UPfront Christmas 2022

BOARD UPDATE

We’ve all come a long way in the past 12 months as we approach the end of 2022.

While new challenges have emerged this year, the Board are happy to report that on a group basis, total turnover for the Frontline membership is currently 6% up on last year.

This headline number highlights the resilience of all group members and business partners, despite actions by the RBA since May to slow down consumer spending in order to pull back inflation – a global problem that all nations are tackling with varying levels of success.

But tough times can be good times for experienced retailers, with independent retailers being well placed to adapt quickly to changing market conditions and opportunities.

And back to challenges - several member towns have been and are still dealing with significant floods and we encourage

any businesses affected by the floods to contact our Head Office Team who will do what they can to support you to get over the current hurdles and then back to normal operations.

The Head Office Team have also been working busily on preparations for our next FAB Event at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on February 4th, 5th & 6th. As always, a great opportunity to view and order new ranges for 2023, to meet the people behind the brands, and to network with Frontline Members and the Head Office Team. We’d love to see you there.

We wish all Members, Suppliers, and business partners good trading for the end of year retail season we’re now in, and trust that you can all enjoy some special time to relax with your family and friends over Xmas and New Year.

On behalf of the Board, John Haywood Chairman

FRONTLINE FRONT FOOTERS

During August, 4 of our Head Office Team (Glen M, David W, Miro K & Sharon H) took on the challenge of walking 10,000 steps a day in order to raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

With a target of 1,240,000 steps, they stepped beyond, with a total of 1,373,638! Their donation target of $750 was also exceeded, with a final tally of $786. Well done!

FRONTLINE BABIES

We are very excited to announce the arrivals of two new Frontline babies!

Rachel Dobson is now a proud mother of two. Thomas arrived happy & healthy on the 24th of August, 2022.

Tricia Nicolacopoulos has welcomed her first grandchild, Giuseppe on April 12 th. She is loving her new role as Yiayia.

For More Information You Can Contact Us At: Level 1, 210 Canterbury Road, Canterbury VIC 3126 | tel: 03 9888 5766 | fax: 03 9888 5522

Frontline Board of Directors & Senior Management Team.

Giuseppe

Thomas

Are you getting the most out of your Membership?

•

Everyday banking solutions including business accounts and eftpos terminals.

• For your eftpos – a Commonwealth Bank Relationship Manager can provide information on the Least Cost Routing options.^

•

Funding options including Business Credit Cards, Car and Equipment Finance and Business Loans.

Frontline Stores members have access to a Commonwealth Bank Relationship Manager who can arrange for you to receive information on: These solutions may help you manage cash flow and expand your business. To find out how Commonwealth Bank can help your business move forward, please contact Travis McKenzie at Frontline Stores on 03 9888 5766 or email travis@frontlinestores.com.au and they’ll put you in touch with a Commonwealth Bank Relationship Manager.

Things you should know: As this information has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on this information, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. Eligibility criteria and other conditions applies. Applications are subject to credit approval. Full terms and conditions will be included in our loan offer. Fees and charges may be payable. ^ Least Cost Routing is also known as Merchant Choice Routing. A reference in the Merchant Agreement dated 1 April 2020 to Merchant Choice Routing is also a reference to Least Cost Routing. The target market for this product will be found within the product’s Target Market Determination, available at commbank.com.au/tmd. Frontline Stores may receive a fee from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia for each successful referral. Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124 AFSL and Australian credit licence 234945.

RECRUITMENT

By David Sharp

The constant search for new Members is what drives Business Development at Frontline. Today’s potential new Members change their products and Suppliers regularly, so Frontline needs to work hard to replace and keep building our base. Many Membership based organisations, like Frontline, struggle to find new Members. Conventional approaches to finding Members—such as making ‘cold calls’ and sales presentations—can be difficult and confronting but necessary in the drive to build the Membership base. However, there are a variety of other ways that Frontline can find new Members, and with careful planning we can improve our chances of success.

It’s important that while working to find new Members it doesn’t stop Frontline from delivering great customer service to our existing Membership base.

In today’s highly competitive retail sector, we work very hard to find contacts and identify potential new leads. The key is to find “retail businesses” who fit our “ideal lead profile”. Remember that only those contacts who need our products and match our ideal lead profile are likely to become new Members. It’s important not to waste valuable time and money on contacts who are unlikely to join Frontline.

Developing Frontline’s ideal lead profile

Leads are contacts who match the profile of our ideal Members. On meeting and engaging with a new contact, we are able to determine whether they have a need for our preferred Suppliers and services. Our ideal lead profile will define characteristics such as:

• Geographic traits – where the business is located. This makes travelling to their location absolutely paramount and “eyeballing the store” a must in the recruitment process.

• Demographics – the age, location, product mix, and business type are extremely important in any recruitment decisions.

• Psychographics – social factors such as business style, marketing interests and activities, opinions, self-image and social group Memberships.

From here it is possible to make educated decisions about the best possible way to achieve a positive and responsible recruitment decision.

Having achieved all of that criteria, travel for recruitment purposes is absolutely necessary to recruit the right new Members and continue to develop relationships with existing Members.

