ChildreNSwear BUYer MarCh/april 2014 iSSUe 87 £9.95
Sole food New footwear collections drawN iNto the world of Belle & Boo how an illustrator’s work created this engaging lifestyle brand Moda footwear the key a/w 14 looks from the show
Beatrix New York Distributed in the UK by Everdell Ltd
Brand New 2014 designs and products in stock soon including our magic insulated bottles
Please contact Everdell on 01264 782665 or email: info@everdell.co.uk for further details
www.everdell.co.uk
March/April 2014
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REGULARS 05: Comment 06: News 08: NCWA 12: Open for Business Legal and business advice plus industry opinion 14: Retail Therapy Store profiles and retail news 16: Brands to Watch Editor’s pick of brands 36: Style Guide Hi-tops 37: Laura Loves The coolest products for kids 50: Talking Point Kate Pietrasik
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18: Harrogate Nursery Fair Preview of this month’s show 20: Drawn into the world of Belle & Boo How a British illustrator’s artwork was brought to life to create this engaging kids’ lifestyle brand 22: The look of autumn/winter 2014 CWB’s favourite looks from the a/w fashion collections
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40: News 43: Going the extra mile Plans for school bag supplier Marathon as the company celebrates 25 years in business 46: Play to your strengths Schoolwear independent Brenda’s on restructuring the business to pave the way for future growth
24: The reality of UK manufacture Findings from the recent ASBCI conference 26: Sole food New footwear collections from the a/w 14 edition of Bubble London 28: Moda Footwear review The key looks for a/w 14 as seen at last month’s exhibition
A unique buying experience
13 & 14 July 2014 Business Design Centre, London
Photography: Sonya Hurtado, sonyahurtado.co.uk
A great mix of children’s products
Apply online bubblelondon.com Read our blog, follow our twitter and become a fan!
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This was the hot topic of discussion at a recent ASBCI industry conference, entitled Making it in the UK – ready or not? The reality of manufacturing fashion in Britain. With increasing offshore manufacturing costs and ethical issues, and the growing will of retailers and brands to resurrect a UK manufacturing base, the conference sought to prove it commercially viable.
A wide mix of keynote speakers offered their views and arguments for the cause, ranging from high-street giants such as M&S – who now uses more British-made fabric than any other clothing retailer in the UK – through to independent labels and flourishing businesses born out of growing demand for UK-manufactured product. One such business was not-for-profit organisation Fashion Enter, which runs a garment manufacturing and training facility in London and has had a huge impact in reviving sewing skills. Its founder and managing director, Jenny Holloway, presented at the first ASBCI Made in the UK conference two years ago, where she was “dismayed at the negativity in the room”. This year, she was struck by the “positive change in mind-set”. For a full review of the conference and its findings, see our coverage on page 24.
for boys and girls taken from last month’s edition of Moda Footwear in our photo shoot on page 28, and a selection of hi-tops in our Style Guide on page 36. Meanwhile, with the ever-increasing numbers of childrenswear retailers looking to develop their offers into lifestyle concepts, don’t miss our feature on the enchanting children’s lifestyle brand Belle & Boo on page 20, and our pick of baby and children’s product available from this month’s Harrogate International Nursery Fair in our preview on page 18. The next issue of CWB for June/July will kick off s/s 15. Until then, follow the latest industry news on cwb-online.co.uk. Laura Turner Editor
This issue we have also put the focus on footwear. Highlights include the brand new collections hitting the UK market, as seen at Bubble London this season in our review on page 26. We have an extensive run-down of the key a/w 14 footwear styles
Editor Laura Turner laura@ras-publishing.com Contributors Isabella Griffiths isabella@ras-publishing.com Christina Williams christina@ras-publishing.com Victoria Jackson victoria@ras-publishing.com Sub editor Amanda Batley amanda@ras-publishing.com Designers Michael Podger mick@ras-publishing.com Clive Holloway clive@ras-publishing.com James Lindley james@ras-publishing.com Richard Boyle richard@ras-publishing.com Sales manager Helen Hodson helen@ras-publishing.com Subscriptions Caroline Mackinnon caroline@moda-uk.co.uk Head of childrenswear Lindsay Hoyes lindsay@ras-publishing.com Production director Gill Brabham gill@ras-publishing.com Marketing director Stephanie Parker stephanie@moda-uk.co.uk Managing director Colette Tebbutt colette@ras-publishing.com Reprographics/printing Image Data Group Ltd 01482 652323
CWB is published 6 times per year by RAS Publishing Ltd, The Old Town Hall, Lewisham Road, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5AL. Call 01484 846069 Fax 01484 846232 cwb-online.co.uk Copyright© 2014 CWB Magazine Limited. All rights reserved.Reproduction of any written material or illustration in any form for any purpose, other than short extracts for review purposes, is strictly forbidden. Neither RAS Publishing Ltd nor its agents accept liability for loss or damage to transparencies and any other material submitted for publication.
CWB is a joint venture between RAS Publishing and the National Childrenswear Association.
A Buyer Series Fashion Business Publication CWB is a fashion business publication produced by RAS Publishing Ltd. Other titles include WWB and MWB. RAS Publishing is an ITE Group company.
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ď€Žď€˜ď€?ď€?ď€€ď€™ď€—ď€˜ď€‘ď€•ď€?ď€?ď€? ď€?ď€™ď€šď€‘ď€œď€‰ď€“
ď€?ď€?ď€˜ď€‹ď€‰ď€˜ď€?ď€? ď€˜ď€?ď€? The board of Mothercare has announced that Simon Calver has resigned from his role as CEO with immediate effect and will leave the company at the end of March 2014. The board gave no reason for Calver’s departure, however its remains confident and expects results for the year ending March 2014 to be in line with current market forecasts. It will continue with its strategy to restore profitability in the UK business to complement its growing international operations. The search for a replacement chief executive will begin immediately, with Calver providing transitional support until the end of March. For the interim, executive management will remain responsible for the day-to-day running of the business, reporting directly to the chairman.
London shopping destinations Seven Dials and St Martin’s Courtyard will host a free Spring Shopping Festival on Saturday 17 May. Marking London’s biggest shopping event, it will feature involvement from over 150 shops, bars and restaurants offering a 20 per cent discount. Seven Dials will be entirely traffic-free on the day, with festivities including live music, performances, street food and alfresco games set to take place around the streets and within St Martin’s Courtyard area, while shoppers will receive a host of in-store perks including gifts with purchase. Stores involved in the event include Diesel, American Apparel, Superga, Joules and Pretty Ballerinas.
ď€‘ď€•ď€Œď€›ď€™ď€šď€˜ď€&#x; ď€?ď€€ď€“ď€–ď€•ď€Œď€–ď€•
ď€?ď€?ď€? ď€?ď€˜ď€€ď€™ď€?ď€? For a/w 14, Danish footwear brand Angulus has launched a new range of Slipper Shoes for indoorwear in sizes 20-30. Designed for boys and girls, the soft and lightweight, 100 per cent suede shoes feature plantation crepe rubber soles and are shaped to cocoon the foot. The slipper shoes feature in two classic styles – a Mary Jane and a Chelsea boot – and, for a/w 14, will be available in a range of colours including dusky pink, plum, muted camouflage and bottle green. “Angulus has been producing world-class leather shoes since 1904, and we wanted to extend its range to cover indoor shoes,â€? says brand designer Marianne Britt.
The a/w 14 edition of Bubble London confirmed renewed optimism across the childrenswear industry, with both buyers and exhibitors showing signs of a growing confidence. Many exhibitors selected Bubble London as their launch pad this season, with more than 30 per cent of brands exhibiting for a/w 14 being new to the event, and almost half of those new to the children’s market. One such brand was Raspberry Plum, the winner of this season’s Rising Star competition, which awards the best debuting launch brand at the show. “This was the boost I needed to expand my collection,� says designer and founder Aleksandra Stasis. “Bubble has been such a confidence builder, both in winning the award and meeting buyers, but it has also given us a great platform to interact with the whole of the industry.� Adding another dimension to the visitor experience this season was the show’s debut fashion parade, Bubble Runway, which helped to attract buyers from top department stores such as Fenwick, Harrods, Liberty and Selfridges, as well as key independents from the UK and Ireland, and a host of international businesses. The s/s 15 edition of Bubble London takes place at the BDC on 13-14 July 2014.
ď€Šď€Šď€’ď€€ď€šď€‰ď€˜ď€?ď€?  French children’s brand BbK is bringing its offer of everyday formalwear for three months to 12 years to the UK market. With a strong foothold in its native France and the Far East, the three-year-old brand is now targeting the UK with an offer comprising clothing, footwear and hats. “The brand really has something unique to offer retailers with customers that enjoy dressing their children in timeless style and finesse, along with those looking for the perfect formal brand,â€? says Kathy Charvin of Charvin Agency, which has been appointed UK agent for Bbk. The brand, which has a showroom and shop in Bordeaux, manufactures its clothing in France in a premium fashion workshop, while its footwear is produced in Spain.
ď€?ď€?ď€?ď€&#x;ď€–ď€›ď€˜ ď€‹ď€–ď€“ď€–ď€›ď€˜ď€™ Holly & Beau is a new brand of colour-changing clothing and accessories for boys and girls. The products are activated by water, which triggers the colour of the design to change. The original colours return to the garment once it has dried. The collection includes raincoats, with a colour-changing feather design for girls and a space design for boys, swim shorts in a boat design for boys, and umbrellas in a choice of cats and dogs, flower or cupcake prints. On all purchases of the umbrellas and swim shorts, Holly & Beau makes a donation to The Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, which supports families of children with terminal or life-threatening illness.
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Not-for-profit foundation The Great Retail Revival has launched its first project, teaming up with House of Fraser (HoF) to offer 10 young retail brands the chance to trade within HoF’s Oxford Street flagship in May. Applicants will be selected through a two-stage competition, with short-listed businesses competing live in front of an expert judging panel. Nine winners will be chosen by judges, with a 10th spot given to the winner of a shortlist rated by HoF customers via social media. The winning businesses will feature in a pop-up within HoF’s flagship, receive e-commerce space on www.houseoffraser.co.uk, and mentoring. At the end of the pop-up event on 26 May 2014, a single brand will be chosen to retail at HoF online for a year, and potentially in-store as a concession.
The UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) has unveiled the judging panel for this year’s NatWest UK Fashion & Textile Awards, which takes place on 22 May at East London’s Tobacco Dock and includes the new addition of a Childrenswear Award. In order to allow a comprehensive analysis of each entrant’s commercial performance in the current financial climate, UKFT has selected judges from the fields of fashion, design, innovation and business. The line-up will include Hilary Alexander, OBE (chair); Heather Melville, RBS; Laura Weir, Sunday Times Style; Alexandra Fullerton, Stylist magazine; Sasha Wilkins, Liberty London Girl blog; Graeme Moran, Drapers; Peter Ackroyd, Woolmark; and Martyn Roberts, Fashion Scout. “Those who make the shortlist will have the opportunity on the night to present the best of their collections in a fashion show, which will be seen by top industry leaders and decision makers,” says UKFT CEO, John Miln.
New Scottish brand Luluzulu has launched to market with a collection of gender-free baby tights for ages one to two years. Designed to be both practical and playful, the tights are available in the styles Fox in Socks, Urban Skater and Mummy Love, all suitable for baby boys or girls. Furthermore, each pair of tights comes packaged in a canvas bag that can be reused as a tissue or wet-wipe dispenser. In addition to tights, Luluzulu offers Plimsocks, which are children’s non-slip socks, available for ages 3-10 years.
For a/w 14, footwear brand EMU – formerly EMU Australia – has unveiled a new strategy and direction, which includes an expanded line for its kids’ range, Littles. Seeking to take the brand beyond its sheepskin heritage, and incorporating refined styling and premium leathers, EMU has introduced three new collections – Elements (waterproof), Select (fashion focused) and Beach (reinvention of the shearling boot). In addition to dropping Australia from its brand name, the label has removed the Australian flag from its logo, replacing it with an Emu’s footprint and new wool loop symbol to reflect its use of natural fibres. A new-look website can also be found at www.emuaustralia.com.
