges some of which can EFTPOS rates through selected end up out of your control. While banks, member benefit statements there’s plenty of satisfaction when using our preferred supplier things go right, the flipside is the discounts, Q&A brochures as frustration if things don’t go so well. well as verbal explanations of the In business development we benefits of Frontline membership. should be ready to accommodate While the benefits to the majority of all manner of change in order stores are very real there is always to achieve the best results. resistance in some form or another Every approval or disapproval till the prospect fully understands is a learning experience, better the “Frontline system” and how preparing us for the next challenge. their store will benefit directly. To attract new members to Probably the most common reason Frontline we use a number of for a potential prospect not to join methods to attract new “leads” is their inability to meet Frontline’s which include cold calling, direct payment terms. As we know mail, email bursts to our database Frontline depends on all stores of prospects, direct & indirect to pay the current outstanding advertising, current member account by the 25th of every month referrals (which are the most which in turn gives us the ability to powerful recruitment tool), supplier pay our preferred suppliers by the referrals (also a very powerful 30th of each month. method) & industry events e.g. New members often take a trade shows & expos. considerable amount of time, Even with all the electronic tools and multiple contacts, to make available for recruitment today a decision regarding Frontline still the most effective method membership with one store to source & recruit new stores is taking 7 years to join from the first to personally visit the potential point of contact!!!! We often have member to ascertain their suitability stores, mainly member referrals, for Frontline membership. With who join in quick time which once this comes the cost of travelling to again underlines the importance regional areas across Australia but and power of having our current this cost is easily balanced against members & suppliers recommend
our business to other retailers. It’s always extremely rewarding to have a prospect join after working hard through the recruitment process and then to have them praise our business and its many benefits and then take advantage of some of the extra member services we have available to give them even greater savings. It is important for Frontline to grow and attract new members to its ranks. We must be able to evolve, develop more relevant initiatives and provide our members with the tools they require to move their business forward in what is a challenging environment. We need to work together as a team to respond to a shopping culture that is constantly changing and evolving. Frontline is here for you, the members, but we need your feedback to keep our business model relevant and vibrant to cope with these ongoing challenges. For membership enquiries, please contact David Sharp M: 0429 897 776 E: davids@frontlinestores.com.au
FrontLine UPFRONT | CHRISTMAS 2021
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Retail Services
SNAPSHOT OF SOME OF THE RETAIL SERVICES AVAILABLE
Selection of taggers, tagger tails, label guns & labels.
Commercial pricing for online purchasing via B2B portal.
Discounted stationery & office products.
Fixtures, fittings, store fit outs & signage.
Large variety of bags & wrapping.
Stock up and get up to 3 months free from interest and repayments.
In store globes, fluorescents & lighting systems.
Point of sale software & hardware.
There are plenty more Retail Services available. For a full list, contact Kylie on:
kylie@frontlinestores.com.au or 03
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www.frontlinecentral.com.au
9888 5766
FABE Preview Confirmed Suppliers WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING EXHIBITORS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED SO FAR! HOME LIVING AUS ELEGANCE | 99 RUGS BAMBURY
RITEMATE WORKWEAR & PILBARA COLLECTION
VICEROY LINGERIE
SAINT RIVER
WORKWEAR
SKANDALE
CLASSIC QUILTS
BISLEY WORKWEAR
THE LAB OF DENIM
INTERFAB
FASHIONBIZ
THE TIE WORKS
JASON | OKAPARINGA
TRADITION COUNTRY CLOTHING
LINEN HOUSE
TRANSANZ
MAGNOLIA LOUNGE MARBRET TEXTILES SHEERTEX SHERIDAN | DUNLOPILLO TONTINE TRANSANZ WOOLSTAR MENSWEAR ACME MERCHANDISING | OLD GUYS RULE BAMBOOZLD | PUSSYFOOT SOCKS BERKELEY APPAREL BOULVANDRE
LISCENSED SOCKS & APPAREL AUSTRALIA RITEMATE WORKWEAR & PILBARA COLLECTION
UPBEAT FASHIONS
SHINY
LADIES
WORKWEAR GROUP
B FREE INTIMATE APPAREL
XAX APPAREL
BAMBOOZLD | PUSSYFOOT SOCKS
KIDS
BUCKLE
BAMBOOZLD | PUSSYFOOT SOCKS
CAROLINE K MORGAN
BOULVANDRE
CHERRYLANE
BUCKLE
ESSENCE LINGERIE
CHERRYLANE
FASH’N SPLASH
KINGSTON GRANGE BAMBOO CLOTHING
FELINA & CONTURELLE
LICENSED SOCKS AND APPAREL AUSTRALIA
JILLIAN, SPORTSWAVE & EMILY ADAMS
BROKEN TWILL
JB’S WEAR
UNIVERSE GROUP
HUMPHREY LAW SOCKS
BRIDGEPORT CLUB
WHISPERS AUSTRALIA
MEMASTER
KINGSTON GRANGE BAMBOO CLOTHING
SAINT RIVER
LICENSED SOCKS AND APPAREL AUSTRALIA
TRANSANZ UNIVERSE GROUP
MAGNOLIA LOUNGE
RETAIL SERVICES
NEW LONDON
BEE DEE BAGS
OLLA OH
COMMONWEALTH BANK
OUTBACK TRADING COMPANY
FRONTLINE STORES
RENOMA | MAGLIA | CALLAN
MOULA PAY
KINGSTON GRANGE BAMBOO CLOTHING
RITEMATE WORKWEAR & PILBARA COLLECTION
OFFICEWORKS
LICENSED SOCKS & APPAREL AUSTRALIA
SABENA FASHION GROUP
MANLY ASIA PACIFIC
TRADITION COUNTRY CLOTHING
SOLEMATE SOFTWARE
MECHMOTO APPAREL
TRANSANZ
NILTEX GARMENT CORPORATION
TWO-T’S
OUTBACK TRADING COMPANY
UNIVERSE GROUP
REER ENDZ UNDERWEAR
UPBEAT FASHIONS
BUCKLE CHERRYLANE CITY CLUB COAST CLOTHING EXPEDITION APPAREL GLOWEAVE HUMPHREY LAW SOCKS JIMMY FOX | MAITRE CHEMISE
SHOP FOR SHOPS FOOTWEAR CHERRYLANE EXPEDITION APPAREL RABEN FOOTWEAR
FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE LIST OF EXHIBITORS & TO REGISTER ONLINE
www.fabevent.com.au
FrontLine UPFRONT | CHRISTMAS 2021
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FABE Preview
FAB Event February 6th & 7th 2022 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Australia’s premier textile, clothing & footwear trade show.
PRESENTED BY:
co-located with:
f ro nt l i nestores. c om. a u proudly 20supported by:
III
fabevent.com.au www.frontlinecentral.com.au
