WWB MAGAZINE MAY ISSUE 237

MAY 2014, ISSUE 237 £6.95 — WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK WOMENSWEAR BUYER

THE E-COMMERCE ISSUE — E-COMMERCE RULES Your ultimate guide to multi-channel success —

— EASTERN PROMISE WWB reports from Chic Beijing —

— GOOSE CHASE Why Canada Goose is upping its womenswear stake —

— SHORT CUTS The in-season collections to get in-store now —

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CONTENTS —

E-COMMERCE SPECIAL 19 THE GUIDE TO E-COMMERCE Expert advice for multi-channel success — 20 IN WITH THE CLICK The key drivers in e-commerce growth — 22 SPINNING THE WEB The dos and don’ts of appealing web design — 24 ALONG THE RIGHT LINES Indies reveal their e-commerce approach — 28 THE BIGGER PICTURE The importance of high-quality product photography — 32 STOCK EXCHANGE How the right Epos system can be a vital tool in e-commerce sales — COVER: SECOND FEMALE

35 SHOW ME THE MONEY Why choosing the right payment provider can make all the difference at the checkout — 37 SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED Managing logistics effectively — 42 E-COMMERCE ESSENTIALS Leading experts reveal their top tips from SEO to marketing — 46 CLICKS AND BRICKS Three indies share their e-commerce success stories —

REGULARS 7 EDITOR’S COMMENT — 8 NEWS — 54 RETAIL FORUM The latest news from the industry — 58 UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL With David Longshaw — FEATURES 12 FAR EASTERN PROMISE WWB reports from China’s prestigious fashion showcase — 14 Q&A With Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss — 50 LONG STORY SHORT The in-season collections for s/s 14 to get in-store now —

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COMMENT —

Editor Isabella Griffiths isabella@ras-publishing.com — Contributors Victoria Jackson victoria@ras-publishing.com Laura Turner laura@ras-publishing.com Christina Williams christina@ras-publishing.com — Sub editor Amanda Batley amanda@ras-publishing.com — Design & production 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 Sam Chambers sam@ras-publishing.com Liz Lee wwbsales@ras-publishing.com — Subscriptions Laura Martindale laura.martindale@ite-exhibitions.com — Production director Gill Brabham gill@ras-publishing.com — Portfolio director Nick Cook nick@ras-publishing.com — Marketing director Stephanie Parker stephanie.parker@ite-exhibitions.com — Managing director Colette Tebbutt colette@ras-publishing.com — Reprographics/printing ImageData Group 01482 652323

— WWB is published 9 times per year by RAS Publishing Ltd, The Old Town Hall, Lewisham Road, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5AL. Call 01484 846069 Fax 01484 846232 — Copyright © 2014 WWB 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.

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RAS Publishing is an ITE Group PLC company A Buyer Series Fashion Business Publication WWB is a fashion business publication produced by RAS Publishing Ltd. Other titles include MWB and CWB.

WITH ANNUAL GROWTH IN E-COMMERCE CONTINUING TO OUTPACE HIGH-STREET SALES, AN ONLINE PRESENCE IS LIKELY TO PLAY AN INCREASING ROLE IN MANY RETAILERS’ BUSINESS MODELS. — I’ve had many a conversation with indies from all market levels and backgrounds about the relevance of e-commerce to their business, with the debate ranging from those who swear that they don’t need it because it’s not applicable to their (often more mature and personal service oriented) customers to those who invest heavily in their multi-channel proposition and see it as a key driver for expansion.

While I appreciate where the e-commerce cynics are coming from, I lean more towards those who feel that in order to future-proof their bricks-and-mortar business, retailers will have to consider a digital strategy and integrate online into their overall set-up.

As a time-poor working mum, I am a self-confessed online shopping addict and, from groceries to fashion, I buy pretty much everything online, as the convenience factor plays a huge part in my hectic lifestyle. But it’s not just me who is glued to my laptop, iPad and iPhone. My three-year-old daughter has been a whizz on the iPad since she was just over a year old, and operates the tablet like it’s the most natural thing in the world. When I look at her, I see the future generation of consumers, who are growing up in a digital world where the internet will dominate nearly every aspect of their lives, whether that’s shopping online, learning and education or

maintaining social relationships. My daughter may be still a little while off from whipping out (my) credit card, but today’s consumers already very much fit that profile and, by ignoring this, retailers may seriously limit themselves in the future.

With all this in mind, we have dedicated this issue to online retailing.

Whether you’re thinking of setting up a transactional website or want to improve your current online operation, we have compiled the “ultimate guide to e-commerce”, specifically tailored to independents, and we hope it will be a useful tool. What I personally have learned from speaking to the e-commerce experts for our various features is that if you do venture into e-commerce, you have to do it properly, and with appropriate resources, time and investment. The future success of fashion retailing, I believe, will depend on a truly joined-up multi-channel experience between bricks and mortar and online, whereby consumers flip between shopping and browsing in-store and the web as they wish. And while there’s certainly still a multitude of established and thriving fashion indies out there who have successfully managed to shun the e-commerce world, the question is, “For how long?”

Isabella Griffiths, editor

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08 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

NEWS —

E-RETAIL SEES STRONGEST PERFORMANCE SINCE 2011 Results are indicative of continued stability in the e-commerce sector, with customer spend – rather than volume of online shoppers – up.

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E-retail sales in Q1 of this year are up 17 per cent in comparison to Q1 2013, according to figures unveiled by the recent IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index – the strongest growth in three years, representing an estimated £23.1bn spent online.

The results further support the ongoing stability of the e-retail sector, which in March saw an annual growth of 18 per cent and a 15 per cent increase on February. Consumers in the UK spent around £7.8bn online during that month, up from £6.7bn in March 2013.

In terms of sector performance, a number of key retail segments stood out during the first quarter of the year, with accessories seeing a 34 per cent increase and footwear growing by 22 per cent year-on-year. Clothing, meanwhile, recorded an increase of 21 per cent.

The upswing in sales, however, is being credited to people spending more per purchase rather than more people shopping online. The average basket value hit £86 in March, and is the highest rate recorded since September last year and compares with £77 in February 2014 and March 2013.

Sales via mobile devices continue

to grow unabated, with m-commerce recording a year-on-year increase of 53 per cent in March, while conversion rates are also on the rise, with the average rate recorded in March reaching a five-year high of 4.2 per cent.

“The solid growth represents the strongest Q1 performance since 2011, with sales up 17 per cent year-on-year,” says Tina Spooner, chief information officer at IMRG. “With online transaction values reaching the highest level recorded in six months, and the average conversion rate for March at pre-recession levels, these results not only demonstrate an overall increase in consumer confidence, but also that online shopping is becoming a larger part of our everyday lives.”

Chris Webster, VP, head of retail consulting and technology at Capgemini, adds, “March’s Index is a good indicator of the current strength of the UK economy. It is interesting to see that spending over the last three months was not limited to one sector or the result of one particular influence.

“Rather, Britons are in good spirits, have regained confidence in the economy, and using online as a means to

“With online transaction values reaching the highest level recorded in six months, and the average conversion rate for March at pre-recession levels, these results not only demonstrate an overall increase in consumer confidence, but also that online shopping is becoming a larger part of our everyday lives”

spend across the board,” he continues.

“The sustained high conversion rate in March also demonstrates the huge strides retailers have made in their online platforms and are continuing to focus on improving the customer experience.”

09 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

NEWS —

PRIMARK PROFITS UP BY 26 PER CENT Primark has announced a rise in profits of 26 per cent in the 24 weeks to 1 March. The discount high-street retailer, owned by Associated British Foods, reported profits of £298m.

The surge in revenue has been attributed to the retailer’s “aggressive growth strategy”, which has seen it open new larger stores across the UK, bringing its total number of outlets to 269.

International expansion is also a focus for the business, following its double-digit growth in Spain and Portugal and “very strong” growth in Northern Europe.

Further expansion is forecast for this year, including the opening of a store in Boston, which heralds the brand’s arrival into the US. —

MODA WELCOMES EXCLUSIVE BRAND LINE-UP A raft of domestic and international womenswear brands is joining the line-up of exclusive signings at the next edition of Moda Woman, taking place on 10-12 August at the NEC in Birmingham.

The Masai Clothing Company

Adini, Michaela Louisa and The Masai Clothing Company are among the labels who have chosen Moda as their only UK showcase, with the latter returning to the three-day event after an absence of a couple of seasons. Other newcomers to the event include Hermann Lange, Bella Blue, Pachamama and Kiraku, while evening and occasionwear section Moda Noir welcomes the likes of Corrizi, Veni Infantino, Mac Duggal and Rainbow Club to its ranks.

Meanwhile, Moda White – the dedicated area for contemporary brands – sees the addition of Saskia and Ingenue, as well as the return of Suzy D and Leo Guy, who made their show debuts last season.

A packed programme of catwalk shows, live debates as well as seminars and workshops dedicated to pertinent retail and industry topics round off the visitor experience.

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NAVABI LAUNCHES OWN LABEL Plus-size e-tailer Navabi is celebrating its fifth anniversary with the launch of its first own-label collection. The debut offer comprises five capsule styles in recognition of the brand’s five-year history, and transcends eveningwear and daywear with figure-flattering cuts. The collection joins brands such as Roberto Cavalli, M Missoni and Anna Scholz on the website at www.navabi.co.uk. The retailer has also revealed plans to revamp its online presence this year with a view to improving usability.

— SOLID RECOVERY FOR UK ECONOMY Economic growth strengthened across the retail and services sector throughout the month of April, according to the latest CBI Growth Indicator. The Confederation of British Industry reports a “solid growth” in retail activity of 25 per cent compared to 19 per cent in March – a sea-change in results following an eight month low prior to March. The outlook for the next three months is now exceptionally strong according to the CBI. — £4.5M NEW INVESTMENT FOR SECRETSALES.COM Flash sales website Secretsales.com has secured £4.5m worth of investment from venture capital firm Partech Ventures and French private equity firm 123Venture. The investment comes following significant sales growth for the website, which achieved 70 per cent net sales growth in 2013.

“We are delighted to welcome Partech VI and 123Venture as new investors, and pleased that our existing shareholders continue to demonstrate their support and commitment through their participation in this latest funding round,” says Nish Kukadia, CEO. “We are excited to now focus on the next stage of our ambitious growth plans.”

10 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

NEWS —

CHIC BEIJING MOVES TO SHANGHAI Chic, the largest trade fashion event in mainland China, is to move from Beijing to Shanghai in 2015. The annual show, whose most recent edition took place on 26-29 March, has been running in Beijing for 22 years, with last month’s edition attracting around 90,000 visitors.

Next year’s event, which will see Chic shortened from a four to a three day show, will be held on 18-20 March at a newly built fairground scheduled to open in Shanghai at the end of this year, and will run alongside apparel fabrics show Intertextile.

The move from the Chinese capital to the city, largely regarded as the country’s fashion capital, will also pave the way for a new layout for the event’s 600-plus domestic exhibitors. It will see brands segmented by lifestyle rather than the current division into womenswear, menswear and childrenswear halls.

International brands will continue to show primarily in national pavilions.

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VAN DAL CONFIRMS BUY-OUT DEAL Footwear manufacturer The Florida Group – owner of the Van Dal label – will be bought by its existing management team when the brand’s chairman, Simon Goodman, retires within the next couple of months. The move secures the future of the British label, which is Norwich’s last remaining shoe manufacturer.

Led by current managing director Tony Linford, the brand’s new owner will aim to develop the label on an international level, boosting its presence as a Made in Britain brand.

“After so many years in the hands of the Goodman family, I feel privileged to be taking the helm of such a great business,” says Linford. “I am determined to build a future for a company that is as distinguished as its history to date, and the team and I have exciting plans to take the company forward.”

Meanwhile, Simon Goodman, grandson of the brand’s founder, Adelman Goodman, says, “This is a strong leadership team that is ideally placed to take the company into the future, and I step down in the knowledge that the business is in safe hands.”