Following its launch last autumn, children’s gift and toy supplier Mousehouse has determined its areas of growth and extended its ranges for 2014 accordingly. New to the offer are money boxes featuring monster and dinosaur designs; new butterfly and fairy ranges in its coordinated home décor accessories for children’s bedrooms or play rooms; and additional soft toy collections, which is Mousehouse’s largest growth sector for 2014. Baby gifts are also key, with the company offering extended ranges in hand-crafted gift sets, record books, baby imprint sets, as well as boxed collections comprising matching comforters, rattles and music boxes.
Celebrity mums Joanna Lumley, Abbey Clancy and Zoe Ball are fronting the new joint campaign by Marks & Spencer and Oxfam to raise money for mothers living in poverty around the world. The Love, Mum campaign, which is part of M&S’ ongoing Shwopping initiative, is calling on the nation to Shwop, rather than bin, unwanted childrenswear items of any brand in M&S stores nationwide in the run-up to Mother’s Day. All monies raised from items Shwopped before 31 March 2014 will go to Oxfam’s Mother Appeal, which helps mothers around the world lift themselves and their families out of poverty for good.
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!) ') (%'"%) ' ") &# )% ' (%$# ( ) $ &' " '(&)!""# $(%$# EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S COMMENT: The change in mood was palpable. After some stuttering starts, the optimism and confidence could not be denied. There might still be some troubled times ahead, but visitors and exhibitors alike had smiles on their faces at Bubble London in January. I had been encouraged on the Saturday of set-up, where one agent confided that he had already taken orders from some regular customers, that were well up on the previous year. When the show opened, the crowded aisles, happy faces and, above all, general “buzz� confirmed that early anticipation. By the time the event ended, talk was of healthy orders, new customers and (a species we have not seen many sightings of recently) new retailers. After all the promises and statistical indications, it finally seemed as if the economic recovery was real and that we shall soon be seeing the hard evidence in the tills. I met a few of these new – or soon-to-open – retailers on the NCWA stand. They had researched the market, looked at their chosen locality and had a list of sensible questions. They might not all open, let alone succeed, but I am certainly more optimistic about their chances than those of many I have encountered over the years, whose forecasts and business knowledge have left a lot to be desired. NCWA has long tried to help those thinking of a childrenswear shop, not least through our publication, How to Open a Childrenswear Shop, which comes with a year’s free membership of NCWA. Indeed, we have always felt that if this publication deterred someone from opening a shop, once they had fully appreciated the pitfalls of the National Minimum Wage, employment legislation, rent reviews and so on, then we had provided a service to them and to the industry as a whole. We have added to our services a series of retail training videos, presented by Jackie Cook, NCWA vice president and former childrenswear buyer at Selfridges who now teaches at the Fashion Retail Academy. There is an introductory video on the public part of the NCWA website and it can also be seen on YouTube. The other seven videos are in the members’ part of the NCWA website, which can be accessed by using your password. Established retailers may find it reassuring to check the videos, especially if you are doing everything Jackie suggests, but they may also serve as a refresher course. Agents, manufacturers and suppliers should also find the videos useful, as they may give you some insight into how retailers think. Let’s not forget that we are all in this together. Different parts of the supply chain are not in competition with each other. Indeed, we should all be helping each part to prosper while maintaining healthy competition with those in the same sector. Attention now turns to ensuring delivery of the garments designed and ordered. The Safety of Childrenswear is of paramount importance and NCWA is holding the next in its regular series of seminars on 27 March. The morning session covers the European Standard on Cords and Drawstrings, while the afternoon session deals with the British Code of Practice on mechanical safety. Details have been sent to all members. If you are not a member and would like to join, visit www.ncwa.co.uk, e-mail info@ncwa.co.uk or call 020 7843 9488. NCWA is based at 3 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR. Elizabeth P Fox
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LITTLE JEMS 1 Scott Court, Droylsden, Manchester Established in 2009, Little Jems offers all things special occasionwear. The business stocks holy communionwear, christeningwear, flowergirl dresses, bridesmaid dresses and promwear from Sweetie Pie Collection, Emmerling, Pex, Little People shoes, Rainbow Club and Tara Lee. Owner Rita Phillips moved the business to new, bigger premises last year, and has seen additional passing trade since becoming more visible. She is now placing focus on the website, having employed someone to work on SEO optimisation and redevelopment to create a more responsive site. www.littlejemsmanchester.co.uk
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BAMBINI BOUTIQUE Bambini Boutique is a family run independent retailer of baby and children’s clothing, gifts, accessories and nursery product including prams, cots, cribs, Moses baskets, pushchairs, changing bags, car seat covers and pram inlays. Collections consist of designer brands and boutique labels which, as well as available from its store located on the high street in Crowthorne, Berkshire, are stocked on its website, with free delivery to mainland UK on orders over £65. Visitors to the website can sign-up to the retailer’s newsletter to keep updated. Key brands offered include Angel’s Face, Aston Martin Junior, Billieblush, Converse, I Love Gorgeous, Kenzo, Kissy Kissy and Leon Shoes, Lili Gaufrette, Mebi Nature and Milk Two Bunnies. www.bambiniuk.com
NCWA Council: Chairman SHARON BEARDSWORTH Emile et Rose Manufacturer Vice Chairman DAVID HULL Agent Imm Past Chairman DAVID BURGESS David Luke Ltd Manufacturer Treasurer COLIN WILSON
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Council Members: NUALA MCKENNA Nuala McKenna Agencies Agent. DIANE SHAW Agent. SARAH TAYLOR Agent. RAY WILLIAMS Agent. HANNAH MCHALICK Oh Baby London Manufacturer. MALCOLM TRAVIS Travis Designs Manufacturer. RACHEL RILEY Rachel Riley Manufacturer. JANETTE REED Cotswold Kids Retailer. VIRGINIA ROSS Pollyanna Retailer. President: KEN SCATES Marketing and sourcing consultant Vice Presidents: LESLEY FALLON Retail consultant JACKIE COOK Retail consultant Executive Director: ELIZABETH FOX
• Membership is open to everyone involved in the British childrenswear industry. • Associate membership, open to non-British organisations, is now available. Read our blog and follow us on Twitter
• Membership costs from £85.
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Organic childrenswear brand Ava & Luc has introduced dresses to its offer. Available for two to six years, the A-line dresses are made from organic cotton in a choice of horse, dog or bunny print using oeko-tex 100 dyes tested for harmful substances. “Manufactured ethically in India, the dresses, as with all of the brand’s collection, do not feature any labels to irritate children’s skin,” says Ava & Luc’s creative director, Janice Rokita. “After building an extremely successful pyjama, playsuit, T-shirt and burp cloth collection, we were regularly asked whether we could add dresses to our range. We’ve chosen three beautiful prints for the launch of the dresses, and will be adding three more prints in April.”
Swedish family run brand Snoozy is set to launch its childrenswear collections to the UK market. The colourful label for newborn to 10 years offers retro-inspired designs for boys and girls as well as unisex styles. The company’s ethos is to combine its spring/summer collection with its autumn/winter offer to enable the clothing to be worn over a much longer period. It therefore offers a mix-and-match “base collection”, which it complements seasonally with new colours and patterns. The company behind Snoozy has been producing textiles since the 90s, launching its own-label brand Snoozy, which is designed and produced in its factory in China, in 2007.
Travis Designs has launched a new licenced division of the company to accommodate recent partnerships secured with key children’s properties. The new division includes a Disney Baby licence for the 0-2 year age group for dress-up apparel styles, which will cover many of the popular Disney baby-focused characters. The initial launch includes Winnie the Pooh and Friends, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and 101 Dalmatians across tabards and plush all-in-ones and rompers. A stock range with pre-order opportunities will be provided, as will the offer to exclusively design for retailers to produce the right products for their stores. Other new licences for Travis Designs are Sophie la Giraffe and Gem Fairies.
Founded in March 2013, Latvian children’s clothing and accessories brand Lazy Francis has opened its first own-brand boutique and showroom. Located in Riga in Latvia, on Miera St 19, the new store and showroom are part of wider development plans for the company, which include the launch of e-commerce retail and wholesale websites and forming trade partners in the UK, Russia and the United Emirates. “At the same time as looking to work with more trade clients, we are focusing on improving our sales process, the key to it being e-commerce,” says brand co-owner Alina Sakhterova.
UK childrenswear brand David Charles, which specialises in girls’ partywear and special-occasion dresses, has seen rapid growth over the last year. Highlights include international expansion, with additional own-brand stores in China and Russia, and key new accounts including Alex and Alexa, which will stock David Charles from June. Additionally, in response to its growing online customer base, the label has plans to launch a new e-commerce site. The website, which is key for international customers, will offer a more extensive range available to buy online. In terms of the collection, which comprises party dresses, daywear and a growing range of accessories, a/w 14 saw the introduction of new fur and embroidered collars, cropped jackets, cardigans and fur coats.
Baby and toddler soft leather shoe brand Inch Blue is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The label is marking the milestone by reintroducing a selection of its most popular designs from over years, such as the Oriental Bird gift set and Cherry Blossom shoes, which have been refreshed for a new market. Fifteen years on, Inch Blue continues to produce its hand-stitched shoe from its own factory in Wales using Chrome 6-free leather, with new styles and colourways added each season. Complementary ranges have also been added over the years, including the brand's sheepskin baby booties called Cwtches, printed gift sets featuring Inch Blue's exclusive prints on babygros, hats, shoes and embroidered gift sets.
Early Days, Baby Shoes for all Occasions Hand made in the UK since 1952 For a copy of the brand new Leather Collection catalogue please contact: Early Days 15 b Mandervell Rd, Oadby, Leicester, LE2 5LQ Tel: 01162 716944 Email: sales@earlydays.ltd.uk
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www.fashionlaw.co.uk www.agentlaw.co.uk
LOOKING FOR THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS CAN LEAVE YOU IN A WORSE POSITION Wanting to have your cake and eat it is quite normal. For a business facing a situation where it must make a statutory payment it is understandable. Where the payment arises under the Commercial Agents Regulations – where even after 20 years of existence on the statute book many principals question why a payment should be made when the agent has already been remunerated for his services – such a payment can feel galling. But as a very recent court judgment shows, principals should be careful as to what they wish for. The Regulations allow principals and agents to elect as to whether an indemnity will be payable on termination (excluding the situation where a termination results from a serious breach by the agent). If there is no election, then compensation is payable by default. The assessments of the two entitlements have many similarities, although there are important differences. However, for a principal, the key advantage of an indemnity is that the amount payable to an agent has an easily calculated top limit. In contrast, compensation has no maximum. But how about if, on termination, compensation is lower? In this situation has the principal missed a trick? Do you have to opt for certainty that might turn out not to be to your advantage, or is there a third way? The court considered this in the recent case of Charles Shearman vs Hunter Boot Limited, where we acted for Charles Shearman. The principal, Hunter, had included in its agency agreement clauses, which stated that: • The agent would be entitled to an indemnity, provided that the amount payable for
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compensation was not lower. • If compensation was lower, then it is what the agent would be entitled to. Perfect outcome for a principal? Facing a claim for compensation under the Regulations from Mr Shearman, Hunter applied for a declaration from the court that its contractual provisions were enforceable and, therefore, could be relied on by Hunter. Unfortunately for Hunter, the court backed the agent. What was the problem? Put simply, the court said that the drafters of the European Agents Directive (which was implemented into English law by the Regulations) had not intended to allow an approach whereby the agent had the worst of all worlds. The court considered the purpose of the directive was to protect the agent and that to allow a system where all that would be known at the outset of the contract was that the principal would pay the cheapest price did not give effect to this. Arguably, by trying to play the regulations, Hunter actually hampered its own position in relation to the amount which Mr Shearman was entitled (that is, liability, whether Hunter was justified in terminating Mr Shearman, remained in issue between the parties). By including a provision that sought to put it in the best position in all eventualities, in the court’s judgment, Hunter lost the protection of the election for an indemnity. Subsequently the parties settled their dispute on confidential terms. Such court decisions emphasise that looking for the best of all worlds (as Hunter sought to do), can leave the principal in a worse position. Š Fox Williams LLP 2014
WHY RETAILERS MUST PREPARE FOR TIMES OF PEAK DEMAND IN 2014 Now more than ever it is vital for online retailers to exploit peak trading times, by analysing trends and discovering the most successful way to increase site traffic. Email marketing has been proven to radically increase traffic, if utilised in the right way to suit your business. Email marketing stats across peak Christmas trading times, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, can account for up to 40 per cent of a retailer’s annual revenue, but other national holidays and events are just as important to keep revenue consistent throughout the year. For example, Easter and events such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Of course, different times of year will apply more significantly to different retailers. Planning is key. Get a structure in place that you can follow throughout the year, reintroducing popular promotions through email marketing campaigns. If a time of peak trade is coming up, start your campaign early and beat your competitors to the sale. Messaging is always going to be one of the most important aspects in getting your campaign right – don’t confuse promotions, and keep the content fresh and exciting. Contemplate building your narrative for the day with multiple emails, but keep the mix fresh with new design and content. If you don’t have the resources to make the emails radically different, make noticeable design changes and alter the subject line. This is a great alternative solution when it’s difficult to create new campaigns. Give your business its best chance of flourishing in 2014 with a solid email marketing strategy.