In the past year recruitment trips have been made to the following locations:

I. Central NSW x 2

II. Gold Coast area (also attended Trade Fair)

III. Northern Tasmania

IV. Canberra & surrounds

V. Sydney/ Wollongong

VI. Brisbane/ Toowoomba

VII. Sydney

VIII. Darwin/ Katherine

Frontline was able to participate at The Reed Gift Fair in Melbourne from July 30th – August 3rd. We had a stand made available to us and decided it was a great way to gain exposure to a new group of retailers. The stand was managed by Frontline staff who met and spoke with interested retailers about the benefits of Frontline Membership. As a consequence we signed two new stores to Frontline and gained a number of leads to follow up. It was a successful venture for Frontline and one we will consider participating in again.

For more information, contact:

David Sharp

Business Development & Membership Manager

Phone: 0429 897 776

Email: DavidS@frontlinestores.com.au

Member Retention Project

THINKING OF SELLING YOUR BUSINESS?

Your Frontline membership is a valuable asset when selling your retail business. Being associated with such a well-respected national retail group that capitalises on the buying power of over 600 independent retailers should be promoted when transferring the ownership of your business. Make sure you keep us informed so that you can seamlessly transfer your membership to the approved new owner.

If you are selling your business, please make sure you:

✔ Inform Frontline of the new owners – their contact details.

✔ What date will the transfer of membership take place – to ensure that you are not liable for new transactions on your existing account.

✔ Request a new Frontline Membership application form from David Sharp.

✔ Contact David Sharp - Frontline’s Business Development & Membership Manager on 0429 897 776 – he will then work with Tony D’Alessandro - our Credit Controller to assist with the transition of the business to the approved new Member ensuring you are not liable for any transactions in the future.

Are you thinking about opening another business or maybe a new branch of your existing business? Let Frontline assist you to ensure that you capitalise on the discounts and benefits from your first day of operation.

If you are expanding your business or purchasing a new one, please make sure you:

✔ Inform Frontline of the new business contact details.

✔ Inform us of the date the new addition to Membership will commence – making sure you take advantage of all Frontline Discounts from Day 1.

✔ Contact David Sharp - Frontline’s Business Development & Membership Manager on 0429 897 776 – to assist with the application process and new membership implementation. .

5 TIPS TO SELL MORE ONLINE

By Alex Girgis

1. Online merchandising

As a retailer you’re probably quite good at visual merchandising. Online merchandising is similar. Think of a customer visiting your homepage the same as a customer walking into your store:

• What should they see first?

• How will they know what you have?

• How will they find what they need?

• How do you want them to feel?

Using the right visual elements and products in the right places will play a big part in turning your visitors into customers.

Remember, your ecommerce website is not just an advertising asset; it’s your store, just online. How you present your products, collections and branding matters.

2. Unique selling proposition

Online shoppers are spoilt for choice. They can literally start shopping elsewhere with the click of a button. So how do you keep them interested?

Tell them why they should shop with you. What do you do differently to everyone else?

Do you have:

• Lower prices?

• Better service?

• Unique products?

• Free returns?

Think about what makes you different and make that front and centre on your website. It could be placed in your website header or highlighted on every product page if needed.

3. Testimonials

Trust plays a big part in determining who to shop with. The difference between a customer and a visitor will often be their trust in your business or brand.

Testimonials are proven to increase trust and conversions online.

One of the easiest ways to gather testimonials is to share your Google business review link with any and all customers after dealing with them.

When you have enough positive reviews, you can even display them on your site to provide your online shoppers with peace of mind.

4. Use your time efficiently

Find out where you get the best return on your investment of time and put your effort into that.

If your customers engage with you on Facebook then focus there. If you get plenty of sales when you send out email blasts, then focus on that.

Similarly, if you pour your time into Instagram and see no positive outcome then perhaps alter your approach or focus your efforts elsewhere.

It’s not uncommon for business owners to give up on their online strategies too early. Sometimes the hardest part is simply finding the right strategy and unfortunately that can also mean having to test the wrong ones first.

5. Keep them coming back

Don’t say goodbye to your customers, say “see you later”. Your best potential customers are the ones you’ve already had. Find out how to keep them engaged with your business and encourage them to shop with you again.

You can capture emails, start a loyalty program or have them follow your social media. Once you have your customers engaged, you can give them discounts to return, sale notifications, reminders to replenish their items and more.

If you’re looking to build an ecommerce website for your business or need help with your online presence speak to us today. Frontline can provide advice or connect you with one of our preferred partners for online services and more.

For more information, contact: Alex Girgis

Email: AlexG@frontlinestores.com.au

STAYING SAFE IN A CONNECTED WORLD

By Alex Poulopoulos

You will have heard of the latest data breaches in the media – Medibank Private, Optus, Energy Australia, MyDeal, Telstra, NAB, Vinomofo, just to name a few. Some of these data breaches have been massive with the records of many millions of customers stolen.

What does this mean for you? Why should you care? It depends on what information was stolen. If it was personally identifiable information like license numbers, passport details, DOB, email addresses etc, then this data is invaluable for someone that wants to commit identity theft. Having that sort of information at hand might be enough for someone to order a ‘replacement’ credit card, redirect your mail to a different address and when they receive that credit card…. I’m sure you get the picture. There is big money to be made by both the sale of your data and by the use of your data.