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RETAILERS TO DESPATCH 920 MILLION PARCELS IN 2014 Deliveries from UK retailers will reach 920 million this year, according to a growth trajectory by industry analyst IMRG. The figure is representative of the ongoing growth of the volume of parcels despatched by UK retailers that is currently averaging 19.2 per cent year-on-year.

— INTERNATIONAL APPEAL FOR UK APPAREL UK clothing and footwear retailers are attracting more interest from overseas customers, according to the first quarter results of Google’s online retail monitor. Womenswear brands and department stores in particular have emerged as winners, with searches for UK department stores originating from overseas increasing by a significant 77 per cent this quarter. “Apparel is a key driver of export for our UK retailers, and this is reflected in the report,” says Peter Fitzgerald, retail director at Google. “China and Russia continue to represent a huge opportunity for retailers, with the fastest growth for UK apparel. In addition, our fashion-led UK department stores see the fastest growth from overseas markets, demonstrating the consumer trend towards breadth of choice and availability.” The UK is now the world’s second biggest online retail exporter, second only to the US. — JOHN LEWIS RETAINS TITLE OF UK’S BEST RETAILER John Lewis has retained its title as the UK’s best retailer, following the Verdict Customer Satisfaction Awards, held last month at the London Stock Exchange. In its latest customer satisfaction poll, Verdict Research reveals that the department store chain is once again the nation’s number one retailer. The survey of more than 5,800 customers showed that John Lewis obtained scores for service that far exceeded any other retailer. It also revealed the best retailers by sector, as well as the overall winner, with H&M topping the clothing list.

11 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

NEWS —

RETAILER CONFIDENCE INCREASES

FARFETCH SECURES £40M OF INVESTMENT

Retailer confidence is at “its highest level since the recession”, according to the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira).

The news comes following the second consecutive quarter of overall recovery, and reports that seven in ten independent retailers feel confident about the trading year ahead of them.

Global e-commerce website Farfetch has secured £40m of investment from private equity firm Vitruvian Partners. The website will use the funding to further its omnichannel strategy and international growth.

For the clothing and footwear sector specifically, sales this quarter represented a growth of 2.71 per cent in direct comparison with the first quarter of 2013.

Some retailers still expressed frustration at the slow recovery of the economy, however, with one clothing and footwear retailer of the anonymous survey describing the proverbial corner to be turned as “long and bendy”.

Overall growth across all retail sectors differed from region to region, with retailers in Wales reporting significant sales increases of 16.69 per cent this quarter. Those in the North East of England, meanwhile, reported losses of 2.68 per cent in direct comparison with the first quarter of 2013.

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“This round of investment will help fuel a number of our key strategic goals,” says José Neves, founder and chief executive officer of Farfetch. “We are looking to facilitate our omnichannel proposition, escalate the development of local language sites for key new markets and accelerate engineering developments to help facilitate a dynamic responsive experience.”

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MISSGUIDED CELEBRATES £55M TURNOVER Global fast-fashion business Missguided is celebrating hitting £55m turnover after rapid growth since its launch in 2009, with ambitious plans to reach the £100m turnover mark by March 2015.

The Manchester online fashion retailer has become one of the UK’s leading online fashion outlets for women aged 16-35, and is said to attract over eight million hits a month.

A key driver for the planned aggressive growth will be the ongoing expansion into new markets, with a local language site now live in France, and a further rollout to include Germany and Sweden later this year. This will build on the launches in Australia and the US in 2013.

To keep pace with the developments, the company is pursuing a significant hiring strategy, and recruiting for a number of senior management positions within the next few month, having recently hired a head of buying.

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BIRA BANK CELEBRATES £1M TURNOVER Bira Bank – the specialist financial service for independent retailers – has celebrated its first £1m turnover month in March 2014. The turnover indicates a 76 per cent increase in direct comparison with last March, something that Bira attributes to a surge in member enquiries at a time when it is notoriously hard for businesses to secure funding from high-street banks. Part of the British Independent Retailers Association, Bira Bank is the only trade association owned bank in the UK. The service specialises in products that benefit independent retailers.

— TIMBERLAND APPOINTS NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Footwear and apparel label Timberland has appointed Mariano Alonso as its new vice president of sales in line with its plans for accelerated growth this year and beyond. Alonso is charged with delivering a new, aggressive sales plan for the brand, and will see it focus its efforts on international expansion across its women’s and men’s subsidiaries.

— SUNDAY TRADING LAWS UNDER DEBATE Some of the UK’s biggest retailers – including department store Selfridges – are backing a Parliamentary offensive to scrap Sunday trading laws that currently restrict retailers to opening for just six hours on Sundays. The bid has the full backing of Conservative MP and vice chairman of the All Party parliamentary Retail Group, Philip Davies, who says, “I would like to scrap the Sunday trading restrictions altogether. The sky has not fallen in Scotland where there are no such rules. We are living with a ridiculous anomaly – if people want to keep Sunday special that is fine, they can do so.

It is about freedom of choice.”

Some independent retailers have voiced their agreement, arguing that flexibility is vital to burgeoning small business.

12 WOMENSWEAR BUYER — MAY 2014

PROFILE —

FAR EAS EASTERN PROMISE With a growing middle class and a keen interest in international brands, China is now in the sights of an increasing number of European labels. Nick Cook visited Beijing trade show Chic to find out how more mainstream names are faring in a market previously known for its love of luxury.

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T

he growth of a newly affluent Chinese middle class has been well documented. Following a decade-long boom in sales of luxury goods to China’s elite, a filtering through of wealth to a swathe of the population expected to account for somewhere in the region of 600 million consumers within the next five years has paved the way for an influx of mid-market fashion brands.

Visit one of Beijing’s numerous and glittering shopping centres, for example, and you’re likely to find the likes of Zara, H&M and Esprit sitting in prime position alongside the home-grown retail fascias unfamiliar to Western eyes, and which are now being given a serious run for their money by these Western chains. A less familiar sight, however, is the multi-brand stores that, here in Europe, remain the key point of sale for so many mainstream womenswear brands.

However, at the most recent edition of China’s largest trade fashion exhibition, Chic, which took place in Beijing in March, the presence of national pavilions from Germany, France and Italy saw brands such as Eugen Klein, Damo, Pause Cafe, Nathalie Chaize, Fuego and Mariella Rosati using the event to investigate the possibilities of the Chinese market. And in many cases they also took the opportunity to build on contacts established over previous seasons, either in China or at home in Europe. As any brand that’s either tried or indeed succeeded in the Chinese market will tell you, there is no surefire route to success. But with the growth potential of traditional Western markets now stagnant or diminishing, China is becoming an increasingly attractive target.

“Multi-brand retail is still a new concept in China, but more and more stores are now opening up,” says Julie Gedeon, export manager at French womenswear label Pause Cafe, which was showing at Chic for the first time. The brand’s first encounter with the Chinese market, says Gedeon, came when it took part in a trade mission to China, during which it made contact with a Chinese retailer specialising in European brands with a chain of over 100 stores. “That

was three seasons ago, and we’ve sold very well through these stores, and their customers seem to love the collection,” she says. With multi-brand retail still in its early stages, however, it’s finding more suitable outlets through which to develop the brand that remains the challenge.

Frederic Lener, general manager of French outerwear label Lener, is confident that there is a market for the company’s products in China. But, like most of the European brands targeting the country, he knows that success is unlikely to happen overnight. “We came to Chic three years ago but, although we met a lot of people, nothing concrete came out of it,” he says. “Now there are a lot more overseas brands in China and we’re also more in contact with Chinese companies visiting France, so the opportunities are there. Coming over to China isn’t about the orders; it’s about the people you meet.”

Although brands such as Lener are open to the idea of licensing as well as wholesale sales, the potential of multi-brand retail is something that both Chic’s exhibitors and its organisers are keen to see grow. Chic’s seminar programme, for example, featured a number of presentations on multi-brand retailing, with guests including Peter Caplowe – co-founder of Hong Kong fashion trade show The HUB – who has been working with Chic on promoting the multibrand concept to businesses in the region for the last twelve months.

“Interest in the big name luxury brands has slowed significantly,” says Caplowe. “That level of luxury isn’t seen as ‘cool’ anymore, and the Chinese government has introduced new anti-corruption laws that prevent public officials from wearing high-end designer labels, or exchanging them as gifts.

“But interest in fashion hasn’t waned, so consumers who are into fashion are looking for new brands,” he continues. “Given that not every brand is in a position to open a chain of standalones, the only place they’re going to be able to find these brands is in multi-brand stores, and it’s something that retail business are quickly coming to realise."

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INTERVIEW —

Q&A

Dani Reiss — As CEO of Canada Goose, and grandson of the man who founded the business, Dani Reiss knows a thing or two about top-end outerwear for extreme weather. Tom Bottomley grabs him on a flying visit to the all-new showroom in London to talk parkas.

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15 WOMENSWEAR BUYER — MAY 2014

Tom Bottomley: What marks your down parkas out from anyone else’s?

Dani Reiss: There are a lot of things that separate our jackets from the rest. Firstly, they are authentic, and it’s about the actual use of our products, and then it’s about the materials we use. If you go to the coldest places on earth, such as Antarctica, Siberia or Alaska, you will see people wearing our products because we are the real deal. We use the best down in the world – Canadian Hutterite – which we get from farmers in the Canadian prairies. All our blends contain some Hutterite. Nobody else has scientific blends of down that they’ve perfected over the years to work in harmony with the fabrics, creating such extreme warmth.

TB: How have you seen your women’s business grow?

DR: Women’s is now 50 per cent of the business worldwide, and 40 per cent in the UK. It has grown significantly over the last two years. At one time, most of our sales were men’s styles, but today we see women’s sales growing at the same pace. We do offer more fashion-forward pieces as part of our outdoor luxury Branta collection. Branta uses the most luxurious, yet still inherently functional fabrics and finishes to create sleeker urban styles for those consumers looking for a more polished look.

TB: What is the bestselling jacket for women, and why?

DR: The Trillium is an overall European favourite as the fit is trim and many women like the mid-length cut. I think in the past it’s been hard for women to find a high-performance, warm winter coat that also looks great, and the Trillium hits the mark on fusing function with fashion. More recently, our lightweight collection has become popular. Take, for example, the versatility of the HyBridge Lite jacket – it’s an amazing travel companion as it weighs less than half a pound, and easily packs down into a handbag.

INTERVIEW —

“IF YOU GO TO THE COLDEST PLACES ON EARTH, SUCH AS ANTARCTICA, SIBERIA AND ALASKA, YOU WILL SEE PEOPLE WEARING OUR PRODUCTS BECAUSE WE ARE THE REAL DEAL” TB: Do women tend to want more of a “fashion-led” design, or are they equally into the functional aspects of Canada Goose outerwear?

DR: Sure they want to look good, but it’s really about wanting a real brand that delivers on the promise of being the best and the warmest. One of the biggest innovations has been developing the right cuts and fits for women. For a long time, Canada Goose was perceived to be a men’s company only, and women who wanted our product would buy smaller versions of those jackets. In the last five to seven years we really invested in perfecting women’s fits, and that’s why today it represents 50 per cent of the business worldwide. We make women look amazing.

TB: Did you ever think selling a parka for over £800 would be a problem in the UK market?

DR: No, never. We are committed to producing the best jackets in the world, so we only use the best materials, from our proprietary custom down blends and waterproof, windproof and breathable four-way stretch fabric to smaller details such as the placement of buttons, grab straps and zippers. All these materials come at a premium price. We are also made in Canada, and every jacket is made by an artisan. Together, these elements create a high-value product. Our customers support this approach and demand for our products continues to outstrip supply.

TB: What sort of growth have you seen over the past decade?

DR: It’s now over 3,500 per cent. A lot comes down to our marketing, but number one is that the brand is a “product” story. The company has gone from being worth CAN $3m (£1.6m) to well in excess of CAN $150m (£81.5m). In the UK, our growth is currently 230 per cent year-on-year.

TB: Where does particularly well for you in the UK? DR: We sit at the intersection of function and fashion, giving us a unique distribution position that is spread across the region’s best outdoor and fashion retailers. Our top indies include Matches, Browns, Accent and Jules B. All these retailers have a reputation for sourcing “best-in-class” products.