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Was your business flood damaged? — We are slightly away from the river, so we haven’t actually had any flood damage to the business. However, over the half-term break, we were affected by the fact that people decided not to come out to visit the store. So even though flooding didn’t damage your business, has it suffered due to the bad winter weather? — It has seemed quieter in general; in terms of trade, it seemed like a normal week during the flooding. We had a busy Saturday but, after that, it was hit and miss. We had a few sunny days – but, when it is sunny, everyone goes to the beach. Trade was down slightly. Having spoken to other business, it has been the same for a lot of people. You have two stores – have they both seen similar patterns in trade during the flooding? — Compared to the Wadebridge store, it seems our Fowey shop on the south coast has been harder hit trade-wise, with a much lower footfall than we would normally expect at that time of year. Do you foresee any long-term effects of the flooding to your business? — Luckily, things have returned to normal.
How has the flooding affected your business? — The flooding in the area has meant that people cannot get about easily by bicycle, car, bus or train. So customers have stayed at home more and, as a result, footfall has been down a little. Our shop itself was not flooded, thank goodness, and only twice have I been unable to get there myself due to deeply flooded roads; however, on both of those occasions I was lucky enough that another team member was able to open up the shop for business.
Have the recent floods damaged your business in any way? — We haven’t had any actual flood damage to the business, but customers have said it has taken them ages to get to the shop because of the local road closures. And since January, certain major roads have been consistently flooded. We are very close to the Thames Valley – and, while we haven’t been flooded ourselves, a lot of the surrounding roads have been, including a town a mile away from us, and a lot of people have to travel through it to get to us.
What short and long-term effects will the flooding have on your business? — Well, we have not sold winter coats, hats and gloves this year, however we have been selling plenty of raincoats instead, and lots of kids’ school shoes have worn out very quickly and need replacing due to them not drying out properly. Long-term, I do plan to have a website up and running this year to create online sales and enable customers to find what they need, whatever the weather.
Do you think you lost much business over the flooding period? — Business is fine now, and customers did make the journey to get here, but I’m sure there are some who didn’t bother because of the road closures. We are in a rural area, and when the weather is bad it does affect us. We are a destination, rather than being on the high street. Overall, footfall has definitely been lower.
Were you made aware of any advice or support available for businesses affected by the flooding? — No help was offered, but I was not expecting any, as many businesses are in the same situation.
Were you aware of any support available for businesses affected by the flooding? — As we weren’t flooded, I wasn’t seeking or expecting any kind of support.
For more industry opinion visit cwb-online.co.uk
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THE DANDY KID The Barn Courtyard, Wendover, Buckinghamshire Founded by design creative Becks Clarke and brand and marketing specialist Sarah Beattie, new childrenswear boutique The Dandy Kid opened its doors to the public on 15 February. To mark the occasion, the retailer offered free face painting and merry-go-round rides in its courtyard setting, and also teamed up with Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, collecting donations on the day in support of the charity’s work to help seriously ill children and young people live a fuller and happier life. Stocking clothing for boys and girls from newborn to eight years alongside accessories and other related children’s product, The Dandy Kid’s focus is on providing fun, bold and contemporary design, with the initial offering including British independent brands as well as products from Scandinavia, France and the US. Areas of the business earmarked for development in the early stages include providing an online offering, with a website set to launch later in the year. www.facebook.com/thedandykid
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MINI MI 74 High Street, Rochester, Kent Established in late 2013 on the quaint cobbled streets of Rochester is lifestyle boutique Mini Mi, which offers a mix of product for children, adults and the home. The store prides itself on sourcing heritage and design classics, as well as supporting innovative brands breaking into the market. Selling via its boutique and an online portal, Mini Mi’s brand portfolio for children’s product includes I Love Gorgeous, Cute Graffiti, Bob & Blossom, Graphic Baby, Poppy England, Mini Melissa, Belle & Boo, Le Toy Van, Scandi Chic and Maileg. www.mini-mi.co.uk
LIQUORICE LACES 4 Penny Lane, Cowbridge, Cardiff Nikki Jones and her husband, Jeff, are the team behind Cardiff children’s footwear boutique Liquorice Laces, which launched online in June 2010, closely followed by a physical shop in the August. Nikki formed the business after having her children and following a 19-year career with M&S in in-store management, where she developed a passion for product and keen customer service. Alongside its core footwear offer, Liquorice Laces sells rainwear, sleepwear, slippers, hosiery and accessories. www.liquoricelaces.co.uk
SIDNEYBOO! Launched last month, selling childrenswear and accessories for babies through to five year olds, is brand new online store Sidneyboo! With an ethos that children’s clothing should have a sense of fun and playfulness, the retailer targets brands that are creative with their designs and offer something individual. Labels of choice, therefore, include Boys & Girls, Cute Graffiti, Ruff & Huddle, Indikidual, Gardner and the Gang, Oh Baby London, Picnik Barcelona and The Bright Company. Accessories, toys and gifts are also available from names such as Slugs & Snails, Corby Tindersticks and Funky Legs. www.sidneyboo.co.uk
Independent brands have until 31 March to submit their business concepts to East London shopping destination Boxpark Shoreditch for the chance to win a free week’s use of one of its pop-up shops. The winning brand will receive a complete 300 sq ft shop-fit to showcase its product amid Boxpark’s mix of fashion and lifestyle brands, galleries and eateries. www.boxpark.co.uk/popup
Selfridges London is hosting Board Games this spring – a celebration of surf and skate fashion. Board Games will immerse every part of the Oxford Street store; with the fourth-floor Kidswear edit offering new brands, exclusive collaborations, events and hero pieces related to all things skate and surf.
WESTFIELD TRIALS CLICK AND COLLECT
APRIL OPENING FOR JOHN LEWIS YORK
CLOTHING SECTOR AIMS TO CUT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT For more retail news visit cwb-online.co.uk
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01: LAZY FRANCIS
02: LITTLE REMIX
Founded in March 2013, Lazy Francis offers handmade childrenswear and accessories made in Latvia. The range comprises bright and elegant pieces produced from fabrics treated during the manufacturing process that allows the clothing to be machine washed or washed by hand. Lazy Francis is in the process of launching an e-commerce retail and wholesale website, and is actively working with potential partners in the UK, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Wholesale prices ¤12.50-¤75. www.lazyfrancis.com
Established in 2006, Little Remix is a Danish brand for ages four to 16 years represented in the UK by Vida Kids. The fashion-forward “mini me” line provides around 100 pieces per collection, where shapes and lines are minimalistic and textiles include cashmere knits, thin and light denim, light-treated cotton and soft leather pieces. Key styles include a black biker jacket with quilted details, a matching skirt with a heavy silver zipper and a solar system print featured on 100 per cent silk styles. Wholesale prices £10-£70. www.designersremix.com
03: HILDA.HENRI
04: CHAPTER 2
05: RASPBERRY PLUM
With an emphasis on sustainability, premium-milled loden (felted fabric produced from boiled wool) and a knitwear range, Hilda.Henri launched last year in Vienna, Austria. Catering for boys and girls aged one to 12 years and, on special request, up to 16 years, the a/w 14 line also features pieces for mums. Highlights in the childrenswear collection are milled loden jackets, coats, capes, skirts, dresses, trousers, knitwear and accessories. Wholesale prices ¤18-65. www.hildahenri.com
Chapter 2 is a new premium brand of unisex footwear and accessories for children aged four to 10 years. Combining quality and craftsmanship, it offers luxury investment pieces featuring sophisticated colours and materials including snake and soft sheep leather. Each pair is handmade in the UK at the label’s in-house footwear workshop in London and features a turquoise rubber cloud on the leather soles for grip. Wholesale prices £25-£110. www.chapter2kids.com
A new girlswear brand – and winner of Bubble London’s Rising Star award for a/w 14 – is Raspberry Plum, which caters for ages three to 10 years. Based in the UK and manufactured in the founder’s native Serbia, the collection combines the comfort and practicality of modern fabrics with vintage childrenswear silhouettes and a colour palette taken from 50s toys and poster adverts. Cotton jersey tops, double-face denim jerseys for trousers and skirts also feature. Wholesale prices ¤5-¤60. www.raspberryplum.com
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LOVE KEEP CREATE Love Keep Create, which creates bespoke keepsakes such as animals, quilts, blankets and cushions from beloved old baby clothes, is now targeting mainstream retail with its service. Sets contain an order form, information and a mail bag in a gift box. The customer can then choose the item they want created, a courier will collect the child’s clothing, and the order will be completed within three weeks.
PL CHILD PL Child, the children’s bag range from changing, maternity and baby bag brand Pink Lining, has two new prints available. For girls, there is a star covered unicorn design and, for boys, a jousting knight. Alongside established pieces in the collection there is a new, large rucksack for older children, which includes side pockets for drinks, three dividing pockets, a write-on identity tag, adjustable padded straps and a padded back panel. A new travel solution for kids is also available in the form of a tablet case, with padded lining for protection.
SILLY U Established in 2011, Silly U is a modern Danish design brand offering lifestyle toys, interiors and tableware intended to stimulate a child’s imagination and play, as well as cultivate learning and socialisation. Catering for 0-3 years, it offers four lines: Zoopreme (pictured), which is safari-inspired; Forest, featuring forest animals; Wise and Wonderful Owls; and Martian & Sea, featuring creatures from outer space and the aquatic universe.
1 TWO KIDS Amid distributor 1 Two Kids’ offer is the new Sophie La Girafe baby natural and organic skincare line. Items in the range include babies’ face cream, body lotion, oil, hair and body wash, bubble bath and protection cream.
IZZY MELODY New company Izzy Melody offers the I.M BabyBangle. Manufactured in the UK, the multi-purpose baby teether soothes teething babies and stimulates their motor skills, as well as doubling up as an accessory for mums to wear. Suitable from birth, the product can be sterilised, put in the dish washer, and is fridge and freezer safe for extra cooling teething relief.