The worldwide cost of cyber attacks will hit US$10.5 trillion by 2025 (estimated).

What Frontline is doing to protect our and your information.

Frontline has various strategies and systems in place to protect all its information, including that of our Members and Suppliers. We comply with all Government and industry mandated standards and policies in relation to what information is stored and how it is stored.

• We follow the PCI DSS standard for credit card security, which protects all credit card details

• As mandated by the Government we have developed a Mandatory Data Breach plan, which details all the steps required if there is ever a data breach

• We have continuous backups which would allow quick recovery if our information was ever encrypted

• We have implemented Multi Factor Authentication as an added level of security

• We use the latest Antivirus and Email filtering software

• We minimise the data that is exposed to the internet

• We have implemented multiple levels of physical security

• We educate our team on data security What you should do as a retailer.

• Don’t reuse passwords for multiple sites.

• Use complicated passwords. “”Password123” is not a good password. Neither is the name of any of your kids or pets…hackers will try your account and ‘social engineer’ those sorts of things

• Use password manager software e.g LastPass https://www.lastpass.com/ It will remember every password to every site that you use and you will only ever need to remember 1 password!

• Make sure that you use up to date commercial antivirus software, the free ones are ok but the paid ones are better

• Scam calls – Use a telecom provided spam filter if available. I’m with Telstra and if a number that is suspected as spam call me, I get an alert and I can choose to ignore and block it or answer it.

• Backups – backup your computer into the cloud or on an external hard disk. Your computer WILL FAIL one day, let’s hope you have your data backed up.

• Phishing Emails – If your royal ancestor has bequeathed you a large amount of cash and you need to pay a deposit for the transfer, then good luck. But if this doesn’t sound remotely possible then I’d be treating that email with some disrespect. Remember if it’s too good to be true then there’s a scammer behind it. If in doubt delete or call (using a verifiable number)

• Just because you are a small organisation doesn’t mean that you won’t be targeted. Make things difficult for them. Put up as many roadblocks as possible.

• Don’t trust anyone with your personal details e.g. credit card, passport, passwords etc unless you can verify their identity

• You can check to see if any of your online accounts have been a victim of a data breach by putting in your email address at this site https:// haveibeenpwned.com/

Sources for further information

https://www.afp.gov.au/what-we-do/ crime-types/fraud/identity-crime https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/

For more information, contact: Alex Poulopoulos

CIO

Phone: 0413 709 201 Email: AlexP@frontlinestores.com.au

REPLACEMENT BUYING EVENTS

With the unfortunate cancellation of the FAB Event in August, our team looked at ways to offer both our Members and Suppliers an opportunity to come together in a different smaller format and facilitate business. We already had a group of Suppliers who had committed to the big event, so we wanted to provide them a forum to sell their product. After looking at several venues, we were able to go back to this group and most re-confirmed their participation. This made the new event viable and pretty much filled the space that was available.

In only a matter of weeks, the Intimates Buying Event and Menswear Buying Event were created as “replacement events”. These 2 boutique events were simpler in set-up and lower in cost for the exhibitors, and also had accommodation onsite for all – being located at the Amora Riverwalk in Richmond, Melbourne. Another benefit was that we were able to set up, trade and pack up all in one day.

The Intimates Event featured 2 on-thebody showings by Triumph as well as 11 other exhibitors. Menswear featured 16 exhibitors and was a co-presentation with ARL/Mensland.

Feedback from the 2 events was overwhelmingly positive, with all enjoying the new setting and relaxed atmosphere. Exhibitors were very pleased with the business written and several mentioned new accounts were opened.

We wish to thank all for their support and especially to Tricia from Head Office as this was her first event to manage – and she did 2 at once!

Plans are now well underway for the new FAB Event to be co-located with the Melbourne Gift & Lifestyle in February 2023.

‘LEMONS TO LEMONADE’

By Daleys Homewares & Monogramming

Like many regional cities, Lismore lost its last local department store in the late 80s, so John Daley saw the opportunity and opened Daleys in 1989, specialising in Manchester & Homewares. Shortly after opening Daleys, it became clear that lots of people wanted to put a name on their lovely new towels. In 1990 the first embroidery machine arrived and with it Daleys Homewares & Monogramming.

John was an enthusiastic Frontline member for 26 years until in 2015, Matthew Healy took over Daleys.

When I took over Daleys 7 years ago, it was a very traditional in terms of both stock and layout. Whilst this had been successful for many years, it was time to update. The challenge we had was how to do it without losing our regular longstanding customers.

The first step was to expand the embroidery arm of the business.

Today we have a full uniform service covering corporate and community organisations across regional NSW, Qld, and the Pacific, & have expanded to include heat set vinyl and have recently added a vinyl printer.

We then decided to gradually introduce new ranges across the store to attract different customers, while still protecting our existing loyal base.

This included the idea of utilising our existing machinery and sourcing our own fabrics to produce a small range of branded Manchester where gaps couldn’t be filled by existing suppliers.