TB: Where does Canada Goose have stores in the world?

DR: Currently, we’re 100 per cent wholesale.

We’re launching an e-commerce platform this year in Canada, and then rollout plans for the rest of world will follow. We’ve had a shop-in-shop in Harrods for over a year that does very well for us.

TB: What’s your connection with the film industry?

DR: We call ourselves the unofficial jacket of film crews. That’s because any film set you go to around the world – where it’s cold – from the last three decades at least, you would genuinely see Canada Goose jackets everywhere. You’d think we were sponsoring them, but we’re not. We’re just the jackets of choice because we do the best job! Lately we have started to sponsor film festivals. It’s a way of celebrating our authentic involvement in the film industry. We don’t pay for endorsements or product placements.

People wear our products because they want to. Our jackets are also used in films to authenticate freezing locations.

TB: Was the original business founded on making private-label products for other brands?

DR: Back in the day, yes. My grandfather started the business in 1957. He was an immigrant from Eastern Europe, and originally a cutter in other people’s factories.

Then he founded Metro Sportswear, which made general outerwear for the local market in Canada. My father got involved in the business in the 70s. He grew the down business on the private-label side. He also invented a “down machine” for filling the jackets. It was quite revolutionary at the time, and was a machine that we used up until very recently.

He started producing jackets for famous names such as Eddie Bauer, LL Bean and Timberland. He also started the Canada Goose brand. It was all about his passion for making incredible products for the coldest places on earth, and it developed a cult following.

TB: What’s the summer market like for you?

DR: We don’t have a summer line as such, but we do offer different lighter-weight products that do well for us in spring. The Highbridge Lite jacket has been very successful, particularly in the UK. People ask us about “summer-specific” product, but we’re careful to make everything we do a “best-in-class” product, and also “made in Canada”.

TB: Would you ever dilute the brand and introduce product at cheaper price point to hit a wider audience?

DR: No. We’d rather go upmarket that down-market. It’s more fun and challenging to make better things, and we only want to make things that we’d wear ourselves.

19 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

E-COMMERCE GUIDE —

THE INDIE GUIDE TO E-COMMERCE

WWB’S INDISPENSABLE MULTI-CHANNEL RETAILING MANUAL, PROVIDING INDEPENDENT RETAILERS WITH HELPFUL TOOLS AND EXPERT ADVICE ON ISSUES SUCH AS WEB DESIGN, PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY, PAYMENTS, LOGISTICS AND RETURNS, AS WELL AS THE INSIDE STORY FROM RETAILERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATED E-COMMERCE WITH BRICKS AND MORTAR. —

20 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

MULTI-CHANNEL —

IN WITH “THE CLICK” With e-commerce sales continuing to rise, more and more players are competing for a slice of the online cake. Indies are also increasingly embracing multi-channel retailing and, with the right amount of investment and commitment, the rewards can be significant. Tom Bottomley looks at the factors driving the sector.

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A

recent survey among independent retailers carried out by WWB revealed that of the 88.8 per cent of the retailers who said they had a website, an impressive 63.1 per cent said it was transactional, while a whopping 97 per cent of retailers surveyed stated they would like to grow their e-commerce arm. And although the competition only getting tougher, it seems that online retailing is big business indeed.

One couple that has taken the online bull by the horns is Julian and Rhona Blades with their North-East based Jules B business.

Their investment into e-commerce came in 2009, at a time when they were looking to expand their bricks-and-mortar side but failed to secure new premises – something that Julian now seems thankful for.

“There was a demise in footfall, and we had two ways to approach it,” he says.

“One was to become bigger shop-wise, the other was to go down the internet route which, at the time, we knew nothing about.

We had our hearts set on developing a retail site next to our existing shop in Jesmond. It was a considerable size, but we got gazumped at the last minute by Waitrose. It didn’t seem good at the time, but now it’s the best thing that ever happened.”

Having reconsidered their strategy, Jules B’s internet business started off small, but very quickly they saw encouraging signs using Google’s “pay per click” advertising, with solid return on investment. “For every £1,000 we spent, we could get £10,000 back in turnover,” says Julian.

The business may have been growing organically, but it was also growing at a phenomenal rate. “We invested all the time and, once I saw this recipe working, I wasn’t afraid to throw money at it because you could quantify your return,” he says. Five years on, Jules B is turning over around £6m on the net, with a forecast for the coming year at £7m, and is employing around 45 people.

The nine Jules B shops (six women’s and three men’s) are an integral part of the business, effectively not only shops but

“Smartphones have the potential to change shopper behaviour. It means consumers are constantly shopping, and they can turn ‘down-time’ into browsing and shopping time. It means they are better equipped to compare products, prices and retailers”

warehouses with their own “fulfilment rooms”, where goods are sent out to the customers based on an Epos system that picks and allocates the stock per store.

It’s fair to say that the phenomenal growth of e-commerce has permeated every element of the retail sector, offering not just the big players, but also independents ample opportunity to get a slice of the online cake.

What’s also now changing the goalposts is the growth of shopping from mobile phones and tablets. John Mercer, senior analyst at market research specialists Mintel, says, “Smartphones have the potential to change shopper behaviour. It means consumers are constantly shopping and they can turn ‘down-time’ into browsing and shopping time. It means they are better equipped to compare products, prices and retailers.”

A new study by IMRG, the Interactive Media in Retail Group, the UK’s industry association for e-retail, has revealed

that 11 per cent of retailers expect more than 50 per cent of their online sales to come via mobile by the end of 2014, a figure up from just four per cent of retailers in 2013 – which shows just how fast times are changing.

But having a transactional website works both ways and can also stimulate footfall into store. Interestingly, Bruno Berthezene, managing director of Solocal Group UK, a leader in local digital marketing services, says that 34 per cent of UK consumers were found to look at a product online before making a purchase in-store – a trend called “reverse showrooming”.

He also says that in spite of the growth of online commerce, the majority of UK retail purchases still take place in physical stores today. “Customers have a strong preference for buying in shops, allowing them to touch and see items or try on clothes before deciding to purchase, and also get their goods immediately without

21 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

having to wait for a delivery,” says Berthezene. “Independent retailers can stand out by offering their customers the combined advantages retail e-players can offer such as online catalogues, product inventory, online payment and so on, with the advantages of having a physical store through click and collect, for instance.

Customers are increasingly looking for flexibility in the act of purchase, and want to be able to choose how, when and where they will pay for their item and receive it.”

According to market analyst Verdict, growth in the clothing and footwear online market is forecast to slow in the coming five years to 2019, with a rate of 80 per cent compared to 165 per cent growth in the preceding five-year period due to the maturity of retailers’ online operations.

Though it might not be such phenomenal growth, as is the case with online fashion giant Asos, it’s hardly to be sniffed at.

Giulio Cinque, owner of independent women’s and men’s boutique Giulio in Cambridge, has so far not taken a transactional website route. Instead, he works with Farfetch, the e-commerce company that was launched in 2008 to act as a platform for independent boutiques worldwide to realise

MULTI-CHANNEL —

their global sales potential with minimum risk. They simply take a percentage of sales. “I can’t comment on the traffic I would get globally if I did have my own transactional website, “ says Cinque. “But I can tell you that with Farfetch I’m now shipping to 30 different countries, and it represents 30 per cent of our turnover after just three years.”

Cinque says an advantage of using a site such as Farfetch is that it offers a ready-made infrastructure with a specially built digital management system, including all the marketing. “It’s given me a real opportunity to ‘get out there’,” says Cinque.

“It certainly provides a small fish in a big pond the opportunity to have a much stronger presence without the huge investment required by independents standing alone in the worldwide web.”

Whichever way indies choose to tap into e-commerce, there’s no doubt that the rewards can be significant – but only if retailers are committed to making a proper investment in terms of finances, resources and time.

According to Julian Blades, a lot of retailers don’t take having an internet business seriously enough, and they don’t understand the complications involved with

running a website. “It’s very involved,” he says. “When I look at some of my contemporaries who started off with websites at the same time as us, they underestimated the level of investment that is required.

“Our timing, from when we started, was also quite clinical, because we could grow organically,” Blades continues. “Now there is a lot more competition in the marketplace.

After 28 years of retailing, within five years the internet has become 60 per cent of the business turnover. But we have a marketing department and people employed just to constantly do affiliate advertising.

We also have people employed to do ‘pay per click’. We have four full-time photographers and four content writers, as well as packing staff and so on. Without all of that, you may as well not bother getting out of bed.”

There’s no doubt that fashion e-commerce is here to stay, and it’s clear that going forward it will become much more of a cross-channel experience of bricks and mortar and their online counterparts.

Customers will increasingly demand flexibility and diversity in the way they shop, switching between purchasing clothes online or just browsing and “showrooming”, and visiting a bricks-and-mortar store to buy or vice versa, and it’s something retailers will have to put more emphasis on.

Cinque seconds this. Internet sales through Farfetch may represent 30 per cent of his turnover, but he believes it’s all relative because bricks-and-mortar sales have shrunk.

“What it’s done is contribute to maintaining an acceptable turnover,” he says. “I think it’s important to have ‘bricks and clicks’. We’re making a big effort to love our customer more in-store and, because we have the shop, we have an emotional attachment with our customers. Whereas when you think about the likes of Net a Porter, you think of a warehouse. So we feel strongly about our bricks-and-mortar business, and that’s what we’re putting a big focus on.” Spoken like a true retailer.

22 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

WEB DESIGN —

SPINNING THE WEB Launching a transactional website can be a valuable extension of a bricks-and-mortar store, but for many indies it can be a daunting task. Isabella Griffiths quizzes Tim Johnson, director at leading e-commerce provider Visualsoft, about the key to a successful multi-channel operation and the pitfalls to avoid.

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F

or many smaller businesses, the world of e-commerce can be a minefield, and indies in particular often struggle with where to start when it comes to translating their bricks-and-mortar experience into a viable online arm.

“You need to treat the launch of a transactional website like you would the opening of another shop, both in terms of investment and what you would do to make that additional branch work,” says Tim Johnson, director at e-commerce provider Visualsoft, which specialises in the design, build and marketing of online stores, and who has worked with more than 500 independent businesses across a variety of industry sectors, including fashion indies such as Jules B, Havetolove, Cricket and Psyche.

“A typical mistake that indies make is that they build a website and just expect it to generate lots of business, but that’s not how it works,” he continues. “You get out of it what you put in. In a bricks-and-mortar store, you would merchandise properly, market the shop properly, cross-sell and up-sell, and you have to do the same online. A lot of stores try e-commerce, it doesn’t meet their expectations and they write it off, but the rewards are still up there for grabs – you just have to do it properly.”

For many indies thinking about launching e-commerce or indeed improving their existing set-up, the question of how much investment is needed is often the most tricky one. “A minimum investment is around £3,000 for a functional start-up site; if it’s less, it’s usually not a good enough solution,” says Johnson. “Obviously, for more advanced sites, the cost goes up proportionately with features and additional functionality. For existing websites that require a redesign or relaunch, we are typically looking at an investment of between £5,000 and £10,000.”

Keeping the website functional, easy to navigate and user-friendly are fundamental rules every retailer venturing

into e-commerce should adhere to. Johnson says, “Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. A lot of indies over-think the design and want to be different. For instance, you usually have the basket in the top-right corner, so don’t try to place it in the bottom-left, for example, as it ends up being a case of style over function and can easily alienate customers.

You have to follow the fundamental rules of a bricks-and-mortar shop online, too. In a bricks-and-mortar store, you wouldn’t put your front door in the back and the till in the warehouse just to be different, so why would you do that online? There are certain industry standards that customers expect and are used to.

“On the internet, your customer is only ever two clicks away from your competitors,” he continues. “Users will only spend a few minutes on the website, so you have to create as few steps from product to checkout as possible to convert the visit into a sale. Functionality, usability and ease of navigation are key.”