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ď€‰ď€™ď€ˆď€ąď€Ťď€€ď€?ď€ď€Şď€›ď€€ď€—ď€ď€Şď€§ď€&#x; ď€?ď€&#x;ď€&#x;  ď€€ď€ˆď€Şď€Łď€Źď€Łď€Ťď€˘ď€€ď€Łď€Ľď€Ľď€ď€Ťď€Źď€Şď€›ď€Źď€¨ď€Ş ď€ď€Źď€? ď€&#x; ď€œď€Şď€¨ď€ď€Ąď€˘ď€Źď€€ď€Źď€¨ď€€ď€Ľď€Ł ď€&#x;ď€?ď€&#x;ď€&#x; ď€Ąď€Ľď€¨ď€œď€›ď€Ľď€€ď€?ď€&#x; ď€&#x;ď€&#x; ď€œď€Şď€›ď€§ď€žď€‚ď€€ď€ˆď€&#x;ď€&#x;ď€€ď€ ď€€ď€ˆď€¨ď€¨ď€„ď€€ Belle & Boo is one of those rather unique brands with the ability to engage children and adults in equal measure. Using aesthetics to trigger an emotive and romantic notion of childhood in adults, and endearing simplicity to capture the imagination of children, it has maximised its brand appeal with a broad customer base ranging from children spending on pocket money gifts through to parents furnishing a nursery. The collection is equally accommodating, spanning everything from art prints and stationery through to fashion and homeware, all featuring illustrations centred around the characters of a little girl called Belle and her rabbit companion Boo. The individual behind the Belle & Boo illustrations is a British illustrator called Mandy Sutcliffe, who established the Belle & Boo brand in 2007. Sutcliffe, who had been working from her living room selling her illustrations of simple childhood moments such as baking cakes, watering plants and feeding the birds via craft website Etsy.com, quickly became inundated with orders. It was at this stage that current brand co-founder
Kate Shafe entered the scene. Shafe, a friend and fan of Sutcliffe’s work, saw the commercial opportunity in Sutcliffe’s style of illustration and suggested that together they build the world of Belle & Boo beyond just art prints. Therefore, in 2008, the friends formed a business partnership and, under Shafe’s direction, Belle & Boo flourished. The duo launched an online shop, secured a host of licensing deals and produced an award-winning range of homeware and children’s gift products, which are now distributed throughout the world. Today, the business employs a team of eight, working from an office in Bristol. It sells around 334 SKUs across eight categories and has 19 licensing partners and three international licensing agents. As well as selling directly through its web shop www.belleandboo.com, for which it has around 8,000 registered online customers, the brand has been introduced in more than 26 international markets, primarily through UK licensees expanding worldwide distribution, and sells directly to over 120
outlets around the world. In the UK, Belle & Boo is sold in 512 outlets across independent, department and online stores, with its natural home being amongst the independents, which have the flexibility to be creative with the brand. Childrenswear independents, in particular, are increasingly looking to the brand to expand their offers into lifestyle products, with the nature of Belle & Boo’s collection allowing creative boutique retailers to tell a story to customers through the products, encouraging brand loyalty and repeat sales. Fundamentally, the company’s aspiration is for the world of Belle & Boo to become part of a child’s everyday life, reflected by its continually diversifying range. Products that complement the original art prints, such as the cushions and wall stickers, remain the core offer. Alongside homeware, there are also dining products, including melamine sets, lunch boxes and a new range of chinaware for children. Play and craft is another key area, particularly following the success of the Belle & Boo Book of Craft, with gifts such as a dress-up doll, Boo cookie cutter and apron set,
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and the Bubbles Before Bed book, which interweaves the story of bedtime routine with illustrations for children to colour, all popular amid the brand’s growing fan base in the craft arena. Beyond this, the range extends into party tableware, cards, gift wrap and childrenswear. The clothing line, which is purposefully designed to be fantasy-led, not fashion-led, offers a range of girlswear with a contemporary twist on vintage charm. Incorporating hand embroidery, appliqué and reversible prints, hero pieces include a pinafore dress featuring an embroidery of Boo the rabbit and a cotton sateen blouse and shorts set featuring a hand-embroidered tree and featuring the signature Boo print lining. Plans are to continue developing the clothing line, including a relaunch of the summer dresses range with increased focus on vintage shapes. A new colour palette of cornflower blue, navy, yellow and pink is being introduced, as is an all-over rabbit print and detailing such as mother-of-pearl buttons and ribbon sashes. A/w 14, meanwhile, sees the brand’s limited-edition children’s coat relaunched in a new colourway as well as a collection of everydaywear. In terms of business dynamics, Sutcliffe and Shafe are the yin and yang of the brand, with Sutcliffe delivering the visual creativity and Shafe’s past career within retail marketing providing the retail and business knowledge to forge partnerships and develop new products. Shafe, essentially, is responsible for the strategic planning, the ongoing marketing of the brand, as well as managing the growing licence portfolio. Following the brand’s securing of a global book contract in 2010, however, further support was required, which saw Shafe’s
(L-R) KATE SHAFE, MANDY SUTCLIFFE AND PATRICK SUTCLIFFE
husband, Patrick, resigning from his position as a managing director of a London design agency to join the business as a part owner. Once on board, Patrick began reviewing the procurement procedures and brand’s pricing policy to ensure margins were maximised on existing sales, as well as managing the design and implementation of Belle & Boo’s transactional retail website, which launched in May 2012. Today, his focus is on handling the contractual negotiations with the brand’s UK and overseas licensing agents together with the overall international growth of the business. Despite having grown to global status, Belle & Boo maintains the personal touch of a small business and is committed to valuing its customers. It provides free downloads on its website, such as free outfits for the dress-up Belle & Boo doll and free party invitations and, with each purchase from its website, customers receive a hand-written thank you card from the Belle & Boo team as well as an extra token in the form of stickers or postcards. With regard to growth, Belle & Boo is
looking largely to international markets. The label’s German, Austrian and Swiss (GAS) program demonstrates the potential for international expansion, and it is aiming to role this out to GAS, Benelux, France, Nordic, South Africa, Asia, Australia, Japan and the US. It also proposes to introduce Belle & Boo plush toys, games and bath products. The potential signing of two new licences aims to support this product demand, as does working with the brand’s current craft publishers to launch a second book. This year, as well as focusing on international growth, Belle & Boo aims to have a UK pop-up shop by the end of 2014, with the view to a more permanent retail presence in the following years. It is also launching Belle & Boo Boo-tique, an online shop and gallery offering the work of independent designers. Boo-tique will feature an edited range of handmade pieces selected by Sutcliffe, and will be part of Belle & Boo’s e-commerce site. And don’t be surprised if you see Belle & Boo hop into the world of TV one day because, as far as this brand is concerned, the sky is the limit.
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# BEAR NECESSITIES: Panda designs incorporated as motifs and all-over prints.
COLOUR BLOCKS: Blocks of colour form the focus, especially to highlight detailing such as pockets or pleats.
FANTASTIC MR FOX: The fox is another key animal design of the season, seen in motifs, prints and character designs.
FANTASY ISLAND: Imaginative designs that take inspiration from magic, fairy tales, circuses and surreal imagery.
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FLORAL STANCE: Various takes on the floral trend, ranging from simple prints through to abstract designs.
GEOMETRIC GEMS: Geometric shapes are used to form the basis for contemporary prints and motifs.
GREY DAZE: A key colour of the season, grey is in abundance for a/w 14, especially light, silvery shades.
MOUNTAIN ENERGY: Inspired by the great outdoors, with designs reflecting mountains and forest animals.
NATURE LOVERS: A combination of earthy tones and warm textiles including wool, faux fur and corduroy.
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As offshore manufacturing costs and ethical issues continue to escalate, the political will of retailers and brands to resurrect a UK manufacturing base is now becoming a viable commercial option. High-street retailers, along with niche and luxury brands, are actively working with colleges, schools and apprenticeship schemes to train the next generation of skilled workers for careers in clothing manufacture. Last month, over 170 delegates attended an ASBCI fashion industry conference to discuss the realities of UK manufacture. Alek Adamski, partner in UK supply chain practice at global management consulting firm Kurt Salmon, set the tone for the day with an optimistic presentation. After fast-tracking delegates through the offshore manufacturing exodus that began in the 80s, he proclaimed, “Good news – things are changing and moving rapidly the other way!� Increased labour and freight costs, difficulties in sourcing raw materials, environmental and ethical concerns, and China’s focus on the demands of its domestic market have made UK retailers look again at UK sourcing. Cost to serve, he explained, is key, and retailers have started to understand the true cost differentials in sourcing from the Far East as opposed to the UK, which is translating into action. John Lewis’ Made in the UK label is branded on 10,500 garments (July 2013), and M&S, River Island and George Clothing are just some of the retailers who are sourcing from the UK where possible. And while the luxury clothing sector has long been capitalising on Made in the UK credentials at home and overseas, the volume retailers are now following suit, with consumers helping by demanding quality not quantity. There are still challenges to overcome but, said Adamski, “Retailers are recognising that long-term collaborations with local suppliers are
becoming a key element of supply chain success.� A Kurt Salmon study has shown that fabric, colour, silhouette and quantity decisions made closer to sale improve margins and speed to market. “Every eight weeks saved generates a two per cent improvement on retained margin – it is a real reason to source from the UK.� As for the future? While Adamski feels the government could and should help, he believes it is retailers who will drive the resurrection of the UK manufacturing industry. Christopher Nieper, managing director of luxury womenswear brand David Nieper, was in agreement with Adamski, saying, “My challenge to you today, retailers, is that the new manufacturing revolution will be led by you. Don’t wait for producers to appear – start doing it yourselves, just like we have.� In Nieper’s keynote presentation he inspired delegates with his account of how the 53-year-old Derbyshire company survived the economic downturn of the 80s and competition from “chain stores� by staying committed to UK manufacturing, reinventing its womenswear offer, and selling directly to consumers through mail order. It embraced online opportunities and the latest manufacturing and digital printing technologies while staying faithful to its traditional “craftsmanship� roots and maintaining its premium price points, recognising its customers want enduring luxury. Crucially, its flexible “just in time� dressmaker manufacturing model has enabled it to achieve optimum customer satisfaction and the lowest return rates far below industry standards. With lead times of around three weeks, it keeps stocks low and can adapt designs in line with customer feedback – this has proved particularly helpful with perfecting the fit of its garments. “We need loyal customers to place repeat orders and we need loyal staff and suppliers, too,� said Nieper.