This was working well until the 2017 flood! We ‘brushed ourselves down’ and decided to reopen with a new fresh look. We changed the colour scheme of the shop, removed carpet, painted the floors, reconfigured the displays (no more long tables in a narrow store) and accelerated the introduction of new lines especially cushions.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature was not through with us yet!

After the 2017 flood, the northern rivers went through a slump, magnified by 2 years of drought culminating in the fires of Spring/Summer 2019. We had to just hold on, have faith and continue our journey. We often questioned our direction, but we ultimately pushed ahead through some very lean times. This was an incredibly stressful time.

Then came COVID!

Regional NSW had far fewer lockdowns and restrictions, so people were able to continue their lives with a level or

normality. We also had the benefit of closed Qld borders so the shopping trips to the Gold Coast were off, and people looked to their local shops again. A new more affluent and fashion-conscious customer who didn’t purchase from the old Daleys, discovered our new ranges leading to a whole new customer base.

Sales were strong and it was looking positive.

During this time, we realised that the property we rented for over 25 yrs. was no longer suitable, so we took a big leap of faith and purchased a larger building around the corner.

We moved into our new premises in September 2020, more than doubling the previous space including 3 floors - so lots of room for the embroidery workshop, design studio, offices, and storerooms. The COVID period turned out to be a positive time for business in Lismore and the town was really starting to hum again after several years of being down.

Then in 2022 it started to rain!

Lismore’s a flood town, on the junction of 2 rivers, so this is nothing unusual. However, on the evening of 27 February a wall of water descended on Lismore in a way that had never been seen before. Houses that had never flooded were up to their gutters in water, people had to be rescued from their roofs, the SES and the emergency services were totally

The damage from the 2022 floods.

Rescuing the product to sell. Back to business, new fittings.

overwhelmed. If not for the community that risked their own lives, vast numbers of people would have perished. This disaster was 2.3m (8ft) higher than our previous record flood.

Lismore was devastated & Daleys was destroyed but we couldn’t afford to wait. The staff had mortgages that need to be paid so we all got to work.

When the ceiling collapsed it brought all the store’s infrastructure down with it (power, data, air con, lights), so we rebuilt from ground zero.

All the stock in storage was wet (or destroyed) so as well as rebuilding we also set to washing everything that was salvageable!

An army of staff, family, friends, neighbours, customers, and random strangers descended on the shop to take stock to wash. My father, a retired cow cocky, set up several kilometres of clothesline with fencing wire and timber props and we washed in shifts for weeks. Every shed, outbuilding and veranda was also used for drying.

After a huge 2 weeks on 22nd March, we were ready to give it a shot with a ‘pop up’ soft opening from 10 -3 pm, using a makeshift set up, generator and borrowed cash register.

Then, at 8.30 I get a panicked call from one of the staff!

People were so keen to support us that they were already entering the shop 2 hrs before opening and as I had the only key to the generator, they were using their phone torches to see. This set the scene for the next couple of weeks. Even though everything was heavily discounted, we generated enough cashflow to keep us afloat.

Then came another flood!

Even though it was seen as a smaller flood, it was only marginally smaller than 2017. Luckily, we had adapted and updated our flood plan, which was put into action and once again we cleaned out the store to reopen.

For every negative, there is a positive if you dig deep!

While it was hard to find the positives, we had no choice but to pick up ourselves once again.

We suddenly realised that there’d be increased demand with the influx of trades people, and all other uniform providers and homewares retailers (including majors) were out of action for some time.

This was the chance to get in front of the game, so we set up North Coast Uniforms on the 1st floor approx. 5 times the size of the old space, adjacent to the embroidery workshop.

The synergies have been amazing. The store now has a very different look

since the floods, using cost effective tricks to create a Post – Industrial feel.

We’ve embraced the natural history of the building with exposed bricks, timber cross bracing and polished cement floors.

Importantly, we have rebuilt everything with our flood plan in mind including marine ply shelving, steel framed display tables and counters with wheels, no plaster ceilings and disposable hollow core doors.

Other areas have carpet tiles with removable glue, a steel framed storeroom and an extra flood storage mezzanine above the 3rd floor.

If I can pass on anything I’ve learnt from my recent experiences, it’s simply:

1. Everyone needs a flood/fire plan for disaster preparedness, it’s vital to be able to act quickly and ensure your plans up to date.

2. You need to be open to new opportunities so you can be nimble and act quickly in times of challenge.

For more information, contact: Matthew Healy

Phone: (02) 6622 1770

Email: daleys.homewares@outlook.com.au

BEAUTFULLY ETHICAL AND ENVIRONMENTALLYFRIENDLY

Holster Fashion

While still relatively new to the Frontline supplier base, holster is starting to gain traction in our group, through not only their styling, but also their “green” policies. Based in beautiful Noosa Beach, holster is a family business and has been around for 20 years, showcasing Australian-designed footwear and accessories for women and children. The range features sandals, slides, espadrilles, wedges, sneakers and belts - but with quite a few differences!

holster footwear is registered with the Vegan Society and is PETA-approved. They use cotton, jute, rubber, recycled

plastic bottles and REACH certified PVC & EVA in footwear and packaging, promoting a no-waste production policy to reduce the ecological footprint.