Johnson advises retailers to think carefully about the design of their web presence and the image it portrays about the business. “Online users will make an assumption about the quality of your online store within three to five seconds of clicking on your site, so you have to ensure that you present a trustworthy and professional

environment, especially when you work in the branded and premium sector,” he says.

“So think about good product presentation and photography, the amount of product available and how you merchandise it.

“A lot of indies also get it wrong by wasting much of their homepage on talking about their bricks-and-mortar store instead of a strong product presentation,” Johnson continues. “The reality is that most of your online visitors are not local, and they don’t care about your bricks-and-mortar store – they are on your website because they want to buy your product so, again, make it as easy as possible. By all means put a picture of your store on the ‘contacts’ page to add credibility to your operation, but don’t be tempted to waste the homepage on it.”

Ultimately, the success of an e-commerce arm depends on many factors, but Johnson advocates that, if done properly, it is an investment that is set to enhance a business and put it on a good footing for future growth, as e-commerce continues to rise. And with mobile commerce accelerating the online marketplace even further, he recommends that retailers also think about the future development potential of their sites.

“Mobile technology is the key driver of the future; between 30 and 50 per cent of fashion websites generate their traffic

23 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

WEB DESIGN —

THE E-COMMERCE START-UP GUIDE

by Visualsoft

“On the internet, your customer is only ever two clicks away from your competitors.

Users will only spend a few minutes on the website, so you have to create as few steps from product to checkout as possible to convert the visit into a sale.

Functionality, usability and ease of navigation are key”

through mobile devices. On some sites it’s as much as 70 per cent, especially where it’s backed by a strong social-media campaign, because people spend hours on their phones and tablets on social media,” says Johnson. “So if you’re making an investment in a website, it’s worth thinking about future proofing it for the mobile customer also.”

Responsive design – where the site recognises whether it’s being viewed on a desktop, tablet or mobile device and adapts the viewing experience accordingly – may be the buzzword here, but Johnson says that this is often costly, and that more budget-friendly alternatives do exist. “Responsive design is quite expensive, but if you’re on a budget, we normally recommend to build your website and include a mobile site, so both are covered,” he says. “It is a good compromise, and a lot cheaper to implement.”

Complex as the world of e-commerce may be, Johnson is convinced that it’s the only way to go for any business wanting to survive and thrive. “The future is definitely online – that’s a reality,” he says. “If stores don’t adapt, they will be left behind, whether you like it or not. A new generation of consumer is coming through that has grown up with the internet and mobile devices, and this will continue to drive and shape the retail sector.”

HAVE A PLAN Even if you don’t have an incredibly detailed business plan, it’s wise to have an idea of what you expect your store to achieve in its first year and map out what actions you need to take to make it happen. Be realistic, and be prepared to change your plan along the way in response to a fast-moving sector.

SECURE YOUR DOMAIN You need to purchase your store’s domain as soon as possible to make sure you don’t miss out on a name that’s easy to remember and appropriate for your business.

GET BRANDED Your new online business will need a logo that will feature on your store, as well as related material such as invoices and emails, so it’s important to get a professionally designed logo that projects the right image for your store and can be easily applied to everything and anything you might need depending on the growth of your business. Investing in a strong identity early on can avoid the need for expensive redesign costs later down the line.

SET UP A MERCHANT ACCOUNT A merchant account is a type of bank account that allows you to accept payment from shoppers’ credit cards. If you don’t already have a merchant account, speak to your bank about getting one set up.

Alternatively, some payment gateway providers can supply them.

APPLY FOR A PAYMENT GATEWAY To process online payments, your store needs a payment gateway to allow the secure transfer of credit card funds from shoppers to your merchant account. The application for a payment gateway can sometimes take several weeks, so it’s best to begin the process as early as possible.

CONSIDER CONTENT Successful stores feature more than just products, so it’s important to think about the additional content of your store sooner rather than later, as it can take time to put together great copy for your returns policy, store history and About Us page etc. In addition, for some content

such as your terms and conditions of sale or your site’s privacy policy, you may need help from your solicitor or a business development agency.

MAKE DATA DECISIONS To put together a clear structure for your new store, your e-commerce provider will need to know what type of products you’ll be selling and how they can be broken down into sub-departments, and roughly how many products you’ll have available to buy. Also, you’ll need to know how you plan on adding product data to your store (manually, or via spread sheet import or Epos integration).

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS The more you can learn about your target market, the better, as the data can inform what you stock, how your store looks etc.

Find out what your potential customers want from a store, what they don’t and, ultimately, what motivates them to buy.

IMPRESSIVE IMAGES When selling online, the quality of your products are often judged on the quality of your images, so shoddy pictures are a quick way to lose potential customers. It might be worth engaging a photographer with the right experience to deliver product shots that are attractive and show a good level of detail.

SIZE UP YOUR COMPETITION It’s useful to do market research and look at potential competitors selling online, and make note of their pricing, approach and aesthetic so you can use the information to inform how you will – or won’t – do things with your own online store.

CONSIDER PROMOTIONS AND MARKETING Like any retail business, merely existing isn’t enough to attract customers. It’s essential that you think about what promotions and incentives you’ll offer, and how you will market your business on an ongoing basis once it’s launched.

PICK THE RIGHT PROVIDER Hundreds of retailers lose a huge amount of time and money on their online stores because they don’t carry out due diligence when choosing an e-commerce provider.

For more information and further tips and advice on all things e-commerce, call Visualsoft on 01642 633 604, email info@visualsoft.co.uk or visit www.visualsoft.co.uk.

24 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

OPEN TO QUESTION —

ON THE RIGHT LINES What are the secrets to a successful online operation? WWB quizzes key indies about their approach to prosperous e-commerce.

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JAN CLIFT Owner, Feva, Cheltenham, Gloucester

How long have you had your transactional website, and what percentage of your business does it make up?

What level of investment did you make?

Are you selling the same brands as in-store?

In 2007 we launched a low-cost website with limited functionality. It preceded our Epos system and was a bit “homespun”; a big mistake as our customers had become accustomed to sophisticated online shops. After three seasons, we suspended the site and relaunched last summer with a bigger range, dramatically improved functionality and much greater customer appeal. It’s early days, but our web business is building monthly, although it is still a small percentage of our turnover.

We obviously can’t compete with the major players, but we believe you can develop a decent site for a fraction of what they spend. Our basic site cost around £7,000 to build. But on top of that there are running, production and maintenance costs of around £10,000 a year.

At the moment we sell exactly the same brands online. We know from customer feedback that many use the site to “browse the shop” before coming in to buy, so it’s important to have consistency. However, we will review this at the end of the season, as it’s clear that some products and brands are better suited to online purchase than others. Also, the online customer profile can be quite different to our in-store customers.

We have had it for around three years, and it makes up 60 per cent.

We invested over £10,000 in the website.

Everything in-store is online and vice versa. We make sure that as soon as something is delivered it goes online straight away.

We launched the bricks-and-mortar store in Wilmslow in September 2010, and followed this with the online launch in March 2011. Three years on, our online transactions account for around 10 per cent of our overall revenue.

Over £10,000. We have to continually invest in the online business to maintain success. We have technical development costs, apportionment of PR and social media investments, online marketing and affiliate commissions.

We offer our customers the same brands and products online as we do in-store. Black White Denim centres around helping our customers look effortlessly stylish. We carefully consider every brand and collection we buy each season, ensuring they all work together to make it easy for our customer.

Our online store was launched in November 2012 to bring Marianna Boutique to a wider audience and remove the constraints of the physical store’s opening times. We wanted to give existing customers the freedom to shop whenever they like, giving new flexibility to a well-loved brand.

While it’s still early days for our e-commerce site as it enters its second year, relative to our overall turnover, online sales represent a small but rapidly growing percentage.

The website cost less than £5,000. On reflection, we have learnt a huge amount since we launched at the end of 2012, and there are many things we would do differently.

We aim to sell around 80 per cent of our collections online. We can be restricted by the availability of good-quality images of our products, and work hard to overcome this while keeping an eye on managing expenses.

JOANNA NICOLA Owner, Oxygen Boutique, West London

JO DAVIES Founder, Black White Denim, Cheshire

EMMA LLOYD Owner, Marianna Boutique, Ipswich

25 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

OPEN TO QUESTION —

Is your e-commerce arm growing, and what is driving this growth?

Are you planning further developments to your website?

What percentage of your business do you envisage the website to become over the next few years – and in relation to your bricks-and-mortar store?

There is no doubt that we will put more emphasis on online. At the basic level it’s a broader showcase for our shop. Beyond that, it becomes another important sales channel. All commentators are saying that online sales are continuing to grow and, as a result, you have to question the traditional retail model. At my most pessimistic, I fear for the long-term future of the single-location independent bricks-and-mortar boutique.

Yes, we have to. We will see what we can achieve within a sensible budget, but development costs are coming down. We can never emulate the market leaders, but there are one or two great indie sites out there, and we would hope to get close to them.

It’s difficult to say, as it’s heavily dependent on how much investment we make online. I would hope we could ultimately sell more online than in-store.

Yes. We are really trying to grow the online business with more marketing and PR. We are also looking at brand cross-promotions and Google advertising.

Yes, we hope to carry on growing the site internationally, and are placing further budgets into advertising.

I think it will carry on growing more than bricks and mortar. I envisage in the next year it will make up 70 per cent of our sales.

Blackwhitedenim.com is growing slowly but steadily. We invest time and energy into understanding our online customer, making sure we are offering them the same quality customer experience, just as we would if they were in our store.

We are constantly looking at ways we can improve the online experience for our shoppers. Some are visual changes – from photography to product descriptions – and others are less obvious, back-end and search alterations.

Our aim is that by the end of 2014, the online business with be worth 25 per cent of the overall business.

We have seen a massive increase in online sales in 2014, and are in excess of 50 per cent of our annual target, which we are thrilled about. Lively social media, marketing campaigns and consumers’ ever-growing appetite for online shopping have driven this.

We have significantly invested in the rebuild of the Marianna website, and are currently in the final stages of its relaunch. Our new, highly responsive e-commerce platform will enable a more robust marketing strategy for increased online sales generation.

Many of our customers show strong loyalty and appreciation of personal service, and enjoy browsing the rails of our exclusive hand-picked Scandinavian collections in-store. We don’t believe they will ever tire of this shopping experience and receiving tailored style advice. However, if we can continue to extend the Marianna shopping experience to new and returning online customers beyond East Anglia, we envisage this could equate to around a quarter of our overall turnover.

28 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

PHOTOGRAPHY —

THE BIGGER PICTURE The quality of photography can be a crucial factor in the success or failure of an e-commerce business, so getting the product presentation right should be top of the agenda for any online business. Isabella Griffiths chatted to two leading experts in e-commerce photography about the dos and don’ts and how to make your products stand out online.

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I

n e-commerce, the quality of a website and product presentation is the online equivalent of the fascia and shop window of a bricks-and-mortar store and instantly tells a story about how credible and professional a business is. Appealing photography is therefore part and parcel of having an attractive website. But it’s not just about aesthetics – presenting products in high-quality images can be the deciding factor between an empty basket or a sale. It’s therefore crucial for anyone with an online presence to consider the strength of their product presentation – and not just as an afterthought.

“Good product photography is vital for any online store, but even more so for a womenswear site. You’ve got to come as close as you can to replicating the in-store experience online,” says John Whalley, group creative director at Photolink Creative Group, one of the leading agencies specialising in product photography, design and strategy for e-commerce businesses.

“A lot of start-ups or smaller businesses make the fundamental error of underestimating the importance of their photography,” he continues. “But one bad picture can destroy any first impression, and is ultimately a reflection of your brand and store. You have got to be ambitious when it comes to product presentation. If you look at the best websites out there, they are investing more and more money into product presentation, and that’s for a reason, because there is a direct link between good photography and conversion rates.”

This is mirrored by Lee Friend, CEO and executive producer at Packshot and its fashion arm Fashot, the UK’s largest provider of professional photography to the e-commerce sector, with studios across the UK and several international bases. “A lot of businesses forget to budget for photography, especially smaller ones that are facing big start-up costs,” he says. “But it’s something that needs to be taken seriously and seen as part of the overall investment. The

John Whalley

Lee Friend

e-commerce sector – especially fashion – is so competitive nowadays that no business, regardless of size, can afford to lag behind.

