Emma, a whole new career – what brought it about? Having been in bridal retail for 25 years as the owner of a busy city centre shop in Cambridge, and now visiting shops around the UK as a Wedding Shop Consultant, I understand the constant hard work that goes into creating unique and magical bridal experiences that brides want to share, post and shout about. Over the years I managed to really fine-tune the selection of designers that excited our customer base while sharing our values as a business, which is how I got to know the amazing and supportive Morilee team. I loved my years as a bridal retailer but also very much enjoyed time away from the shop working closely with other businesses and the BA fashion students at Cambridge University. Although the decision to solely focus on training and consultancy was a hard one to make, the offer to become part of the Morilee family couldn’t have happened at a more perfect time.
Crossing Over Who better to advise a supplier about dealing with their stockists, than a highly-successful retailer? We caught up with Morilee’s newest member of the family, Emma Arnold, who has joined the UK team as Retail Development Consultant
suit a business and its team. At this stage, we will decide whether to begin with some fun product knowledge and sales training for the sales team, or an ‘owner visit’. The latter prioritises what has to be at the top of every retailer’s list, which is to ask the question: “Am I getting the maximum return possible from the collections I have invested in? If not, why not and how do I bridge that gap?” What help are you able to bring Ordering samples is just one part to your retailers – what can they of the complex equation that, once expect from you? calculated correctly, will equal healthy The support Morilee offers its returns and strong profitability. Morilee stockists is on several levels and usually starts with a ‘get-to-know-you’ caters for all brides – I love how broad the company’s customer reach is – yet phone call, a preliminary chat to see by fully understanding its collections what we can offer that would best 40 ♦ W E D D I N G T R A D E R ♦ N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1
and targeted merchandising, shops can also use this diversity to drive their own USP. Our training starts with how to get enough ready-to-purchase brides walking through the doors, and encouraging past customers to become advocates for your boutique. Together we look at the customer journey and address any pressure points along the way, while highlighting potential areas for growth and increased margins. What are the main challenges facing your stores? It’s been a great start to the training programme and fantastic to see shops