Parts of each collection are made by hand. holster utilise accredited manufacturers and work with ethical offshore suppliers who the CEO visits biannually. No child labour is involved in the supply chain of any holster designs. On a weekly basis, holster team members oversee factory procedures to ensure the highest level of production standards are maintained.

For a select range of sneakers, holster has adopted a recyclable sneaker upper yarn made of discarded plastic bottles from the ocean. Known as PET filament, the premium quality yarn is strong, flexible and certified by Global Recycled Standard. 10 x 600ml plastic PET bottles produce one pair of sneaker uppers. Their REACH

PVC can be recycled under Category 3. Additionally, 65% of the materials used in holster shoes can be recycled post-use.

In order to give back further, holster share their good fortune with others by donating a percentage of profits to selected charities that align with holster’s values.

When the above is paired with styles that reflect the coastal lifestyle and beauty of Noosa, a dedication to quality and customer service, it is easy to see how holster is now stocked in over 60 countries, including some of the world’s largest department stores.

Join the holster trend and make every day a holiday with holster.

For more information, contact: Ben Nothling

Phone: (07) 5449 0232 Email: ben@holsterfashion.com Web: www.holsterfashion.com

FOUR GENERATIONS OF COOKS

Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co

Thomas Cook Boot and Clothing Co. is one of the rare finds within the Australian wholesale apparel industry – it has been passed down through 3 generations of the Cook family.

With close to 100 years of history in its wake, we look back through the history books to discover what has made this brand such a success story through the ages.

Thomas Cook Snr came from humble beginnings, travelling to Melbourne from Geraldton in WA as an aspiring boxer. In the early 1920’s, while working through his boxing career in the flyweight division, he started making boxing boots in Henry Street, Northcote, with his friend Jim, where they would make boots in between tournaments. Thomas was undefeated for 20 fights before being knocked out on the 21st, leading to his retirement from the sport soon after. In the early 1950’s, and with the business growing rapidly, they moved into a double shopfront in High Street, Preston. It was here where they acquired, and eventually demolished the shopfronts next door in order to build their first factory.

The next generation of Cooks was Tom Cook Jnr, who joined the family business in 1966.

With a successful background in advertising and customer relations within the automotive industry, it was natural for Tom to take over the business in 1972, following the retirement of Thomas Cook Snr. Together with his wife Kay, the business expanded further, with the idea to supply American Western boots in the late 70’s to the Australian market. While also working at the family business in the early 80’s, Tom and Kay’s son, Murray, looked at introducing some country clothing into the business and sampled some moleskin jeans. Soon after, Tom was preparing to head off on an eightweek sales run where he would travel from Melbourne to Cairns, across to Mount Isa, up to Normanton and then finally back down to Melbourne. Murray gave Tom a pair of moleskins to take with him, and by the time he was halfway through NSW, he’d sold over a thousand pairs. Following this, the name of Thomas Cook Footwear was changed to Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co.

Soon after this major milestone, in 1985, Thomas Cook joined Frontline as a preferred supplier, a partnership which has lasted for over 37 years. Fast forward to the late 80’s, one of the last things Tom did before his retirement was to develop a range of adventure clothing. Released

in 1989, the range was inspired by the rugged splendours of the Australian outback and was an instant success. A year later, in 1990, Tom handed the business over to Murray who continues to lead Thomas Cook with his wife, Sue, as the company’s National Sales Manager. In 1994, approval was given for Thomas Cook to distribute Wrangler jeans and apparel throughout Australia. Since then, the Thomas Cook list of brands has grown to include Pure Western, Hard Slog, Dux Bak, Bullzye, Froggers and Twisted X Footwear, each continuing to enjoy strong support locally, particularly in rural areas across the country.

With the centennial of the Thomas Cook story approaching in 2024, we celebrate what was and always will be the strength of Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co.

While Murray is at the helm, his son, Lachlan Cook is working alongside him in 2022, armed with a fresh new lens on how the wholesale business can be leveraged and refreshed in a new digital age, to continue to strengthen the relationships with their loyal stockists.

Here’s to the next century with Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co!

For more information, contact:

Phone: ( 03) 8872 7272 Email: enquiries@thomascook.com.au Web: www.thomascook.com.au

Lachlan Cook (Right) at Wrangler Federation Rodeo Challenge 2022

Photo Credit: BootFace Photography

Murray Cook (Left), Thomas Cook Snr (Middle) and Tom Cook Jnr (Right)

KEEPING UP IN AN EVER-CHANGING MARKET

Expedition Apparel

Peter Thompson – CEO Matt Filippone – Creative Director

So much change has happened in the mens tailoredwear market over the last few years, with the introduction of working from home, and also the sudden demise of Berkeley Apparel. We asked the Team at Expedition on how they are managing these challenges – on top of moving to new premises about a year ago…

Post COVID Changes

Post COVID has been a very interesting time. Based on the very casual trends we saw through the COVID lockdown periods and combined with the trend to work from home there was an expectation that casual attire would continue to dominate, as it did during the COVID period.