The difference between good and great product presentation is not that dramatic but, if your presentation is bad, it instantly shows and can have a big impact on your sales.”

It’s often the cost factor that leaves retailers unsure about their approach to product presentation and tempts some businesses into cutting corners – at the wrong end, as both experts agree. “In terms of investment, there is no one size fits all approach; it depends on each individual business,” says Whalley. “But professional photography is not as expensive as people might think, especially when you consider

the impact on your sales. Professional studios have the set-up and can process any volume of images. It goes without saying that the more styles we process, the more cost effective it gets. But even smaller businesses shouldn’t be scared of approaching professional companies, as they might be surprised just how worthwhile it is.”

Friend agrees, “It essentially boils down to a simple mathematical exercise as to what kind of photography set-up you can afford and what is right for your business. If it costs you £15 to shoot your garment, but it only retails for £20 or £30, then the figures don’t stack up. But if you’re selling a £300 dress, a £15 investment does make commercial sense, as the better your

29 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

PHOTOGRAPHY —

photography, the more likely it is that you will sell it and avoid returns.”

While employing the services of a professional photography studio may be the ideal scenario, it’s not uncommon for retailers to opt for an in-house set-up. And, while both Friend and Whalley don’t dispute that this can certainly work for businesses, too, they do warn that it also needs to bring professional results, as a visible DIY approach can be detrimental. “There are advantages to both set-ups,” says Whalley. “A professional studio like ours processes thousands of images every month and has years of experience, so there is a certain methodology to what we do that can’t be easily replicated in a back room of a store somewhere.

“There are different layers of expertise that come into play, too – not just the photography aspect itself, but also the sample management and ensuring that each style is correctly presented, styled, labeled and accessorised properly etc,” he continues.

“There’s nothing worse than not knowing how to style and accessorise a garment for online and it showing on the picture. The difference between an amateur and professional result is also in post-production – we put a lot of effort into ensuring colour balances and an accurate representation of a garment, which is crucial in avoiding a disappointed customer and returns.”

This is mirrored by Friend, “There’s more to successful product presentation than

Fashot

Fashot

“A lot of start-ups or smaller businesses make a fundamental error by underestimating the importance of their photography. But one bad picture can destroy any first impression, and is ultimately a reflection of your brand and store. You have got to be ambitious when it comes to product presentation”

just the image – it also needs to be captioned properly, have appealing product copy and be professionally SEO embedded etc.”

In terms of presentation styles, approaches vary from site to site between simple product shots, ghost-effect cut-outs, garments on mannequins, models or 360-degree rotation to catwalk and other videos. According to Friend, each presentation style has got its advantages, with a mixture of methods the most desirable, though he concedes that not every business needs an all-singing and all-dancing approach, as long as the overall effect is professional, clean and consistent. “You don’t always need something fancy, and you don’t always need 10 images per garment to create >>>

“A model shot or video is good for showing how a garment hangs, but it obviously creates additional costs in terms of model, styling and make-up etc. There’s also an argument for and against using faces of models in shots. Aside from the obvious styling issue, you have to consider whether a model – and what kind of model – is right to represent the clientele of your business” main thing that can damage the confidence of a shopper,” he says. “It often happens when retailers use a mixture of supplied and own images, which can make a site look messy and the product unappealing. You need to have a style and process, and it needs to be consistent.

You wouldn’t present messy merchandise in-store, so why would you do it online?”

Whalley’s top tips for anyone venturing into e-commerce are based around four core rules: 1. Try to recreate the physical in-store experience as effectively as possible online – that means having good silhouette images, 360-degree overviews, garments on models or mannequins and close-ups to get a better feel for a style; 2. Take advantage of technology and make it work for you – deliver something that you couldn’t do in-store, such as advice from the head buyer or designer,

Fashot

good product presentation,” he says. “There are advantages to all of the different styles used across fashion sites – a simple product shot on a mannequin can work perfectly fine.

It often gives better results than a model, because you can’t pin a model! As long as the product is presented clean and professionally, the effect is the same.

“A model shot or video is good for showing how a garment hangs, but it obviously creates additional costs in terms of model, styling and make-up etc,” he continues. “There’s also an argument for and against using faces of models in shots. Aside from the obvious styling issue, you have to consider whether a model – and what kind of model – is right to represent the clientele of your business. Obviously, if you’re an Asos-type store and your target group is the young market, then a 20-year-old model will provide a good reflection of your audience.

But if you’re dealing with an older clientele, having a young model can often have an alienating effect. Essentially, customers want to see the front, the back and any key defining features of a garment in a detail shot – these are the basics that you need to get right. Use white backgrounds and clean shots and as unobstructed as possible. Some retailers go for fancy backgrounds and gimmicks – keep it clean and leave the dramatics to your web design.”

Whalley paints a similar picture. “The perfect scenario is to have a mixture of styles,” he says. “In terms of stills, you need the front, the back, a detail shot and one hung on a model or a mannequin.

“The next stage would be to produce a video, whether it’s a catwalk or just a simple 360-degree turn, so the consumer can appreciate how the garment hangs and moves,” he continues. “Video drives most conversions – it has been statistically proven.

Recent research has shown that 57 per cent of consumers say they are more inclined to buy something after watching a video of a garment. In terms of costs, video is far less of an expensive step-up than people might imagine, because of the technology that nowadays exists on cameras. It’s very easy for us to switch to video mode while we’re shooting, so the investment in video is far less significant than people might assume.

There is a common misconception among smaller retailers that they can’t do what the big guys are doing. But the results that businesses can get even on a smaller scale aren’t too far removed from what the market leaders are achieving.”

Whalley agrees with Friend that a consistent methodology, however, is key in the overall presentation online, whatever the final set-up may be. “Inconsistency is the

PHOTOGRAPHY —

Fashot

30 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

style guides to trends and branded films etc.

Make it informative and inspirational; 3. Give your customer the confidence to shop with you online – it’s sometimes difficult for a consumer to reach the final decision to buy, so provide more information, better product description and demonstrations to give them the assurance to click and buy; 4. Deliver a good overall experience – make the site usable, fast and efficient and present Dress A with different views and angles, and expect to do exactly the same for Dress B, so your style is consistent and strong.

“Retailers get so caught up in heavy investment in SEO, PPC (pay per click), left or right navigation or fancy web design that they loose sight of the fact that the only thing that’s really going to close a sale is whether a product looks appealing or not.”

32 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

EPOS —

STOCK EXCHANGE Simon Roberts, web consultant at Cybertill, the UK’s leading specialist in Epos management, considers the challenges independent retailers face when managing their bricks-and-mortar store and e-commerce site as one, and what can be done to create a seamless retail experience.

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O

ne of the biggest challenges for fashion retailers today is successfully managing their store and website as one. Customers want a variety of convenient ways to buy and return goods from retailers, such as Click and Collect – a service some may think isn’t necessary, or easy to do.

Firstly, think about this from a customer’s perspective. I would wager that the majority of you shop online, and I would also wager that most of you have used Click and Collect, whether it is for groceries or for other purchases. Why? It is convenient. And for those who say it cannot be done, there are systems specifically for independent retailers that make selling online and in-store seamless and offering services such as Click and Collect second nature.

As a retailer, there are a number of ways you can manage your store and website.

One option is to either buy or lease a multi-channel system – this is a combined Epos and e-commerce system.

Alternatively, you can install an Epos system and link it to a separate e-commerce platform. A general recommendation would be the former, with a proviso that the multi-channel system must offer live stock levels across the business. Live stock levels mean that retailers only sell the stock they have, and customers can shop online in confidence knowing what they buy is actually available. If you do choose to have a separate Epos and e-commerce system, you need to check how often the Epos system updates the stock levels to the e-commerce site, as you will want this to be as close to real time as possible.

Of course, there are good reasons to have a separate Epos and e-commerce system, otherwise businesses would not do it. But it will mean working with two separate suppliers and managing how they work together.

So for those retailers starting off who do not have a website, and have yet to invest in

an Epos system, where should they start?

Before beginning to look for, or at, systems, make a list of what you want an Epos and e-commerce system to do. Also think about what information you want from the system to manage your business.

There are certain things a fashion retailer must have. For example, they need to make sure the Epos and e-commerce system can manage matrix products, ie products that come in different colours and sizes. It may sound obvious, but there are systems that do not drill down to that level of detail.

Primarily, it is about the information a retailer pulls out of the Epos system that helps them manage their business – orders, stock levels, most profitable products, fulfilment and optimisation of stock on the shop floor, promotions and loyalty.

There is a whole host of functionality that fashion retailers often need, and the key word for these requirements is “flexibility”: • Can you run promotions in-store and not

33 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

online, and vice versa?

• Will you charge different prices for the same products in different stores or online?

• Will you have a points scheme, discount or reward-based loyalty programme?

• Will you run a wide variety of promotions, will you want to be able to track customer spend in-store and online?

• Would you offer different customers different prices, eg VIP customers’ special pricing on new lines and product launches?

• How will you manage orders, identify outstanding orders and part-orders? Will you need to be able to calculate your forward ordering levels?

• Would you like payment alerts for suppliers, and manage the return of faulty goods in the Epos system?

• Can it offer staff clocking in and out so you can manage paying staff accurately? What about e-commerce?

• Will you offer Click and Collect, customer reviews and the ability for customers to create wish lists from products on your website?

• How about suggested purchases for customers, and the ability to promote a new season’s line before it arrives?

These are just a few points, but every business is unique, so it is important that you spend some time thinking about functionality and what information you will want from the system that will help manage your business.

When buying anything for a business you have to consider your future needs and not just the here and now. It’s akin to when you look at new premises – if the location can’t grow with you and you believe you might outgrow it in six months, you wouldn’t sign a five-year lease for it. It’s the

EPOS —

same when buying an Epos and e-commerce system. Will it be able to grow with your business? For example, if you open a new store, is it easy to install another system? Will you be able to see live stock levels at both stores through the till? If needs be, speak to other fashion stores with the challenges they face.

In terms of upgrading to integrate online, if you just have an Epos system in your store, it all depends on your system.

Some Epos providers, such as Cybertill, can also supply their own e-commerce platform, so the system should work seamlessly. Other providers partner with specialist e-commerce solutions. A recommendation would always be that when speaking to an Epos or e-commerce provider, ask how they link to an e-commerce or Epos system. When linking to a separate e-commerce and Epos system, there is usually some software or an application that sits in between them that “translates’” the information and data that passes between the software.

With an e-commerce system, you also need to understand how you can “optimise” a website so it ranks well for relevant searches in Google and other search engines. Any half-decent e-commerce platform should come with tools for you to optimise it. If it does not, steer well clear. If you are not sure how to optimise or improve a website’s performance, ask the provider. Can they help and provide a service? If you want to use a third party, some retailers will have acquaintances that can offer the service. First and foremost, check what work they have done in the past, whether their customer testimonials are good, and ask them to appraise the optimisation tools on e-commerce systems.

Some web experts make web optimisation – also known as Search Engine

“When buying anything for a business, you have to consider your future needs and not just the here and now. It’s akin to when you look at new premises – if the location can’t grow with you and you believe you might outgrow it in six months, you wouldn’t sign a five-year lease for it”

Optimisation (SEO) – sound like a dark art.

Let me assure, it isn’t. The most important element for any e-commerce website is good, relevant and unique content. Get that right and you will begin to notice the difference in your web rankings. This in turn will boost the number of visitors to your site, and that should see an uplift in transactions.

So with all this in mind, what sort of budget do you need? As with everything in life, you generally get what you pay for. If you want a basic Epos system that helps manage stock levels in-store, you can get them. But if you want to manage your shop and website as one, and have more tools and functionality, you will pay more for a multi-channel system.