“Remember, you cannot buy loyalty, you have to earn it; a good starting point is to pay suppliers promptly, and we usually pay ours within 10 days.� He also urged retailers and manufacturers to work together and invest in people. By way of example, David Nieper has its own Fashion Academy, which engages with local primary schools and fashion colleges nationwide to inspire interest in fashion production. Plans are to eventually establish a school that will offer work experience in fashion manufacture. “The shift to UK sourcing also makes sense for volume clothing retailers�, said speaker David Goodwin, head of technical services at Matalan. “The pursuit of the cheap needle around the globe has almost run its course.� Goodwin cited data from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the People’s Republic of China March 2003-2012, which shows China’s wage inflation increase running at 14 per cent to 15 per cent per annum. In addition, he added, “While we have witnessed huge ‘levelling’ of wage increases in such countries as Bangladesh and Cambodia, some of these increases have been through industrial unrest and brought with it disruption, uncertainty and added cost.� Chasing the cheap needle, Goodwin argued, also brings with it other issues. “It can lead brands and retailers into countries where ethical trading, health & safety and workers’ rights are alien concepts,� he said. “And even if such disciplines are achievable, they tend to be time consuming, expensive, demanding and difficult to implement and police. Product quality can suffer, especially at the commodity end of the market, and consumers can end up buying ‘landfill’ fashion. Combined with increases in fuel costs, there is a convincing argument to make it in the UK.� Evidence that garment manufacturing is re-shoring can be found in the supply of sewing machinery and
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spare parts. One of the largest sewing machine and parts dealers in the UK has seen its business turnover rise by around 65 per cent in the past four years, with sales of sewing machine needles – a fairly reliable indicator of the level of sewing going on in a market – increasing by an average of 11 per cent in the last three years. Chris Taylor, commercial and operations director of Basic Thinking, a Leicester volume womenswear manufacturer for Matalan, has, in the past three years, changed its sourcing model from 80 per cent manufacturing in Egypt and 20 per cent manufacturing in the UK to 80 per cent in the UK and 20 per cent in Egypt. Basic Thinking wanted to dramatically improve its eight-week lead times. Realising it could not achieve this while producing most of its product in Egypt, it set up a production line in Leicester to run clearance lines for three months. This enabled it to get the necessary technical and ethical auditing accreditations which meant it could work with the high street. Then it set about employing “the right labour” for its “clean and attractive factory” and established a sewing academy for the unemployed to address its local skill shortage. In just three years it has reduced its lead times to three to four weeks and is producing 130,000 units per month. A vital part of its success is down to the relationships it has forged with its retail clients and its own carefully selected suppliers. It is, Taylor concluded, “this close, defined retailer and supplier collaboration with encouragement from local and central government that holds the key to the renaissance of British manufacturing.” Lorna Fitzsimons, director of the Alliance Project, argued that “the government is trying to support growth within the UK’s textile and garment manufacturing sector.” In 2011, Vince Cable MP commissioned a major survey into textile manufacturing, and appointed Fitzsimons, along with management consultancy firm KPMG, to survey 16 retail groups and 130 manufacturers. In 2012, it determined the textile manufacturing sector is contributing £9bn to the economy. “This figure was a wake-up call to the government and made it sit up and take notice,” she says. The survey also found that the textile manufacturing hot spots were located in the “poorest” regions of Lancashire, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, so a regeneration of textile manufacturing would also have a direct and positive outcome for the local economies. As a result, the Alliance Project has been given a regional growth fund of £12.8m, of which over £11m is available over the next 18 months to support the regeneration of textile-related manufacturing businesses in the UK (excluding London and Scotland). Part of the fund is dedicated to creating an “asset register of manufacturing suppliers in the UK” and making this available to all retailers. Simultaneously, the Alliance is addressing the skills deficit and has appointed a team of technical experts with representatives from names such as Asos, Abraham Moon and M&S to assess the skills’ needs and allocate the funding. Jonny Mitchell, executive director at Crystal Martin International, applied his vast and recent experiences of UK manufacturing for Courtaulds hosiery and LeeAnn Fashions
womenswear to reveal how UK companies can best fulfil the demands of high-street retailers. The key, he insisted, is “close collaborative partnerships between retailers and manufacturers who share the same business and production strategies. Retailers do not have to ‘own’ the manufacturing base, but should be willing to share the success and indeed the risks.” Mitchell went on to explain that M&S had committed to a five-year plan with LeeAnn Fashions in Leicester so that the company could invest in the necessary people and machinery to make M&S’ new Best of British collection. He urged buyers within retail groups to look beyond margins “that take away from the innovation and USP of British-made garments.” He called for a “big, collective long-term approach” to skills’ training that should involve all stakeholders, including the government, and a re-think on the minimum wage. He concluded by urging manufacturers to “think and act in a world-class way” with a global supplier mentality. “You must give the retailers a reason to buy from you other than price – we do not want to be a cottage industry, so design and make product that people want to buy.” A shining example of collaboration was presented by Jenny Holloway, founder and MD of not-for-profit organisation Fashion Enter, whose garment manufacturing and training facility in London has had a huge impact in reviving sewing skills and creating employment and career opportunities for young people. She has formed “open and honest” collaborative relationships with retailers – notably Asos, in addition to John Lewis, M&S, New Look, River Island and Topshop – which has translated into a 7,500 sq ft fully equipped factory and sampling studio, employing 84 people and producing between one and 10,000 high-quality jersey and woven garments per week. In July 2013, Fashion Enter secured further loans from Asos to open a Stitching Academy and launch a new Factory Technical Academy, due to open later this year. Ian Maclean, MD of knitwear label John Smedley, identified five core brand values that play a part in making UK brands a success in the global market – Britishness, design, quality, craftsmanship and community. “Britishness”, he argues, is not just about “made in Britain”. He urged delegates to celebrate British success stories, such as Boden as, while it makes most of its garments offshore, it turns over £250m, exports £90m to the US, creates employment and makes a valuable contribution to the UK economy. It does not claim to be made in the UK, but is capitalising on the global appeal of “British lifestyle”. Design, he said, is not just about designers. He implored industry organisations, such as the British Fashion Council and the media, to “change their language and recognise the importance of UK manufacturers in delivering British fashion on the global stage.” Quality, he stated, has never been more important as it justifies price differentials. So, while John Smedley has seen its cost per unit increase from £25 to £40 since the year 2000, Maclean pointed out the
company “cannot compromise on quality and needs other strategies to help consumers understand the real value of buying our British-made brand.” Community, said Maclean, is about the industry working together with government and bodies such as the Textile Institute to share business advice and export opportunities. Finally, by adhering to its “craftsmanship” routes, John Smedley has retained a point of difference and is growing as a result. Maclean closed by advising companies to “start with the wealthy and discerning Japanese market. Translate everything into Japanese, as there is a readymade market there for British craftsmanship.” Tony O’Connor, head of design in menswear at M&S, told how it has made “iconic retro British style” the point of difference for its new Best of British men’s and womenswear range. M&S refused to compromise on the “made in the UK” integrity of the collection, so all of the tweeds and components were sourced in the UK, and the garments entirely made here. “It wasn’t easy to find manufacturers for the collection, but we made some contacts in the industry who helped me land the range in just four weeks,” he said. M&S now uses more British-made fabric than any other clothing retailer in the UK. Last to take the stage was Kate Hills who, as a buyer, had become increasingly
disillusioned with the offshore buying strategies of the big retail groups and set up the website makeitBritish.co.uk dedicated to promoting UK-made products. Launched in 2011, Make it British now features the products of over 1,000 UK manufacturers. Hills admits that initially it was “a hobby, but has become a valid platform for showcasing and uniting UK manufacturers and buyers.” The traffic to her website has increased by 246 per cent in the past year, with 2,272 requests made to the site in January 2014 alone. She conducted a consumer survey and found 43 per cent of respondents would pay more for product made in Britain, while 70 per cent of the over-60s and just 16 per cent of the under-30s would pay more. Furthermore, 60 per cent perceived products made in Britain to be of “good quality”. However, Hills also found that manufacturers are not doing enough to help themselves. Of those asked, 62 per cent said business is about the same, but less than 25 per cent of them are proactively looking for new business, preferring to rely on word of mouth. This clearly has to improve if manufacturers are going to realise their growth potential, with Hills stating the way ahead lies in commitment. “Retailers must make a commitment to their UK supply base and it will be rewarded in the long run,” she said. To help unite retailers with manufacturers, Make it British is hosting a two-day trade show, which is open to all, at the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London, on 11-12 June 2014.
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Established in 2013, Amy & Ivor is a small, British brand of hand-crafted, soft-structured baby and toddler moccasins. Designed to offer both style and practicality, the shoes are made from 100 per cent baby-safe chrome-free and vegetable-tanned leather, and are suitable for indoor and light outdoor use. Available in a choice of contemporary colours and in UK shoe sizes 0-9. www.amyandivor.com
New to the UK market is Kozangian, a collection of children’s footwear produced by Lebanese craftsmen. Available in a range of colours, the shoes are ergonomically designed using hypoallergenic materials to be durable, yet soft and flexible enough to provide the necessary comfort and fit to protect and support a child’s foot. www.kozangian.com
Attic offers handmade collections for babies using organic cotton, organic bamboo and other natural materials. One of its collections is a line of baby booties, which are supplied gift boxed. Styles include hand-crocheted ballerinas, Mary Janes, boys’ lace shoes and T-bars. www.attic-textiles.co.uk
Making its debut for a/w 14 is new children’s footwear brand Hug & Hatch. Created by two footwear designers, who are mums themselves, the collection for boys and girls encompasses soft sole and pre-walkers through to first walkers and junior styles. Quirky printed suede, colour-pop leather linings, polka-dot elastic and leather tassels all feature. www.hugandhatch.com
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Young Soles is a new brand of luxury children’s footwear for toddlers through to 10 years of age, covering European sizes 18-35. The collection offers handcrafted styles based on British classics, with key designs including a T-Bar shoe, Mary Jane, ankle boot with buckle detailing, monkey boot and a 50s-inspired suede creeper. Detailing includes heritage brogue tooling and Liberty print cotton laces. www.youngsoles.co.uk
Established Polish footwear brand Emel, which has a strong foothold in countries such as Germany and Austria, made its UK debut for a/w 14. Catering for boys and girls, the collection is handmade in Italian leather, with all shoes backed by a lifetime guarantee. Designs range from lace-up boots through to casual styles in a choice of colour options. www.emelshoes.com
Butler offers a new take on protective footwear for kids with its innovative new range of overboots. Made in the US from a lightweight, patented material, the Butler Overboot is worn over a child’s shoes and secured with a Velcro strap. Available in a choice of six colours, the boots are 100 per cent waterproof, with no seams, grommets or stitching, ensuring all-season protection. www.butleroverboot.co.uk
Bêjaks offers toddler shoes featuring an easy-fit and width-adjustment technology that allows the shoes to be adapted for wider or narrower feet as well as for a tighter or looser fit. The hand-crafted full-grain leather shoes also feature arch support to retain shape, pull tags to aid fitting, cushioned foam soles and soft-impact, non-scratching undersides. Established in 2013, Bêjaks was relaunched for a/w 14 after being purchased by James Holden, who was recently listed as a Top 50 Upcoming Young UK Entrepreneur to Watch by government-backed student enterprise charity NACUE. www.bejaks.com
The next edition of Bubble London for spring/summer 2015 takes place on 13-14 July at the Business Design Centre, Islington. For more autumn/winter 2014 Bubble London coverage visit cwb-online.co.uk.
PHOTOGRAPHS: WWW.CHRISHARVEYPHOTO.COM 07549 811066 — UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE ALL PRICES ARE WHOLESALE
CAMPER FROM £23.50 020 7313 7510
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FRODDO From £24, 01707 888388
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)&# &( ) Cwb-online.co.uk is the essential free business tool, bringing you industry advice, up-to-the-minute news, insightful features and trend information at the click of a button. From the team behind CWB magazine, the website covers every aspect of the childrenswear and schoolwear industry. Frequently updated news across a broad range of topics will help you keep your finger on the pulse, while a variety of unique content that complements CWB’s comprehensive industry and style reports brings you rounded, in-depth knowledge and information. Brand spotlights, short-order specials and trend overviews are just some of the must-read features, all of which will aid your buying decisions and help enhance your in-store offer.
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The Retail section provides further vital inspiration, covering everything from visual merchandising ideas to advice and suggestions from the brains behind some of the UK’s most successful independents.
   ď€ď€łď€˛  ď€ď€Źď€Śď€ď€¨ď€Źď€Śď€€ď€¨ď€ąď€ąď€łď€¤ď€ą  ď€ď€łď€Şď€Łď€€ď€Žď€°ď€ď€´ď€¤ď€€ď€¨ď€Źď€´  ď€Ąď€Şď€¤ď€€ď€˛ď€ ď€ˇď€ď€łď€°ď€€ď€Ąď€łď€ąď€¨ď€Źď€¤ď€ąď€ąď€…
Gain expert views on current and ongoing issues affecting the industry in the Opinion section, and stay informed on industry trade exhibitions and essential dates for your diary with our Events section of the website.
ď€ď€°ď€˛ď€ąď€ƒď€€ď€¨ď€Źď€˛ď€¤ď€°ď€´ď€¨ď€¤ď€ľď€ąď€€   ď€ď€Ľď€¨ď€Şď€¤ď€ąď€€ď€ď€Źď€€ď€˛ď€§ď€¤ď€€ď€¨ď€ąď€ąď€łď€¤ď€ąď€ƒď€€ď€¨ď€Źď€Łď€łď€ąď€˛ď€°ď€ˇ  ď€ď€Ťď€Ž ď€ď€Źď€¤  ď€ď€€ď€Šď€Źď€ď€ľď€€ ď€ď€łď€˛ď€…
Completing CWB’s all-encompassing coverage of the children’s clothing sector is a dedicated area of the website offering the latest news, views and product from the schoolwear industry.