What we have seen, is, in fact, the opposite. Since COVID, there has been a very strong demand for suits and sportscoats. This has been led by very strong growth in the wedding sector. Weddings have become more polarised at the formal and informal ends of the spectrum. Pre-COVID, the majority of wedding suits we were supplying to customers were simple lounge suits of varying blue colours. For weddings today,

this is almost non-existent. The wedding trend is either very formal with black tuxedos, white dinner shirts and black bowties or very casual, with sand and bright coloured linen jackets worn with chinos and white shirts.

Back To Travelling Around The World

Two to four times a year we travel to Europe visiting various countries and major cities such as London, Milan and Paris to research and discover current and emerging trends. Part of this research includes attending international Fabric and Trade fairs. Collectively, these ideas and trends form the nucleus of our seasonal direction. This process also acts as confirmation we are on trend for when we translate ideas into our collections. Our directive and mission is always to instil trust of this research into our customers and for them to come on the same evolving journey.

Our upcoming Winter collection has taken its inspiration from the city of London. Walking and/or commuting the city streets and observing locals, we see an emergence and a mixture of green tones, double breasted jacket styling and wider lapels. These elements and other key observations will be reflected within the collection.

Processes To Further Streamline Operations

We are currently working with our enterprise management provider,

Apparel21, to further improve how our customers can order our garments and to further improve the efficiency of our pick and pack process. Over the coming months, you will see some changes and enhancements to our SalesNet system. More relevant garments will be displayed, mini stock catalogues will be added and navigation will be made easier so you can see what stock is available. Through SalesNet, orders can be placed, based on available stock, at any time that suits the customer. We are also implementing the latest scan/pack technology which will increase efficiencies in the warehouse by streamlining the picking and packing process and, at the same time, will increase picking accuracy.

We are always looking at ways to better communicate to our customers, what stock is available for sale as well as providing images for your own promotions and displays. SalesNet will be the hub for all communications, as well as sending you regular email updates. We have also experimented with some short product videos. These have been well received and will be part of our future communication mix.

If you are not familiar with SalesNet, please contact Leroy by email leroy@expeditionapparel.com.au to arrange for a tutorial.

A GREAT ‘AUSTRALIAN MADE’ SUCCESS STORY!

Purax Feather Holdings

Purax Feather Holdings Pty Ltd have been supplying retailers locally and nationally with feather and down products for more than 80 years.

Established in 1934, during the Great Depression, Purax Feather Holdings Pty Ltd was founded by the Boxer family, who supplied feather products, both locally and internationally.

Fast forward to the 80’s, Bill Katsios joined Purax as a young enthusiastic student, working part time while completing his tertiary studies.

With the owner looking to retire, Bill saw the opportunity and jumped at the chance to take on the challenge, purchasing the business in 1991.

Like many Australian businesses during this time, Purax was sourcing offshore with most of the machinery decommissioned and put into storage.

While this began as a positive business move, in time Bill found that the negatives were growing.

China’s domestic demand for duck feather products were increasing, creating stock scarcity, price rises and higher minimum order requirements.

Once again seeing the opportunity, Bill realized that our domestic duck farms were processing duck meat and discarding the feathers and down as land fill.

He approached Australian owned company ‘Luv-a-Duck’, with a simple but ingenious proposal, which resulted in a strong and ongoing business relationship.

Purax now obtains their duck down products from local farms in a fast, costeffective way, which also alleviates it going into landfill – a ‘win-win’ all round!

The factory in Reservoir is now in full swing and has expanded to include state of the art machinery, providing Purax with complete quality control starting from the cleaning and processing of the feathers to the design and production of the final product.

This has allowed them to strive to create the best quality duck & goose down products in Australia at competitive prices.

Importantly, this control also enables Purax to offer our members the service of making to order or design to specific requirements – a unique point of difference!

Since 2021 Bill is semi-retired, and his children Steve & Helena have recently taken over with fresh enthusiasm and exciting new ideas.

Proud to continue as a family business with the same business ethics, Steve, Helena and the Purax team are excited for the future and building opportunities with the Frontline Group.

For more information, contact:

Michele Hall

Phone: (03) 9460 6422

Email: michele@purax.com.au Web: www.purax.com.au

SOLEMATE

AND

WILD

RHINO: PROUDLY AUSTRALIAN, QUALITY PRODUCTS - KEEPING RETAIL GOING

SoleMate Software

As a premium point of sale software provider, SoleMate Software prides themselves on the quality of their service, and this is reflected in the quality of their clients. Client for a decade, Wild Rhino has had success using SoleMate’s software and service, and it’s been done remotely as well as in person.

Success for Wild Rhino from SoleMate’s software has been mainly across:

• eCommerce online store with 24/7 service and the VIP Barcode to drive customers back into stores post COVID;

• Time efficiency for the software and Customer Service; and

• Inventory control, with visibility in stores and online.

As a premium point of sale software provider, SoleMate Software prides themselves on the quality of their service and this is reflected in the quality of their clients. Starting in Melbourne in 1996, CEO Mark Mulkearns wanted to create casual footwear that was distinguished by its quality and comfort.

Beginning initially as a wholesaler, Wild Rhino opened its first storefront in 2014

and have expanded to now having nine retail stores operating alongside its thriving wholesale business. From the very beginning, they have been proudly family owned and are committed to their identity as a high quality Australian operator, like SoleMate.