35 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

PAYMENT —

SHOW ME THE MONEY S

o you’ve got yourself a website and are ready to start trading online, but one crucial piece in the e-commerce jigsaw is still missing – enabling a secure and efficient checkout. To process payments over the internet, your store needs a payment gateway to facilitate the secure transfer of credit card funds from shoppers into your merchant account. “A payment gateway sits between your website and your bank, encrypting all your credit and debit card data to ensure it cannot be read by anybody else,” says Michael Lane, channel and product director at global independent payment management company Secure Trading. “It should be able to process all major credit and debit cards, and you can also decide whether you want to accept alternative payment methods or different currencies.”

According to Maria Prados, VP global retail at WorldPay, another leading global provider of payment and risk services, finding an experienced and professional payment provider is key in setting up the process. “The complexity of the online payments landscape is the greatest challenge,” she says. “Payment types, speed and fraud are all different online [to bricks and mortar]. It’s important to partner with an experienced payment provider who can help make it simple.

In addition to initial set-up costs related to the integration and compatibility process with the store’s website, retailers have to bear in mind that there will be ongoing overheads relating to each transaction by accepting different payment methods and card providers. While it’s important for any business to keep an eye on overheads and cost structure, Gareth Poppleton, MD of Retail Merchant Services, one of the UK’s fastest-growing independent payment service providers specialising in SMEs, warns that the costs should not be the only factor retailers are taking into the equation. “Costs are obviously important for small businesses, but don’t sacrifice cost for the service and professionalism you receive, as this directly reflects on your image and your customer’s experience,” he says. “A credible company will offer different packages suited to the size and

needs of your business but ensure that the payments process is transparent, efficient, cost-effective and, above all, quick and secure.”

Prados agrees that the user experience is key.

“The payment process needs to be straightforward and consistent across channels,” she says. “It should be simple to convert sales – for instance through one-click payments – and after-sales processes such as refunds should be equally simple.

“Online payments need to be secure, relevant and simple,” Prados continues. “Security is a must for retailers, as it is closely linked to brand trust. Relevancy means offering what the shopper wants, in their preferred payment method, currency and language. Simple is ensuring the process is always straightforward and easy to complete.”

Additional consideration needs to be given to the fact that it’s likely your website will attract international orders at some point, therefore it pays to consider and facilitate overseas transactions, too. “The beauty of e-commerce is its scope,” says Lane. “On the high street, a retailer is restricted to selling to customers that can physically access the shop.

But, online, goods can be sold to consumers across the globe. This can be an intimidating prospect for many independent retailers, but advances in technology have meant the whole process can be carried out seamlessly.”

Prados concurs. “Given the increasingly globalised nature of e-commerce, a payment strategy that focuses on the needs of customers around the world is essential to maximise transaction acceptance and expand global reach,” she says. “Currencies, languages, look and feel, cultural issues, shopper expectations and preferred payment methods that locals know and trust are just a few considerations retailers should be aware of. It’s also important to understand the after-sale service, such as delivery, returns and contact centres.”

Retail Merchant Services

Making the online checkout process as easy, quick and secure as possible has to be the priority for multi-channel retailers. Isabella Griffiths chats to experts from leading payment solution providers about the key to hassle-free online transactions.

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Prados’ top tips when it comes to payment processes are clear. “1. Think about payments right from the very beginning when defining the website; 2. Think about the right provider for the long-term, not just today; 3. Get the best solution, not just the cheapest; 4. Don’t assume one size fits all – each channel is different and each country is different; 5. Don’t over-complicate things – simple works best; and, finally, don’t forget what your shopper wants.”

With the continued growth of e-commerce, online transactions are set to become increasingly sophisticated and flexible, changing the payments landscape even further. This is something that, according to Prados, retailers will have to keep adapting to in the future. “We’ll see electronic payments continue to grow, overtaking cash,” she says. “For e-commerce, alternative payments such as non-card methods including e-wallets, mobile payments etc, will overtake cards.

“Our recent Global Guide to Alternative Payments report predicts this will happen by 2017,” Prados continues. “As online shoppers get savvier, they will expect more and more from the checkout process.

Retailers will have to deliver a true omnichannel proposition at checkout, offering a consistent experience across different channels and devices.”

We’ve perfected Returns Management with Boomerang,™ our new multichannel reverse logistics solution for retailers operating in the UK and across Europe. Whether it be fashion retail, high-value or general merchandise, we take cost, complexity and risk out of your supply chain, enabling you to grow and trade more competitively and responsively. Our work with many brands including ASOS, SuperGroup and John Lewis demonstrates a high level of expertise in managing the returns processes smoothly and efficiently.

So if you're looking to evolve in the UK or Europe, and want the experts on your side visit www.clippergroup.co.uk or call our Managing Director, Tony Mannix on 0113 204 2050 today.

Boomerang Returns Management by Clipper

37 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

LOGISTICS —

SIGNED SEALED DELIVERED For retailers expanding into e-commerce, choosing the right delivery partner is essential when it comes to the successful completion of online purchases.

Christina Williams investigates the options available to the small store owner.

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F

rom browsing an entire collection from the comfort of her own home to the flexibility of 24-hour availability, the online shopper certainly has a host of advantages available that give her the edge over the bricks-and-mortar counterpart.

However, as popular as online retail has become, there is one aspect of e-commerce that simply cannot compete with actual shopping, and it’s the reason for 60 per cent of abandoned virtual shopping baskets* at the point of checkout. Delivery – and all its associated complications – is the stumbling block for many a would-be online shopper, and it’s the final challenge for retailers looking to sell to a host of keen customers who want their products, and who want them right now.

In response to the growing demand for the delivery of goods that rivals the immediacy of physical shopping, the logistics sector has undergone somewhat of a revolution in recent years. Tracked delivery, express services, clicking and collecting and

Collect + are just some of the advancements that have been made by providers as logistics firms get increasingly innovative in their quest for offering the utmost in convenience.

For the retailer, however, the ever-expanding portfolio of options can make choosing the right partner difficult and, if there’s one thing all logistics providers agree upon, it’s the importance of choosing the right associate.

“A courier should be seen as the extension of a retailer’s offering rather than a separate entity,” says Tara Barnes, head of sales and marketing at APC Overnight. “The online retail sector is as competitive as ever, and being able to manage and meet customer expectations is something that could ultimately make or break any retailer’s future success.”

When it comes to delivery and the impact it can have on a retailer’s future success, the statistics make for sobering reading. Three out of four customers are unlikely to return to an online retailer if they

have a bad delivery or returns experience*.

This means retailers have one chance and one chance only to get it right. So, first and foremost, what are the essentials?

“For the small retail business, assuring customers that their orders will arrive on time and in good condition is absolutely essential, so the most important factor to consider in choosing a delivery provider is the reliability of its service,” says Barnes. “The management of customer expectations is also key, so it is perhaps more significant to deliver orders on time than it is to deliver them quickly. That means giving customers an accurate account of when they can expect their delivery, such as the real-time tracking service offered by APC Overnight.”

Of course, customer expectations – and priorities – can vary depending on the demographic in question; something that should be taken into account at the outset according to parcel carrier Yodel. “The first thing retailers need to do is identify who they >>>

Dick Stead

Dwain McDonald

38 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

LOGISTICS —

are marketing their service to,” says Dick Stead, the company’s executive chairman. “If your customers are predominately teens or young people, they will generally buy a dress on impulse the night before a big event, and their main priority will be receiving that dress the next day.

“So offering a ‘safe place’ delivery – where a parcel is left in a specified location such as a shed – is essential,” he continues.

“If your consumer demographic is primarily office-based, their priority will be having the option of collecting a parcel at their convenience outside of normal working hours, and this is where Collect + comes into its own.”

Collect + is an increasingly popular delivery option, whereby couriers work in partnership with a network of convenience stores and petrol stations to allow customers to pick up their parcel at a location convenient to them.

“We work with 5,500 convenience stores, and it’s the fastest-growing area of our business,” says Stead. “I don’t think it will overtake home delivery, but it certainly complements it. For the retailer without a wide, geographical spread, it allows them to replicate the business model of click and collect, which is offered by most high-street chains. In effect, they gain 5,500 of their own ‘outlets’ from which customers can collect their purchases.”

It’s a nationwide spread rivalled perhaps only by the Post Office – the first port of call for many a small retailer as they make their first foray into the world of e-commerce. With 10,500 branches nationwide, the Post Office offers customers the option of collecting from their local branch, as well as offering the same convenience for returning an item; something that cannot be overlooked when around a quarter of all fashion purchases are returned.

According to Tim Cowen, however, the appeal of the Post Office runs deeper than its geographical spread. “Royal Mail is a well-known brand that customers recognise

and trust,” says the director of business relations at the Post Office. “Eighty six per cent of shoppers say they trust Royal Mail*, and 76 per cent say that delivery by Royal Mail would make them revisit an e-tailer*.

Customers like to know who will be delivering their items, so it’s important to select the provider that matches your brand – remember that they will be representing you in the final mile of the journey.”

Dwain McDonald, CEO at courier DPD, agrees that the performance of a delivery provider reflects upon the retailer, but argues that good service goes above and beyond the safe delivery of a parcel.

“Customers are much more sophisticated these days, and they definitely see smarter delivery solutions as one way of differentiating between retailers,” he says.

“DPD’s Predict service notifies recipients of their one-hour delivery window by text or email, and customers can then track their driver in real time all the way to their front door. They are also able to access five ‘in-flight’ options – something 10 per cent of our customers take advantage of – whereby they can change the delivery date, request delivery to a specific neighbour or specify a delivery date, even when their parcel is in transit. The driver will then send confirmation via text, along with a photograph of where the parcel has been left if relevant.”

Such flexibility opens up a whole new host of options for the retailer wanting to maximise the appeal of convenient deliveries.

It’s an avenue that is well-trodden by one of the country’s most-established couriers, MyHermes, whose Parcel Manager service provides the ability to send an email to the end customer at defined trigger points within 20 minutes of the parcel scan.

“The service provides the client with the opportunity to link their brand with the designated delivery company, and provides the end consumer with better information about their parcel delivery,” says Jonathan Bennett, head of marketing. “We also recruit

couriers from within the area where they live so, if a customer is at work nearby, they are often happy to make the detour to ensure the customer receives their parcel as quickly as possible. We are proud to have a 95 per cent first-time delivery success rate against the industry average of 83 per cent.”

MyHermes places so much emphasis on the importance of the relationship between courier and retailer that it assigns each of its clients a business development manager, whose primary role is to understand the retailer’s business and ensure that they are using the most suitable delivery service.

It’s an approach shared by Yodel, the delivery company that was formed when DHL Domestic merged with former carrier for fashion retailer Littlewoods HDNL. The result is a large, corporate carrier with a focus on small business, as Stead explains. “The interesting thing about Yodel is that we deal with clients from the individual sending a jumper to his or her cousin right up to some of the biggest clothing retailers in the country such as Very and Isme,” he says.

“To that end, I don’t know of any logistics company that offers more options than we do from our local courier network through to our man with a van service including geocodes, which can be tracked via Google Maps.”

For Stead, however, the flexibility of options is only representative of how quickly a business can grow and develop once e-commerce comes into play, delivered of course by the right courier. “Once upon a time, fashion companies started off on a market stall before perhaps opening a store, and then several more stores before setting their sights on international expansion,” he says. “Now all companies can go global from day one thanks to e-commerce, and nothing makes us happier than seeing our Yodel clients flourish into international players.”

– *Source: Delivery Matters, April 2013, Hall & Partners

“Customers are much more sophisticated these days, and they definitely see smarter delivery solutions as one way of differentiating between retailers”

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40 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

RETURNS —

RETURN TO SENDER

Clipper Returns Management

Dealing with returns is part and parcel of multi-channel retailing, but can be a strain on resources and logistics. Isabella Griffiths investigates why stores of all sizes have to factor returned goods into their business plan.

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A

n average of 25-40 per cent of goods bought online are returned, with fashion – and womenswear in particular – among the product categories with the highest returns in the e-commerce sector, bringing with it a whole host of logistical and financial issues. Returns can be costly and time-consuming and have a serious impact on a business’ profitability, so it’s essential that retailers calculate this into their financial forecasts.