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ď€œď€§ď€¤ď€€ď€Ş ď€˛ď€¤ď€ąď€˛ď€€ď€Źď€¤ď€ľď€ąď€ƒď€€ď€´ď€¨ď€¤ď€ľď€ąď€€ ď€ď€Łď€łď€˘ď€˛  ď€ď€Ťď€€ď€˛ď€§ď€¤ď€€ď€ąď€˘ď€§ď€ď€ď€Şď€ľď€¤ ď€ď€°ď€ƒ  ď€ď€´ď€¤ď€° ď€ď€Ľď€€ď€˛ď€§ď€¤ď€€ď€Ş   
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March/April 2014
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' ))# (" 40: News 43: Going the extra mile Plans for school bag supplier Marathon as the company celebrates 25 years in business. 46: Play to your strengths Schoolwear independent Brenda’s on restructuring the business to pave the way for future growth Also, don’t miss: 12: Open for Business Legal and business advice plus industry opinion 24: The reality of UK manufacture Findings from the recent ASBCI conference
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CHARLES KIRK
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March/April 2014
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ď€&#x;ď€?ď€•ď€›ď€›ď€˜ď€˘ď€’ď€Žď€? ď€žď€•ď€›ď€˘ď€€ď€˜ď€–ď€™ď€–ď€&#x; The Schoolwear Show Limited is the new, simpler company name for the organiser of The Schoolwear Show, formerly known as Force 12. In line with the new company name, there is a new logo, and general enquiries should now be directed to cath.gibson@theschoolwearshow.co.uk. The Schoolwear Show, which is selling well in advance of the 2014 edition on 12-14 October 2014 at Cranmore Park, Solihull, will soon be open for visitor online registration at www.theschoolwearshow.co.uk.
ď€&#x;ď€? ď€&#x;ď€’ď€Łď€€ď€œď€?ď€&#x;ď€?ď€–ď€Žď€˜ ď€?ď€’ď€žď€œď€›ď€šď€žď€–ď€?ď€–ď€˜ď€–ď€&#x; Specialist schoolwear provider Trutex has launched an information video on YouTube to illustrate how it has gained carbon neutral status. The video explains the process involved, from the extensive auditing program undertaken by The Carbon Footprint Ltd in line with ISO14064 and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol through to Trutex’s investment in a Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) project to offset its emissions. It also highlights other eco-friendly facts about the company, such as only using paper from sustainable forests for its brochures and literature, resulting in 1,453m of forest preserved since 2011.
 ��
ď€Žď€˜ď€&#x;ď€?ď€&#x;ď€?    Keynote speaker and digital commerce expert Warren Knight is encouraging independent retailers to explore the “underpublicised reserves of knowledge and cashâ€? that he says are available for SMEs. Knight, whose own businesses have benefitted from assisted funding – one receiving ÂŁ150,000 SEIS investment and a second launched with a ÂŁ5,000 Start Up Loan – admits banks are reluctant to pay out, and advises SMEs to look at forms of asset-based finance. “Around 336,000 of UK SMEs applied for bank loans between Q3 2011 and Q2 2012, and 23 per cent of these were rejected. However, with all these government-run initiatives available, you as a business owner can get the funding and investment you need to grow your business,â€? he says. Independent retailers can, for instance, apply for a Growth Accelerator loan and match-funding of ÂŁ2,000, a Start Up Loan of up to ÂŁ15,000 and, with the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, they can receive ÂŁ150,000 from angel investors.
ď€?   ď€¨ď€Źď€ƒď€€ď€ď€Źď€¤ď€€ď€ď€Ľď€€ď€˛ď€§ď€¤  ď€ď€Ľď€€    ď€Źď€Łď€ƒď€€ď€¨ď€ąď€€ď€˛ď€ď€€ď€Şď€ď€ąď€¤ď€€ď€˘ď€ď€Źď€˛ď€°ď€ď€Şď€€ď€ď€Ľď€€ ď€ď€Ľď€€ď€¨ď€˛ď€ąď€€ď€ąď€˘ď€§ď€ď€ď€Şď€ąď€€ď€Ľď€ď€Şď€Şď€ď€ľď€¨ď€Źď€Śď€€ď€˜ď€Ľď€ąď€˛ď€¤ď€Ł ď€ď€°ď€ąď€€ď€° ď€ď€Źď€˘ď€¤ď€°ď€Źď€ąď€… ď€ď€Źď€ąď€ď€°ď€ąď€€ď€ľď€¨ď€Şď€Şď€€ď€Ąď€¤ď€€ď€Ľď€ď€łď€Źď€Łď€€ď€Ľď€ď€°ď€€ ď€ď€ď€Şď€ąď€€ď€¨ď€Źď€€ď€Żď€łď€¤ď€ąď€˛ď€¨ď€ď€Źď€ƒď€€ ď€? ď€ď€Źď€˛ď€°ď€ď€Şď€€ ď€ď€Ľď€€ď€˛ď€§ď€¤ď€€ď€°ď€¤ď€Ť ď€¨ď€Źď€¨ď€Źď€Śď€€ď€ˆď€Šď€€    
ď€?ď€˜ ď€?ď€?ď€&#x; ď€?ď€?ď€&#x;ď€?ď€&#x; Blue Max Banner has pledged its support to a group of schoolchildren who performed in a concert at the Royal Albert Hall earlier this month, celebrating 30 years of music making. The supplier’s support comes in the form of printed Champion T-shirts, which have been donated to the Berkshire Maestros, a charity dedicated to the support and development of young musicians throughout Berkshire. Over 1,800 children from 63 Berkshire schools – primary, secondary and special – took to the stage wearing the donated T-shirts at the Royal Albert Hall. “Not only is it wonderful to be able to help with such a worthy cause, but an event of this magnitude and prestige offers a fantastic platform for us to showcase the possibilities of the Blue Max Banner business,â€? says Blue Max Banner MD Nigel Plenderleith.
ď€&#x;ď€?ď€?ď€? ď€?ď€•ď€›ď€›ď€˜ď€€ď€? ď€? School uniform and its links with behaviour and discipline will be under scrutiny as the chief inspector of Ofsted launches a rolling programme of unannounced visits to schools where standards of behaviour are cause for concern. Tackling what Ofsted describes as “a culture of casual acceptanceâ€? of low-level disruption in schools, the visits will be on the basis of parental concerns and evidence gathered from previous inspections. The visits will look at a wide range of evidence to reach a judgement on the standards of behaviour, including an assessment of the culture of the school and observing pupils’ behaviour in the classroom, between lessons, during breaks and after school.
ď€ď€€ď€§ď€¤ď€Şď€Žď€€ď€Žď€°ď€ď€˛ď€¤ď€˘ď€˛ď€€ď€˛ď€§ď€¤  ď€ď€°ď€šď€ąď€€ď€˛ď€§ď€°ď€¤ď€¤ď€€ď€Ťď€¨ď€Şď€Şď€¨ď€ď€Ź ď€ď€ˇď€¤ď€¤ď€ąď€€ď€Ľď€°ď€ď€Ťď€€ď€´ď€¨ď€ď€Şď€¤ď€Źď€˘ď€¤ď€€ď€§   ď€ď€Źď€˛ď€§ď€€    ď€?ď€ď€Źď€ąď€ď€°ď€˛ď€¨ď€łď€Ť ď€ ď€Žď€šď€? ď€?  ď€ď€Žď€€ď€ąď€˛ ď€ď€Ľď€€ ď€ď€ąď€˛ ď€‰ď€‹ď€ƒď€†ď€†ď€†ď€€ď€¨ď€Źď€˘ď€¨ď€Łď€¤ď€Źď€˛ď€ąď€€ď€ď€Ľď€€ď€´ď€¨ď€ď€Şď€¤ď€Źď€˘ď€¤ď€€ď€ď€°   ď€°ď€…ď€€ď€œď€§ď€¤ď€€ď€Śď€łď€¨ď€Łď€¤ď€Şď€¨ď€Źď€¤ď€ą ď€ď€°ď€ąď€¤ď€Łď€€ď€Ąď€ˇď€€ď€”ď€ď€Ťď€¤ď€€ď€˜ď€Ľď€Ľď€¨ď€˘ď€¤ ď€ď€°ď€€ď€?ď€ď€Ź ď€ď€°ď€Ť  ď€Šď€¤ď€°ď€ƒď€€ď€ąď€§ď€ď€Žď€€ď€ľď€ď€°ď€Šď€¤ď€°ď€ąď€šď€€ď€łď€Źď€¨ď€ď€Ź ď€?  ď€?ď€ď€˘ď€¨ ď€ď€Źď€€ď€ď€Ľ ď€?ď€ď€Źď€´ď€¤ď€Źď€¨ď€¤ď€Źď€˘ď€¤ď€€ď€›ď€˛ď€ď€°ď€¤ď€ąď€€ď€ ď€?ď€?
ď€?ď€ď€°ď€Ľď€ď€Şď€Šď€€ď€ąď€˘ď€§ď€ď€ď€Şď€€ď€Ť     ď€ď€°ď€˘ď€¨ď€Źď€Śď€€ ď€ď€ď€Şď€€ď€łď€Źď€¨ď€Ľď€ď€°ď€Ťď€€ď€Žď€ď€Şď€¨ď€˘ď€ˇď€ƒď€€ď€Ą   ď€ď€Ľď€€ď€¨ď€˛ď€ąď€€ď€Ľď€¤ď€Ť ď€ď€Ťď€€ď€ľď€¤  ď€ąď€Šď€¨ď€°ď€˛ď€ąď€ƒď€€ď€¨ď€Źď€˛ď€°ď€ď€Łď€łď€˘ď€¨ď€Źď€Śď€€ď€˛ď€§ď€¤ď€€ď€˘ď€ď€Ťď€Žď€łď€Şď€ąď€ď€°ď€ˇ ď€ď€Ľď€€ď€˛ď€°ď€ď€łď€ąď€¤ď€°ď€ąď€€ď€ď€Źď€Şď€ˇď€…ď€€ď€œď€§ď€¤  ď€ď€ľď€Źď€€ ď€?ď€ď€ď€Ş ď€ď€Şď€Şď€ď€ľď€¤ď€Łď€€ď€¤ď€śď€˛ď€°ď€¤ď€Ťď€¤ď€€ď€˘ď€ď€Źď€˘ď€¤ď€°ď€Źď€ąď€€ď€Ľď€°ď€ď€Ť ď€ď€´ď€¤ď€°ď€Źď€ď€°ď€ąď€€ď€°ď€¤ď€Ś  ď€ď€ď€€ď€ąď€§ď€ď€°ď€˛ď€€   ď€ď€°ď€€ď€ąď€˘ď€§ď€ď€ď€Şď€ľď€¤ 
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March/April 2014
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Independent retailers face fierce competition from big chains all year round but, of course, for school uniform specialists, the heat gets turned up every summer. Claims that school uniform is expensive get blown out of proportion and play into the hands of the big stores, who often only stock school uniform for around six weeks or so per year, and who are unable to provide the specialist service independents offer or stock all sizes and all colours of uniform all year around. This year, the Schoolwear Association is again campaigning to put the facts straight. Hard-pressed parents can easily be swayed by chain-store offers of loss leading, cheap uniform. Meanwhile, schools with a sole supplier relationship face pressure to provide more than one supplier. Of course, this is bad news for independents, but it is also bad for schools and parents who often find themselves caught between two suppliers. A sole supplier has to have the commitment to clothe every child in the school – whatever their needs. When there are several suppliers, they all have to guess what stock to carry and some children can “slip through the cracks� when availability can become an issue. The Schoolwear Association promotes that a quality uniform that is specific to a school has numerous benefits for parents, schools and students. It may cost a little more than “cheap grey wear�, but the Association maintains it is money well spent. So its message to parents is this, “Your child is worth it.� The Schoolwear Association represents all those involved in the supply of school-specific uniform, including retailers, direct-to-school suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, suppliers, decorators, agents and schools. Its role is to promote the benefits of school-specific uniform to schools, parents and students. It believes that a distinctive uniform aids a child’s sense of belonging, and is good for security in and out of school, and its research shows that parents and teachers agree.
SCHOOLWEAR ASSOCIATION INITIATIVES FOR 2014: Study shows school uniform is affordable The Association investigated uniform at top state schools in England and discovered that all of the top 20 schools have a uniform, and the cost of a complete daywear outfit ranges from ÂŁ34.99 to ÂŁ126.20. The Schoolwear Association will use this research to back up its case that school uniform is reasonably priced and strongly associated with good education. Regular communications The Schoolwear Association endeavours to send email communications on issues pertaining to the industry. Regular fact sheets and press information is available to all members, with the Association also keeping a press-cutting service to ensure it can keep members updated. Talk to the head teacher The Schoolwear Association sends out regular communications to head teachers to provide advice on subjects such as how to specify uniform and to protect their school badges from copyright infringement. It also helps them to build the case with parents for good-quality schoolwear with a series of fact sheets. Video The Association’s YouTube video, which already has more than 500 views, shows parents discussing the benefits of school uniform and debating their preference for school-specific uniform over “grey wearâ€?. The video can be viewed at youtube.com/watch?v=8gp-6xOPc3A.