Wild Rhino have worked with SoleMate for the last nine years. SoleMate was an instrumental part of their retail launch. “SoleMate provide us with our point of sale software and the stock management and sales performance components of that software have been incredibly important for us in running our retail stores,” says Sales and Marketing Manager, daughter of Founder, Amelia Mulkearns.

Wild Rhino’s motto is simply it’s all in the detail. “All our shoes have unique intricate details like patterned linings, contrast stitching and embossed branding, which make our footwear come alive. That’s our point of difference,” Amelia explains. Part of the appeal of SoleMate’s point of sale software for Wild Rhino is their colour/ size matrix, which enables White Rhino to easily distinguish between their models of shoe, allowing for efficient and effective stock handling.

“Another really appealing part about SoleMate’s product is the consistency in each store,” Amelia says. “It’s really easy for everyone to use, whether we’re transferring stock between stores or liaising with head office. It’s provided us with a really strong backbone for our retail presence.”

Like SoleMate, Wild Rhino is an Australian business, which meant they were eager to use suppliers that were committed to investing and supporting the local community. With a service team based entirely within Australia, SoleMate is readily disposed to collaborate with White Rhino and assist them with a true understanding of their business objectives and needs. This has been instrumental for the wholesale side of the business. Recently, SoleMate included seamless integrations to their online web store, The Iconic, ZipPay, Afterpay and most importantly to the third party warehouse.

“SoleMate have been so supportive of customising their 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,” Amelia says.

As Wild Rhino expand into the future and strengthen their brand, SoleMate are thrilled to work alongside them to help them provide their footwear to customers around the nation.

For more information, contact: Sales Marketers for SoleMate: Alex, Anna & Jordan

Phone: (03) 9866 2222‬ (02) 9362 1533‬

Email: Sales@SoleMate.com.au Web: www.solemate.com.au

THE BLUE SKY EVOLUTION

By David Woods

The ability to diversify and evolve within the current outdoors retail space continues to challenge the Blue Sky business owners across all states. In such turbulent retail times, it has been vital to continually review the current product mix, the Preferred Suppliers that we stock and even identify other product in related divisions that may better cater for our Members in their respective regional areas.

The branded Blue Sky group has evolved significantly since its inception providing the Members a full marketing and promotional calendar centred around the three major catalogue programs throughout the year. With the dedicated input of the Blue Sky steering Committee (Store Owners), we have developed a business model that focusses on all Members and their respective requirements while at the same time having the ability to move with the market trends.

While all of our Blue Sky Members use the camping ranges as a base for their businesses, they all also heavily rely on other product divisions to ensure that they minimise the number of retail down turns throughout the year. As a result, we have Blue Sky Members that specialise in Camping and Hardware, Camping and Toys, Camping and Homewares and even

Camping and Computers. By diversifying their product divisions – particularly in the remote regional areas – they can compensate for the slower retail periods where certain product may not move as quickly as other divisions. In many ways, adding a new product mix to your store can broaden you demographic and in turn increase your sales and profit margin.

WWW.BLUESKYOUTDOOR.COM.AU

The Blue Sky group also allows for a constant networking stream for the Members who regularly communicate and share ideas with like-minded outdoor Members. This is clearly demonstrated at the annual trade show where the group gets together to discuss news ideas and review new product lines. The social element for the group at this event is incredibly valuable to each Member as the shared information can be vital to identifying market trends and patterns across different demographics and regional areas.

Recently, the Blue Sky family have been excited to have welcomed new Members to the group who remain focussed on capitalising on the services that Frontline has to offer.

They will operate across other product divisions while also focussing on the camping division and utilising Frontline’s centrally charging system and the many members services. This strategy contributes toward reducing over heads and increasing their market share across a larger customer base.

The costs associated with becoming a

a Blue Sky Member and a Workwear First Member – but the monthly administration remains at $189.00 a month.

Managing an outdoor store in today’s climate can be a real challenge - from floods to bush fires to international pandemics – there seems to be no end of hurdles that you need to manipulate. The Frontline Team is always here to assist you with your decision making to ultimately benefit your business.

If you wish to discuss the option of introducing a camping range to you store, as you may feel that the camping division is not catered for in your area, I would welcome a discussion to see if we can make the Blue Sky business model work for you.

For more information, contact: David Woods Business Manager - Outdoors & Workwear

A GUIDE TO CLAIMS & CREDITS

With Jackie Kefford

What is your role at Frontline?

My role at Frontline is the processing of Claims and Credits, as well as helping with Accounts Receivable and Payable.

What is a Claim?

A claim removes an amount owing from the Member’s account balance and enables a deduction from the Supplier’s account payment & provides paperwork for queries on accounts.

What are reasons for raising and issuing Claims?

There can be many! Goods returned because of oversupply, supplied in error, defective or late delivery. Then conversely, goods not received or short supplied. Also, there can be discount not allowed or incorrect discount on invoices, errors in pricing, extension and in the addition. Sometimes freight is also wrongly charged.

What is the preferred Claims method for our Members, and why?

E-claims are the preferred method, as it is much quicker, no cost to the Member and a copy is automatically emailed to the relevant Supplier as soon as the claim is submitted. E-claims are on the Member’s next weekly statement.