“Returns can be a big headache for e-commerce players,” says Nick McLean, director of products at data analytics and order management platform eCommera.

“Factors such as cost of stock, inventory movement and the overheads of managing them are all creating additional issues, and you should factor this into your overall costs, particularly if you are in a high returns category such as fashion.

“Ultimately, you have the double challenge of firstly making an outbound repayment to the customer, in addition to payment on delivery and perhaps returns postage,” he continues. “Secondly, you have to work out how to re-sell the item as quickly as

possible, requiring receipt of goods, appraisal, putting away, update inventory and so on. It can easily take five weeks in the UK between receipt of payment and return item availablity for re-sell – three to five days for customers to receive the item, and often 30 days’ notice period. That 30 days of unknown stock status represents significant working capital.”

This is backed up by Sean Hallows, operations director at logistics provider Clipper, which recently launched a dedicated returns management service called Boomerang, working with customers such as Asos and John Lewis, as well as an increasing number of smaller stores and brands. “On average, 25 per cent of everything fashion retailers send out comes back,” he says. “That means 25 per cent of a retailers’ inventory is not available for sale. For any retailer, this is the last thing they want.”

Reducing returns and handling the process effectively is therefore essential in minimising the effect on a store’s working capital and ultimately profitability. “How returns are handled can have a significant impact,” says McLean. “If goods returned to

the store are re-sold in-store, this is low impact, but moving product around constitutes one of the highest costs in retail.

So if returns need to go back to a warehouse, a significant incremental cost of shipping is incurred. Also, in fashion, goods are often worn and then returned, making it difficult and sometimes impossible to re-sell, bearing the additional risk of increased mark-down.

Plus, fast fashion makes the time window for re-sale quite small.”

Returns may pose a significant challenge to retailers, but both Hallows and McLean agree that they are not automatically a bad thing, but just a reality of the multi-channel set-up that retailers have to deal with. “Returns are not necessarily negative,” says McLean. “If you encourage returns to store, you drive incremental footfall, provide opportunity for personal interaction and can generate better opportunity for selling a substitute or upselling a product. If all of that is dealt with well, it can generate greater revenue and repeat business. Look at the generous policies of Zalando and Asos – if the frequency of purchase is high, returns should be modeled

41 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

as part of doing business.”

This is mirrored by Hallows. “Returns are just part of the business model,” he says.

“When shopping online, customers will make returns, and this is particularly true in fashion because customers cannot try items on. When shopping in-store, a woman may try on a size 10, 12 and 14, but she will only purchase one. Online, she will purchase all three with every intention of returning two.

That doesn’t reflect on the retailer or the website – it’s just the DNA of online shopping. Also, returns are easier online because they are anonymous; it’s a far cry from queuing up at the customer service desk of a store and explaining why you have changed your mind. It’s fast and convenient – or it should be – and that is why people are shopping online in the first place. With the volume [of product] that is going online, if you are going to be successful, returns and the customer service element associated with that is just something that you have to deal with.”

Indeed, the way a store handles its returns is directly linked to the overall shopping experience of a customer and the satisfaction with the service received. A clear and jargon-free returns policy that is communicated prominently on the website, outlining exactly the cost of return – if any – to the customer is as paramount as defining a specific time frame in which returns are accepted. Different stores offer different returns policies, and ultimately it is up to the individual retailer to decide whether they want to offer a free delivery and returns policy, or offer full refunds versus in-store credits or exchanges. But where a refund is granted, it’s important that it is processed as quickly as possible. Often, an easy and “no quibbles” policy – where reasonable – is a better way of handling a return and ensuring a satisfied customer who is willing to shop on

Clipper Returns Management

Clipper Returns Management

RETURNS —

“Returns are not necessarily negative. If you encourage returns to store, you drive incremental footfall, provide opportunity for personal interaction and can generate better opportunity for selling a substitute or upselling a product. If all of that is dealt with well, it can generate greater revenue and repeat business”

the site again. Above all, it’s essential to ensure all staff who are involved in the returns process are just as clear on the policy and procedures to ensure a smooth and slick operation and customer service that reflects well on the store.

“There is no one-size-fits-all policy,” says McLean. “It needs to be seen as part of an overall proposition and customer experience.

Retailers need to think about it at a granular level. For example, offer free returns for customers who regularly spend high value with you with few returns, but charge for customers who spend little and return all the time.”

Hallows adds, “People generally perceive [a good] customer experience as

ordering an item and getting it delivered the next day. But returns are so integrated into the online model of trading that the last point of contact with the retailer is likely to be the returns process and experience. That is true in 25 per cent of cases and is relevant to smaller retailers as well as the big companies.

Also, the speed at which a return is processed is one of the key deciders in whether a customer will come back to shop at a particular retailer. Customers expect to receive a full refund quickly, and a customer who is refunded quickly can start shopping again more quickly.”

While returns will remain par for the course of e-commerce, there are ways of minimising them to a degree. And clear product imagery along with detailed descriptions and measurements can be a crucial element in providing an accurate depiction of a fashion style, particularly in a multibranded environment where international sizing can vary significantly between the countries of origin of different labels.

Technology, however, is playing a big part in all of this, with increased usage of high-quality photography, videos and catwalk films key. Furthermore, new inventions such as virtual fitting rooms are being increasingly implemented, aiming to overcome the issue of customers purchasing multiple sizes. “Around 50 per cent of items bought online are returned for reasons of fit,” says Tim Donnelly Smith, marketing director at virtual fitting room provider Fits.me. “This is unsurprising, as it’s difficult for retailers to communicate this to a vast array of differently shaped individuals.

“Since price, colour, texture and quality are the same, uncertainty regarding fit is the only real reason to buy more than one size of the same garment,” he continues.

“And it’s understandable – only around 10 per cent of people fall unambiguously into one size when using a size chart. For most, at least one of their measurements will be borderline and/or suggest a different size from their other measurements. A fit tool can remove this uncertainty by letting the shopper see what the different sizes will look like on them.”

According to Donnelly Smith, however, increasing conversion rates has a far greater positive impact on profits than reducing returns. “Reducing returns is a natural consequence of improving the accuracy of the buying process,” he says.

“Take care of the [customer’s] buying process, and the returns rate will take care of itself.”

There’s a general consensus among e-commerce experts that return rates will remain stable or rise in line with underlying growth in e-commerce revenues. So retailers will have to accept returns as a day-to-day reality of multi-channel retailing – and remember that a sale is not final unless and until the customer decides to keep the purchase for good.

42 WOMENSWEAR BUYER WWW.WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK — MAY 2014

E-COMMERCE GUIDE —

E-COMMERCE ESSENTIALS WWB brings together six of the UK’s key experts in online retailing and marketing to consider the many issues independent retailers face when launching online, from the new-age issue of SEO through to translating your bricks-and-mortar store on the web.

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Personalisation: Your site’s source of success MIKE HARRIS, VP Emea at marketing acceleration company Monetate www.monetate.com “It’s getting harder and harder to stand out in the cut and thrust world of e-commerce. The low start-up costs and direct access to the mass audience of the World Wide Web means that it’s easier than ever to start an online business and achieve a level of success that would have been almost impossible a decade or two ago. On the other hand, this means that more and more people are setting up shop, making it tougher to stand out from the crowd.

The rising expectations of the consumer are making it even more difficult.

As business becomes more focused on the consumer, the individual’s voice has become more powerful. This is amplified by social media, online reviews and blogging, all of which nurture an increasing focus on the importance of self. Even the Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year in 2013 mirrored this – ‘selfie’; something defined by both technology and the individual.

This new breed of empowered consumer means retailers must tailor their approach on a person-by-person basis. Now that 32 per cent of users will abandon a web page if it doesn’t load in under five seconds, online retailers have an increasingly short amount of time to engage a customer. This makes personalisation the key to success for smaller online brands. After all, you are competing directly with retail giants.

Think of something as simple as being on a product page for a jumper. Thanks to their previous experiences with Amazon or eBay, a user expects to see an array of other, similar jumpers recommended – maybe even

related accessories. If this isn’t the case, or non-relevant items are shown, consumers won’t wait around to trawl through your online inventory.

Going without any kind of recommendations is one option but, with consumers’ decreasing attention spans and the competition using these techniques, it’s not likely a consumer is going to head back to the previous page and begin browsing again.

Instead, they will move to another site. This highlights the importance of having something as simple as a recommendation system that keeps the user focused and moving through your site. The more informed the recommendation is – whether through personal preference, age or by knowing the local weather – the higher the chance you will make a sale.

Another vital element of personalisation is making sure that your online retail shop has the appropriate device support. Mobile and smart devices are integrated into our everyday lives; many of us don’t leave the house without a phone, and it is now a part of the shopping experience. Many people browse online shops on their handheld device, and it is increasingly common for purchases to be made through them.

In Q4 of 2013, only 73 per cent of visits to an e-commerce site were from a traditional device (laptops and desktops), with 14 per cent from tablets and 12 per cent from smartphones. On first glance, these figures might not seem all that shocking, but consider that in the same period of 2012, traditional devices made up 82 per cent of traffic. With the increasing adoption of 4G allowing faster access to online stores, this will continue to grow.

These statistics further support our ‘selfie’ theory. Consumers are internally focused and motivated – they want to shop whenever, wherever and on whatever device they choose, all while expecting the same level of seamless service across all platforms and channels. This is true whether they are dealing with Amazon or a small business

“Another vital element of personalisation is making sure that your online retail shop has the appropriate device support. Mobile and smart devices are integrated into our everyday lives; many of us don’t leave the house without a phone, and it is now a part of the shopping experience”

operating from a bedroom.

Although this consumer demand might seem daunting at first, there are solutions out there. With the explosion of consumer technology and better use of big data, there has been an expansion of tools that will assist retailers in better understanding their customers and allow them to take action based on those insights to personalise and improve the experience.

Designed to meet the needs of retailers and marketers, little to no technical experience is required.

Personalisation has the ability to transform an e-commerce site and make it stand out from its competitors. To run a successful online store, the rise of the self means that the customer needs to be catered for as an individual, making selecting the right technology critical. The online environment has created a paradigm shift – where traditionally you would go local for a personalised shopping experience, larger businesses and their use of big data are creating the opposite effect online. It is time for small businesses to get in the game and reclaim personalisation as their own.”

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How to translate your “bricks-and-mortar brand” online JOANNA CRUICKSHANKS, co-founder of Folk, a digital agency that builds e-commerce and brand websites www.wearefolk.com “When it comes to the ‘how’ of translating our in-store excellence online, we must first know our purpose. Our purpose, our passion, our mantra – whatever we call it – is essentially what defines the excellence that we offer our consumers, and this should guide the ‘how’.

Is it that you’re passionate about a range of choice, particular colourways and tailoring details, or that your products all echo one particular style? It’s important to take time to plot out what constitutes that uniqueness about your brand. Then, and only then, can you determine what it is that needs to be translated into a digital experience.

In the same way, a consistent approach to translating your brand into multi-channel is dependent on a deep understanding of your ‘why’. We believe that if you take the time to truly understand why you do what you do, you will create one experience across any variety of channels, effortlessly.

Because all your ideas come from one central source, they come more naturally, rather than having to conjure up different ideas for different channels.

The problem-free transition that Net a Porter demonstrated moving into the ‘physical’ realm with its shoppable magazine, Porter, is a great example.

“In order to craft a consistent customer journey across channels, we must create one united experience that enables consumers to shop with ease, at speed and through the most useful means”

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“It’s undisputable that mobile devices are changing the face of retail as we know it, from the flexibility of having hand-held devices that deliver a host of features, such as mobile POS, graphical product ordering of extended ranges and customer relationship management. But the challenge for retailers is getting the right balance of mobility and fixed PoS touch points”

In order to craft a consistent customer journey across channels, we must create one united experience that enables consumers to shop with ease, at speed and through the most useful means.

Key factors impacting the quality of this experience include the degree to which a consumer can interact with different channels interchangeably for browsing, buying and returning, and the extent to which you translate your brand personality through characterful interactive concepts.