Working with the media The Schoolwear Association is inviting bloggers and regional journalists to an informative participatory event to show the effort that goes into creating quality school uniform – from fibre and fabric to garment delivery. This is just one of a whole host of media relations initiatives under way, set to raise the profile of the Association and present its argument to millions of newspaper and magazine readers, digital media users, and broadcast viewers and listeners. In the past 12 months, the Association has been featured on Simon Mayo’s BBC Radio 2 Drivetime show, in The Independent and Metro, and in At Home and Reveal magazines. Getting involved The Association is also appealing for members to join its regular meetings, which are run by its volunteer executives from across the industry. Regional meetings are planned for this year, alongside the Association’s annual fundraising evening – taking place on Monday 13 October – which coincides with The Schoolwear Show, with the fundraiser taking place in close proximity to the exhibition’s venue. If you have not yet joined the Schoolwear Association, your support would be valued. The Association is run by its members for its members. Established in 2006, it now has well over 200 members, representing all areas of the UK school-specific uniform trade. Member benefits include free media support, advice and fact sheets. Find out more at www.schoolwearassociation.co.uk.
Connect with the Schoolwear Association: Facebook – www.facebook.com/SchoolwearAssociation Twitter – @SAschoolwear
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March/April 2014
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When it comes to school uniform and accessories, products have to be of high quality if they are to withstand the daily rigours placed on them by pupils. Additionally, with the Prime Minister’s former policy chief Paul Kirby’s proposal for the General Election in 2015 that “from September 2016 all state-funded schools will, by law, provide 45 hours of education per week for 45 weeks of the year�, children could, potentially, be putting their school uniform through even more wear and tear. This would bring the
issue of quality schoolwear even further to the fore and, subsequently, for suppliers of school bags, longer school days would see students carrying more belongings for longer lengths of time, seeing the need for quality, comfortable and back-healthy school bags needed more than ever before. Even without the added hours of the proposed extending school days, I myself can vividly remember struggling at secondary school with a bag full of heavy books and the back pain
that followed from carrying them daily. Nowadays, however, there are bags on the market that ensure back pain doesn’t need to be part of a school child’s daily life, with one such supplier being Marathon. Marathon has been supplying schoolbags to thousands of schools in the UK for 25 years, providing a wide range of durable products that are both comfortable and practical to use as well as gentle on growing bodies. The company was established in Staines in 1989, >>>
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MARATHON CIRCA 1990
founded by an Australian family that also owned Spartan, a leading school bag supplier in Australia. As the business grew, it moved from Staines, first to Chertsey and then to Weybridge, where it has remained at its current, purpose-built factory in Brooklands, since December 2008. In September 2013, the company was bought by Surrey couple Janet and Sean Fay, who were more than familiar with the Marathon brand, having been loyal customers of its products for many years. The addition of the Fays sees new blood brought to the business, complemented by the strong foundation of the existing management team, which continues to run the company, headed by Nina Cassidy who, together with other key team members, has been managing the firm since 2009. Much has happened since the launch in 1989, with the business evolving considerably over the years. In terms of product, Marathon designs its own, made exclusively by the company’s factories and printed at its facility in Weybridge. The product offer, which covers school bags and also accessories such as hats, pencil cases, water bottles and art smocks, is broad. It offers two ranges of school bags – The Performance Range and The Attitude Range – both of which encompass the full spectrum of school bag requirements, from nursery through to sixth form students, including back packs, book bags and sports bags. The Performance Range, as the name suggests, is Marathon’s premium line of bags, all designed with performance in mind in terms of quality, durability, design features and aesthetics. The Attitude Range, meanwhile, caters for the more budget conscious, but maintains the supplier’s standards in terms of quality, manufacture and design.
With regards to the aforementioned features, ergonomic design is key, with all Marathon’s products ergonomically created following years of research in association with leading academic, chiropractic and physiotherapy institutions. The product offer also includes two bags endorsed on the UK market to help support children’s backs and minimise back problems. The ChiroPak is proven to reduce the incidence and severity of neck and back pain associated with the carriage of heavy loads such as school books and laptops, therefore best suited to teenagers, and is endorsed by the Chiropractors Association of Australia (CAA). The design of the bag was developed hand-in-hand with the CAA, Macquarie University, and Spartan/Marathon. Research by the University proved that wearing the bag correctly reduces the incidences and severity of neck and back pain, with the CAA endorsing the bag on this basis. The PhysioPak III, meanwhile, caters for younger children and is proven to minimise harmful postural response and significantly reduces associated back pain, neck pain and minor spinal injury. It is endorsed by the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), and was designed jointly with the APA and the University of South Australia. Other core products, alongside the endorsed bags, include the LitePak, a backpack with an ergonomic design that shares many of the same back-care features of the ChiroPak and PhysioPak III, and is available in three different sizes and multiple colours. The supplier’s signature sports bag – the Olympic – is another bestseller, offering a classic design tailored to accommodate sports kits but still fits into school lockers. Key styles within the accessory bags are the Book Folio
and Marathon’s boot/swim bag. Another USP of Marathon is its warranty – the supplier offers either a three-year or one-year warranty against faulty workmanship on all of its non-accessory bags. It also holds stock in its Surrey warehouse, prints to order on-site – keeping the delivery time from order to delivery as short as possible – and offers in-house artwork design and printing, including screen printing, heat transfer and embroidery. Although the schools sector is a marketplace with which the business is more than familiar, with Marathon building up a loyal customer base over the years, the company made the decision to make its Schoolwear Show debut in October 2013. This was part of a marketing and brand awareness activity, with the exercise allowing the business to successfully market the Marathon brand more widely. Going forward, in addition to several product upgrades and improvements scheduled for later in the year, the company aims to continue growing and expanding its customer base, product range, and broadening the recognition of the Marathon brand while remaining a UK, family owned and run business. Part of its strategy includes launching a new website, with Marathon having appointed a web designer, which it is currently working with to refine specifications. The supplier’s intention and brief is that the new website will be dynamic and relevant to the brand, providing customers with a much more user-friendly tool, with the first phase of the relaunch scheduled for spring. Additionally, Marathon will be working on marketing activities, events, and offers throughout the year to mark its quarter-century anniversary, so watch this space...
BACK TO SCHOOL
LACE WHITE PLIMSOLLS Majorettes, Entertainers & Morris Dancers Sizes: Baby 4 to adult 8
SHOE BAGS Colours: Black, Navy, Red, Royal, Burgundy & Bottle Green
P.E PLIMSOLLS Gusset & Velcro Sizes: Baby 6 to adult 10 in Gusset From Baby 6 to large 6 in Velcro
FOR ALL ENQUIRIES CONTACT SALES M.Comars & Sons Ltd Comar House, 37 Broughton Street, Manchester M8 8LZ Tel: 0161 834 8049 Fax: 0161 833 1798 Email: sales@comars.co.uk www.comars.co.uk
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# (&"( " %& '$ & % Established in 1949, Brenda’s Schoolwear is a well-rooted independent retailer in Surrey, servicing the North-East Hampshire, Surrey, and Berkshire borders. Over the last 10 years, it has cultivated its stock to give parents the complete school offering of uniform, footwear, coats, bags, stationery, sports accessories and items for other extra-curricular activities, which it provided until January 2014, via two shops based in Farnborough and Camberley. Like any savvy independent retailer, the management behind Brenda’s Schoolwear is constantly working on moving the business forward. Over recent years, the main focus for development has been centred on its retail outlets, namely attempts to relocate the Farnborough store to larger premises. Despite years of hunting, however, the search for a suitable property proved fruitless so, in January 2013, the business went back to the drawing board. Possibilities for the future of the retailer were dissected, a number of potential properties located between Farnborough and Camberley were assessed, as was the possibility of moving both shops into one, larger store. Nevertheless, after much deliberation and years of research, Brenda’s Schoolwear management came to the conclusion that they already had what they were looking for. “What made most sense to us was just to merge the Farnborough shop into our much larger, already existing Camberley store,” says Steve Optix, a partner at Brenda’s Schoolwear. “The plan was always to open further stores in surrounding areas, but it became obvious that this could easily be the undoing of the business.” By reinventing its existing business and merging the two stores, Brenda’s Schoolwear has achieved the development it has sought for years, without the risk of raised overheads and massive investment. Housing one united team of staff, the newly improved Camberley
shop has been refreshed with extra tills and counters to enable pay points on both of its floors as well as additional changing room facilities and seating to accommodate the extra business during peak selling periods. As well as the recent change to its retail structure, at Optix’s own admittance, the whole business dynamic of Brenda’s Schoolwear has altered massively over the years. A business model that worked in 1949, for instance, is going to be very different to the one required to run a successful independent schoolwear business today. “Epos systems have economised the stock holding side of things, creating less unnecessary overspend and having more consistent stock levels,” he says. “Barcodes have made the service flow of customers more efficient, increased till points and have reduced bottle necks during peak seasons. And, as uniforms have become more elaborate over the years, it has certainly been to our benefit that many schools feel they can no longer cope with holding their own stock, projecting ordering and dealing with sales and cash handling, and so are passing the business on to experienced companies such as ours to deal with.” Online is another factor that Optix highlights as contributing to changes in the business model of selling schoolwear today. For Brenda’s Schoolwear, its online presence is key, to the extent that the retailer now considers the store as much a shop front for the online operation. Optix’s view is balanced when it comes to the selling of schoolwear online and, while he admits the e-commerce side of the business does take some footfall away from the bricks-and-mortar store, it also enables him to suggest products and add-ons to customers purchasing online, much in the same way as staff would in his physical store. With its proactive approach to commerce, Brenda’s Schoolwear employs every available
opportunity to develop its business. It is a strong supporter and participator of community events and heavily utilises social media. The latter being something Optix notes as a “huge aspect” of the business, with customers and schools able to find the business on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Flickr and Wordpress, where Optix has his own blog, The Life and Times of an Independent Schoolwear Retailer. “We try to operate with maximum transparency to our schools and customers and, as well as obvious messages, we can communicate via these [social media] mediums,” he says. “It helps customers to understand our business and some of the issues we face.” As well as the underlying aim of continuing to solidify its market position and grow at a manageable rate, Brenda’s Schoolwear’s pursuit to remain ahead of current in-store and online retail trends continues. Optix, for instance, is looking into the possibilities of introducing in-store iPad ordering and stock-checking points, as well as further developing the online service to create a more intuitive shopping experience for customers. While Brenda’s Schoolwear may have changed and evolved in many ways over the years, one element that remains steadfast is the retailer’s mission statement – “To deliver quality schoolwear and associated product at a reasonable price in a friendly and well-stocked store.” Its three main facets – quality, service and price – remain the number-one focus. “Our short-term aims are to continue to constantly tweak and fine-tune our operations to become as dynamic and efficient as possible,” says Optix. “This is something that has been an ongoing undertaking for the last 10 years so, ultimately, short-term aims are a big part of our long-term aims.