We have pretty much moved away from the paper claim system as it was slower and used claim books which are pre-printed and posted at a cost to Members.

What are the implications of not following the preferred method?

The whole process slows down, claims can get lost in the mail. There is also an environmental impact. In short, it will take longer to be settled.

What are common errors on claims?

Running accounts of any sort is an exact business. So, any incorrect information on a claim can cause issues. An incorrect Invoice reference number, incorrect amounts, not enough details and even the wrong Supplier selected will have implications. Many suppliers use invoice numbers that have more than 7 digits. In this case, we use the last 7 digits for the reference number on the claim.

What percentage of claims are easy to settle?

90%.

What makes Claims hard to settle, and how do you go about it?

Again, any incorrect details or partially completed claims are hard to settle – there needs to be follow-up and investigation – which takes time. It can also be that the goods are not returned. Claims can’t be processed until the original invoice is processed.

If an incorrect amount is claimed, then a credit for the correct amount is matched to that claim and an adjustment is issued for the difference.

Claims are processed upon receipt (if correct details are supplied), however, timing for claims to be credited depends on the Supplier (eg, when stock returned, approval by Supplier).

How many Claims does Frontline process each year?

In the last 12 months, we processed a total of 1,297 claims! Of those, there were 1,103 that were e-claims. (The rest were manual). The total value of these claims was: $278,024.

For more information, contact: Jackie Kefford

Email: JackieK@frontlinestores.com.au

Above: Old paper claim form.

Below: New paper e-claim form.

CATALOGUE

PROMOTIONS,

PRINTING & LETTERBOX

DISTRIBUTION

IVE Group

Australia’s largest printing group, IVE specialise in catalogue promotions and provide printing, targeted letterbox distribution and point-of-sale display material.

Ward Glennon - Print Account Director and Arthur Georgiadis - Letterbox Distribution Account Manager, work with the Frontline Stores Marketing team to provide cost effective catalogues for brands including SportF1rst, Bue Sky and The Giftware Group.

We work with the who’s who of Australian Retail, very big, big, medium and small, to deliver their story to consumers.

Integrated catalogue print and letterbox distribution

IVE operate state-of-the art printing plants across Australia, producing catalogues, magazines and direct mail. We do letterbox distribution which can be combined with geo-demographic targeting within store catchment areas. Catalogue distribution can also be done via Australia Post and Newspaper inserts.

IVE can provide other products including a full range of Point-of-Sale material : Posters, Price tickets, Banners, Temporary displays, Semi Permanent and Permanent Displays, Window Displays, Wide format print, Retail fit-outs, Pop-ups and Event Activations, Internal and External Signage, etc. We also offer Premiums & Merchandise including Branded Apparel,

Branded Merchandise, Campaign Merchandise and Corporate Gifts.

IVE Sustainable Printing

IVE being the largest printer in Australia has adequate paper supplies to cater for our client’s needs. To ensure correct size and tonnage is available, we recommend to plan and book catalogue programs 6 to 12 months in advance. We work with clients to mitigate price increases with different formats and paper stocks.

Our outstanding environmental management credentials and practices and eco-friendly print ensures we keep sustainable printing at the forefront of our operations.

All paper used is PEFC accredited. The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) through independent third-party certification. PEFC is the world’s largest forest certification system. The credible standards seek to transform the way forests are managed globally – and locally - to ensure that all of us can enjoy the environmental, social and economic benefits that forests offer. PEFC works throughout the entire forest supply chain to promote good practice in the forest and to ensure that timber and non-timber forest products are produced with respect for the highest ecological, social and ethical standards. Thanks to its eco-label, customers and consumers are able to identify products from sustainably managed forests.

Lead times and cost increases

“Predominantly Australia and New Zealand source newsprint and catalogue papers from a single local mill run by Norske Skog in Boyer, Tasmania and the remaining

from Europe. Locally, Norske Skog is honouring its Australian and New Zealand publisher commitments, however this is a small volume and the European mills are struggling to supply the remaining volumes for many reasons – freight is being delayed with containers being held in overseas ports, once on our shores there are port and quarantining issues which we are consulting the Department of Agriculture about directly. Additionally, European mills, particularly those producing newsprint product, have faced local industrial disputes and experiencing worker shortages due to COVID illness. All of these matters collectively trickle down to impact supply within Australia and New Zealand,” said Kellie Northwood, CEO, The Real Media Collective and Executive Director, Australasian Paper Industry

“Norske Skog continues to honour current contracts in place with Australasian publishers and printers from Boyer. They have confirmed that they have closed two mills (Albury and Tasman, New Zealand). They believe significant challenges remain for any supply into Australasia due to global supply balance, cost pressure on producers in Europe and shipping costs. Norske Skog has commented that there has been significant global capacity closures and conversion to other paper/ packaging grades over the past few years that is impacting supply and these are all valid and relevant statements. European mills are being impacted by labour shortages and energy prices. Predicting when energy prices will subside is challenging due to political gamesmanship occurring in Europe”

For more information, contact:

Ward Glennon

Phone: (03) 9229 3322

Email: ward.glennon@ivegroup.com.au Web: www.ivegroup.com