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March/April 2014
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0: 1 + in the Family, 0034 600420873, www.onemoreinthefamily.com • 1 Two Kids, 01383 735134, www.1two.co.uk A: Amy & Ivor, www.amyandivor.com • Angulus, 020 8987 8313, www.angulus.dk • ASBCI, 01422 354666, www.asbci.co.uk • Attic, 01202 669201, www.attic-textiles.com • Ava & Luc, www.avaandluc.com B: Bamboo Baby, 07771 933045, www.wholesale-baby-clothes.co.uk • Barbour, 07725 596659, www.barbour.cm • BbK, 07909 900700 • Beau Loves, 07903 949650, www.beauloves.co.uk • Bejaks, 020 7666 3210, www.bejaks.com • Belle & Boo, 0117 924 6382, www.belleandboo.com • Bobux, 07808 730176, www.bobux.com • Bogs, 0800 032 3505, www.bogs.com • Bonnie Baby, 01273 227779, www.bonniebaby.co.uk. • Bundgaard, 020 8567 2384 • Butler, 01604 876800, www.butlerboot.com C: Camper, 020 7313 7510 • Chapter 2, 07855 750277, www.chapter2kids.com • Chipmunks, 01925 710110, www.chipmunksfootwear.co.uk D: David Charles, www.davidcharleschildrenswear.com • Didriksons, 01275 390451, www.didriksons.com • Diesel, www.dieselkid.com • Dr Martens, 01933 663281, www.drmartens.com E: Emel Shoes, 07788 628949, www.emelshoes.com • EMU, 020 7713 2080, www.emuaustralia.com F: Fendi Kid, 0039 07312301, www.simonetta.it • Froddo, 07796 766669, www.froddo.net • Frugi, 01326 572828, www.frugiwholesale.com G: Garvalin, 07822 937370, www.garvalin.com • GBB, 07834 862770, www.wingategb.co.uk H: Hengst, 01785 662102, www.hengstfootwear.com • Hilda.Henri, 0043 6602954590, www.hildahenri.com • Holly & Beau, 01328 830820, www.hollyandbeau.com • Hug and Hatch, 01306 877665, www.heritage.com I: Ima, 0034 958794469, www.imaforkids.com • Izzy Melody, 07528 794496, www.izzymelody.co.uk J: Joules, 01858 435261, www.joules.com K: Kozangian, 07462 400412, www.kozangian.com L: Lazy Francis, 07525 936058, www.lazyfrancis.com • Lea Lelo, 07761 437793 • Lilly + Sid, 01788 332278, www.lillyandsid.com • Little Green Radicals, 020 7733 6402, www.littlegreenradicals.co.uk • Little Remix, 020 7148 6394, www.designersremix.com • Love Keep Create Love Frankie, 07940 421812, www.lovefrankie.com • Lucypeachslice, 07798 771739, www.lucypeachslice.com • Luluzulu, 01890 771298, www.luluzulu.com M: Marathon School Supplies, 01932 359188, www.marathonss.com • Me Too, 0045 76412900, www.metoo.dk • Mini A Ture, 020 7348 7316, www.solobi.co.uk • Molo, 020 7250 0569, www.molo-kids.com • Mousehouse, 01606 868000, www.mousehousegifts.co.uk N: Nixie Clothing,www.nixieclothing.com P: Pediped, 07703 856072, www.pediped.com • Picaloulou, 01208 814392, www.picaloulou.com • Pineapple, 01992 769612, www.pineapplefootwear.com • Pippo, 0191 246 1474, www.pippofootwear.com • Piupiuchick, 0035 1220933761, www.piupiuchick.com • PL Child, 020 7034 0035, www.pinklining.co.uk • Pod, 01234 240440, www.pod-footwear.com • Primigi, 020 8567 2384, www.primigi.com R: Raspberry Plum, 07516 920347, www.raspberryplum.com • Ricosta, 0116 259 7427, www.ricosta.com S: Shepherd of Sweden, 01455 891711, www.shepherd.nu • Silly U, Simonetta, 0039 07312301, www.simonetta.it • Skechers, 01707 655955, www.skechers.co.uk • Snoozy, 0046 730492155, www.snoozy.com • Sorel, 07814 976777, www.sorelfootwear.co.uk • Superfit, 07775 995547, www.superfit.at T: Tootsa MacGinty, www.tootsamacginty.com • Tour of Glastonbury, 01934 733700, www.tourofglastonbury.com • Travis Designs, 01442 289898, www.travis.co.uk V: Valeria Couture, 0034 617412378, www.valeria-couture.com W: Wild Things Funky Little Dresses, 01254 830735, www.wildthingsdresses.com Y: Young Soles, 07515 369391, www.youngsoles.co.uk
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ACCESSORIES
ACCESSORIES
CARRIER BAGS
SCHOOLWEAR
SCHOOLWEAR
SCHOOL TIES
BABY & KIDS SHOES
WILLIAM TURNER & SON
SSchool Sc cho ho o l Ties Tie ies & Accessories A ccesso ssorie ie s
Schoolwear SScho Sc cho ho o lwea we ear Accessories A Acc cce essor ssorie es
www.unicol-schoolwear.co.uk www .unicol-schoolwearr.co.uk Tel: T el: 0161 480 8582 sales@william-turner william-turner.co.uk r.co.uk
• Soft Leather Shoes • Handmade in England • No Minimum Order
Tel: 01509 817600 www.starchildshoes.co.uk
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March/April 2014
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ď ‡ď€€ď€˘ď€Łď€Ąď€–ď€Śď€•ď€Ľď€€ď ‡
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SOUTH WEST
�  
  The Old Barn, Shurnhold Farm Business Park, Bath Road, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 8DF Tel: 01225 700699 Mobile: 07785 290154 Email: Monique@vanhuizen.co.uk Web: www.vanhuizen.co.uk www.oililybag.co.uk MIM-PI, PAGLIE
 
IRELAND
ď€&#x;ď€?

Bizspace Business Centre, Unit 203, 4-6 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middlesex UB6 7JJ Tel: 020 8567 2384 Mobile: 07971 190446 Fax: 0800 007 3359 Email: skylineagencies@gmail.com PRIMIGI SHOES, FALKE & BURLINGTON SOCKS AND TIGHTS, GIESSWEIN HOME SHOES Covering the whole of the UK with London based showroom and offices.

40 Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7FF Tel: 0044 28 90236330 Fax: 0044 28 90236330 Email: nuala@mckenna.orangehome.co.uk EMILE-ET-ROSE, KANZ, LILLY & SID, HATLEY, LOFFF, STEIFF, STARDUST FIRST COMMUNION DRESSES, FIRST OCCASION CHRISTENING WEAR, TORRES DRESSES High quality children’s fashions for babies, boys and girls up to 14 years - specialising in occasionwear. Showrooms in Belfast, Dublin, Cork & Limerick.
NORTH EAST
 Showrooms will be held in Leeds, Manchester and London for further info contact Bib Sohel Tel 07850 754 853 email bib.sohel@sky.com DESIGUAL, FORE!! AXEL AND HUDSON, LEMMI, BEBE BY MINIHAHA, DARCY BROWN, SUGARLOAF KIDS, MINI VANILLA, MINI ZZZ A diverse selection of highly desirable brands for UK independents and stores from baby to 16yrs. European distributor for Fore!! Axel and Hudson.
NORTH WEST
   Weldon Agencies, Carr House Business Centre, Carr House Lane, Bretherton, Lancashire, PR26 9AR Tel: 01772 603912 Email: barrieweldon@btconnect.com www.weldonagencies.co.uk NO NO, S & D LE CHIC, DEUX PAR DEUX, ABSORBA / CONFETTI, BOBOLI, POM POM, FUN + FUN, FOQUE Established for over 25 years, two generations, covering all areas of the UK. Representing leading brands from Europe and Canada, catering for boys and girls 0 to 16 years. Styling from contemporary to traditional.
5 Evelyn Grove, Ealing, London, W5 3QG Tel: 0208 992 0552 Mobile: 07860 230918 Fax: 020 8993 6568 Email: Nigel.Ross@btinternet.com Web: www.minizzz.com CATYA (IT), MINIZZZ Manufacturers’ and Distributors’ Agent - Northern and Southern Home Counties, including London Postal districts. NCWA and APSA member.
Unit H7 & H7a, Capital House, 2 Michael Road, London SW6 2AD Tel: 0207 348 7316 Email: info@solobi.co.uk Web: www.solobi.co.uk MINI A TURE, TOFFEE MOON, LILLE BARN, AYA NAYA SoLoBi represents modern high quality children’s brands with a playful attitude and sharp attention to detail. Offers very good and transparent service.
    19 Addison Grove, Chiswick, W4 1 EP Tel: 078 5550 9069 Fax: 02081816458 Email: shoes@breitensteins.com clothes@breitensteins.com ANGULUS AND BOBUX SHOES, CLOTHES FROM CHRISTINA ROHDE, MILIBE, VER DE TERRE, FUB CHILDREN’S WEAR An agency representing classic, stylish and contemporary Danish children’s clothing and shoe brands. Plus the best baby shoes from New Zealand.
MIDLANDS
    Unit 1, First Floor, Paragon Works, Wilsthorpe Road, Long Eaton, Nottingham NG10 3JW. Tel: 07967 560633 Email: franck@vanhuizenagencies.co.uk Web: www.vanhuizenagencies.co.uk OILILY CHILDRENSWEAR, ROOM SEVEN CHILDRENSWEAR, PERSNICKETY CHILDRENSWEAR ROOM SEVEN KIDS INTERIORS, BEDDINGHOUSE KIDS BEDDING
Van Huizen Agencies is a young, fresh and vibrant agency, for the more discerning retailer requiring beautiful and unique collections.
  Roccapina, 8 Pembroke Close, Thrapston, Northants, NN14 4XJ Tel: 01832 776588 Fax: 01832 730188 Email: sales@roccapina.co.uk www.roccapina.co.uk LA QUEUE DU CHAT, BABINÉ BB, STURE&LISA, LEMON LOVES LIME, LOLLIPOP TWIRL, LEMON LOVES LAYETTE, GNU BRAND Agency representing high quality International brands offering classic, colourful and chic collections for ages 0-14 years. Covering the whole of the UK.
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Laura Turner: What is the ethos behind Tootsa MacGinty? Kate Pietrasik: I have very strong opinions about how we dress our boys and girls, and those opinions are paramount to Tootsa MacGinty’s design philosophy. Clothing for children, I believe, ought to be made for sturdier purposes than the changing vagarities of fashion. I also believe gender stereotypes have a harmful effect; boys are encouraged to be aggressive and active, whilst girls are expected to play a more passive role, with much emphasis placed on beauty and their looks. As a result, as well as being very stylish, the collections are always gender neutral – or unisex – hardwearing and colourful. Additionally, due to the concerns I have about mass-produced throwaway fashions, it is important that the clothes I make have more than one life, so they are always designed and built to be handed on to younger siblings or friends. LT: What inspired you to launch a childrenswear brand in the first place? KP: It’s a cliché, but becoming a parent. Shortly after having my daughter I moved back to London after living overseas since my late teens. When shopping for her, I was shocked by the stark gendering of clothing and toys for children on the UK high street, so I set about creating an alternative. LT: What was your background prior to launching Tootsa MacGinty? KP: I previously worked as a womenswear designer; mainly for sport and streetwear brands. The experience I gained then has been invaluable to my own business. I use the same factories and suppliers for Tootsa MacGinty that I worked with at some of the world’s top streetwear brands, for instance. LT: How would you sum up Tootsa MacGinty’s offer? KP: Each collection is quite wide ranging, and predominantly knitwear, jerseywear, denim and outerwear styles. Almost immediately it became evident there was a real appetite for our colourful knitwear, and so these machine washable knitted jumpers quickly became our signature piece. Initially, we started out designing for pre-school children, but now the collections is available up to eight years. Also, having heard “I wish that came in my size” so
often, we have also developed a limited edition, adult-sized version of our bestselling jumper. LT: Do your own children inspire your work? KP: Absolutely! It was my desire to give my daughter a childhood free from restrictions that gave me the initial idea to begin a unisex childrenswear label. She now road-tests many of my designs and, needless to say, first prototypes are always in her size. LT: What is your favourite Tootsa MacGinty piece to date? KP: Our best selling jacquard knit fox jumper, which has taken on a few different reincarnations over the seasons. The fox wore its own Christmas jumper last winter, and is seen wearing an iconic “I love NY” T-shirt for our s/s 14 collection entitled Summer in the City. LT: Which other childrenswear brands do you admire? KP: Any that don’t conform to gender stereotypes and offer good quality, stylish design; Petit Bateau, Imps and Elfs, Munster Kids and Mini Rodini, to name a few. LT: What are the plans for Tootsa MacGinty? KP: We are always brainstorming ideas for the future. I recently got quite animated about the possibility of tackling homeware, and I’d quite like to have a go at designing a collection for the challenging “tween” market. I’ve also just begun working with sales agents, so I am excited by the prospect of reaching a wider audience with increased sales.