When it comes to driving sales and profits across multi-channels, the focus shouldn’t deviate far from what we’ve discussed already.

We have a saying at Folk that we adopted from thought leader Simon Sinek about inspiring others – that people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.

When you craft everything starting from the “why”, the sales and profits will be driven by a tribe of people who love your brand because they feel much more connected to it, rather than experiencing it as a separate entity serving a function.

It won’t be long before selling for selling’s sake becomes old hat, and retailers will be powerless to part consumers from their hard-earned cash.

Crafting an experience that takes advantage of the likemindedness between your brand’s purpose and the purpose of your consumers will be the future of retail.

At Folk, we have a different way of looking at customer loyalty, which we call the Brand Universe.

Instead of dedicating efforts to stretching the two per cent conversion minority, we focus on engaging the 98 per cent of disconnected passers-by, through inspiring content that communicates your brand story.

From this audience, we nurture connections to secure new customers, repeat customers and, in time, brand evangelists.

We recognise that every touch point is an opportunity to connect with a consumer, and you should, too.”

Should I convert to mobile PoS, or keep a degree of fixed PoS? ROY PATRICK, multi-channel product director at computer hardware company Micros www.micros.com “This is the question currently on the mind of many retailers. It’s undisputable that mobile devices are changing the face of retail as we know it, from the flexibility of having hand-held devices that deliver a host of features, such as mobile PoS, graphical product ordering of extended ranges and customer relationship management. But the challenge for retailers is getting the right balance of mobility and fixed PoS touch points.

Mobility brings with it many benefits; motivating store staff to interact with customers, improving the customer service and as a result sales, but can it deliver the same impact across all retail sectors with varying target audiences?

It was uncovered at NRF that 18-35 year olds, known as the millennial generation, are not impressed with the stereotypical in-store service that we have become accustomed to. They crave for retailers to be both inventive and joined-up with their offering, and expect store staff to be helpful, knowledgeable and equipped to be able to interact in the way the consumer wants rather than how the retailer has interacted traditionally.

Mobility certainly has the power to motivate store staff and add value by arming them with accurate stock data, product knowledge and customer information.

However, is it everyone’s cup of tea? Retailers must consider their entire target audience, including the mature shopper and cater to all needs. It is not simply retro fitting a website >>>

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into store. The interaction is totally different – but one thing all customers have in common is that they desire a better experience. Individual needs differ, so achieving equilibrium and relevance is imperative.

Other areas to contemplate are the location and size of the store. Realistically, what value-added services can be offered in each store? Is it an option to start on one device and continue on another, creating a basket with the customer on the shop floor and then paying with cash at a cash drawer?

How about the returns of goods, printing of receipts and gift wrapping? These must all be taken into consideration. If you convert to 100 per cent mobile PoS, where in the store would it reside?

Taking all this into consideration, it’s important that retailers think strategically about the rollout of mobile PoS – not only on an individual but store-by-store basis – but also understand the customer and their needs to decide on the best mix of fixed and mobile for that store.”

Digital fashion marketing: Who’s getting it right?

KESTREL LEMEN, marketing strategist at Bronto Software, which provides a marketing platform for retailers www.bronto.co.uk “Fashion mavens constantly look ahead to the next big trends on the catwalk, but are fashion marketers doing the same? For the past few years, the growth of online retail has surpassed sales increases on the high street and, accordingly, brands need to embrace this digital revolution in their customer communications.

When developing an effective digital marketing strategy, some brands fall at the first hurdle – capturing data. Brands that incorporate an enticing sign-up on their websites will build a larger database of potential customers and their subscribers will be more likely to engage with them. Because email marketing is directly linked with sales, the number of subscribers a brand has is a key revenue driver.

A tantalising message, rather than the standard newsletter sign-up method, will

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“Typically, only five per cent of a site’s new visitors ever return, and only three per cent go on to make another purchase. This means that brands must work harder to stay relevant to their audience and help to foster more loyalty”

deliver far better results. As an example, Les 100 Ciels, a clothing boutique, invites visitors to ‘join the community’, creating a sense of humanity. A pop-up, such as Austique’s email sign-up box, is another great method for data capture as it often leads to as much as a tenfold increase in the number of subscribers.

After the initial appeal for information, the next challenge is creating a flow of content to engage new customers digitally. Typically, only five per cent of a site’s new visitors ever return, and only three per cent go on to make another purchase.

This means that brands must work harder to stay relevant to their audience and help to foster more loyalty.

There are a number of revenue-driving email examples, such as a sneak peek of new products, style guides (what to wear with what?), VIP clubs for customers who frequently make purchases or high-value orders, and more. Childsplay Clothing takes customer loyalty to the next level with its online loyalty scheme by offering a 30 per cent off code solely to VIP customers. However, exclusive content doesn’t have to be discount-based – benefits such as free delivery, faster shipping or exclusive sales are also effective. The key is making customers feel they are appreciated.

It can be challenging to communicate in a relevant way to a large number of subscribers. If you could address each one of them individually, your marketing would be more effective. By utilising automation tools within your digital marketing platform, you can personalise messages on a large scale. Hudson Shoes, for example, uses a date-based trigger to reach out to customers on their birthday, offering them an exclusive discount code as a special gift.

Creating these messages will all be for nothing if retailers don’t stay tech savvy.

Nearly half of all emails get opened on a mobile device, so emails that don’t display well on a mobile device are essentially wasted.

It’s important that marketers consider creating emails using responsive design, which will adjust the message to fit the device it is being viewed on, or another mobile-friendly design method. By utilising responsive design, emails adapt well to mobile phones – for example, the call to action appears larger.

As illustrated, the rise of digital interaction completely changed the relationship between consumers and fashion retailers. But it’s clear that an innovative strategy, combined with the right marketing platform, can foster long-term customer relationships and significantly increase online profits.”

How can I effectively advertise my business on the internet?

MIKE SEDDON, author of Simply Adwords and founder of Adwords Management service company Internet Jetstream www.internetjetstream .com “Did you know that internet advertising is the most popular advertising medium in the UK? It’s now more popular than TV and newspaper advertising.

There are some good reasons why many businesses are putting more of the advertising budget into online advertising.

For one thing, the number of people you can reach with internet advertising is far greater than most other forms of advertising and it’s far cheaper to reach all those people.

Another point in its favour is that it’s

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far easier to measure success. When you advertise online, you can directly track how many people the advert brings to your website, and you can track how many sales it generates. That isn’t easy to do with other forms of advertising.

By far the best way to advertise on the internet is to use Pay Per Click advertising (often referred to as PPC). Unlike other forms of advertising, with PPC you do not pay for your ads to be seen. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad and comes to your website. Hence the name Pay Per Click.

You literally pay for each click (ie visitor to your website).

This is what makes PPC advertising very attractive. You are paying only if your ad successfully encourages someone to visit your website. With most other forms of advertising, you pay for your ad to be placed somewhere where you hope people will see it. PPC gives you more control over your advertising budgets as you only pay for success.

By far the most popular services to use for PPC advertising are Google Adwords and Facebook’ s own advertising platform.

When you use Google to search for anything, you may have noticed that there are websites listed across the top in a slightly cream colour and also down the right-hand side of the screen. These are ads created using Google Adwords.

Advertisers simply choose the words that they want their ads to appear for whenever those words are typed into Google.

These words are called keywords. So if you sell red trousers, you could choose “red” and “trousers” as your keywords.

Adwords is an excellent way to bring buyers to your website, since your ad will appear to them at the point they are actively searching Google looking for your products.

“There are some very good reasons why many businesses are putting more of the advertising budget into online advertising. For one thing, the number of people you can reach with internet advertising is far greater than most other forms of advertising, and it’s far cheaper to reach all those people”

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If you use Facebook, you may have noticed the ads down the right-hand side of your Facebook screen, and they also now appear in your news feed.

Facebook advertising works differently to Adwords. In Adwords, you bid on keywords, but in Facebook you bid on groups of people. These groups are selected based on a variety of criteria such as age, gender and location. So if you know your target audience is men aged 50-plus who live in London, you can create ads in Facebook that will appear only to that audience.

If you know people search for your products on Google, clearly Adwords is an excellent choice for you. If your products appeal to a defined demographic, Facebook advertising is something you should consider.

Of course, you won’t know until you test it, and that’s usually the best approach.”

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) for fashion retailers STEFAN DREW, online marketing specialist and regular BBC contributor www.StefanDrew.com “Online shopping is popular. Even customers who like to shop in physical shops often spend time online before they visit a physical shop.

So how do we ensure that our prospects find our websites? The answer is to get on the first page of the search engines for the products you sell. There are two ways to do this – optimise your website via SEO or advertise via Pay Per Click.

The ideal situation is to appear in the ‘organic search results’ due to good optimisation, as this is free, and use PPC as a back-up. Personally I use both and it works.

Without SEO, search engines will not list your web pages high in their results. Even with SEO there is fierce competition for the top place, with millions of pages competing.

The good news is most sites don’t take optimisation seriously. Unfortunately, many web designers either lack a real understanding of SEO or want to charge extra for it.

Designing and building a website without integral SEO is a bit like selling

“When people search online, they tend to be specific. For example, a search for ‘shoes’ results in 371 million results. A search for ‘men’s black velour handmade shoes’ gives 10 million results – a huge reduction, proving that specific is better, but there is still a lot of competition”

shoes without heels – they are not extras; they are essential.

When people search online they tend to be specific. For example, a search for ‘shoes’ results in 371 million results. A search for ‘men’s black velour handmade shoes’ gives 10 million results – a huge reduction, proving that specific is better, but there is still a lot of competition.

However, there is a way to get in the top few pages of results, and that is to pay attention to detail in your SEO. Most people make no effort over this, a few make an effort and those in the top results have made the most effort.

The secret is to optimise around 200 details that make up the Google search algorithm, such as writing good web page content designed to be read by people and not search engines, as well as page titles, headlines and ‘meta tags’ eg the meta page descriptor, image tags and so on. The only problem is Google keeps the exact details secret.

Step one is to profile your typical customers and understand what they search for and how they search. What keywords do they use to search? Probably not what you as a retailer would use.

Ensure you cover the items listed above. This will give you a better site than the 98 per cent of people that don’t bother.

Only then consider getting expert help. Find someone with a track record that you can verify and not someone who blows hot air. A few marketers offer regular free tips on their websites. These are worth reading before employing anyone.”

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CASE STUDIES —

BRICKS AND CLICKS WWB profiles three of the UK’s key independent retailers who have made the successful transition from bricks and mortar to online, looking at their multi-channel set-up and the lessons they have learned along the way.

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Deryane Tadd, owner, The Dressing Room, St Albans, Hertfordshire www.the-dressingroom.com Six years on from its launch, the online operation of The Dressing Room now accounts for almost a third of the company’s overall turnover. For owner Deryane Tadd, having a transactional website operating alongside her bricks-and-mortar store has become an essential part of retail, and it’s something that is now integral to her business model.

“Becoming a multi-channel retailer has been instrumental in the growth of the business,” she says. “After trading in-store for nine years, we are still achieving double-figure growth in the bricks-and-mortar store, and I can guarantee that we wouldn’t be doing that if we didn’t have a website. The web sales, meanwhile, now account for around 30 per cent of our overall turnover and are growing yearly, so there is great growth potential. I predict that the web will account for 35 per cent of overall turnover by the end of the year.”

It’s a statistical analysis that would encourage any retailer towards trading online, but the operation of a successful website has not been as simple as uploading some stock images. On the contrary, the launch of the website – and its ongoing maintenance – is comparable to opening a second store, according to Tadd.

“Everything at the front end of the site is maintained in-house – all the artwork, product uploading, content writing, social

media and blogs,” she says. “It works well for us, but it is labour-intensive when we are uploading anything from 20 to 100 products a week, all of which have to have relevant content and SEO [search engine optimisation] written from them. You cannot make excuses for poor images or content writing, so you do need to give it the time it requires.”

The identity of The Dressing Room’s online arm is taken so seriously that the retailer’s web team attends all of the same styling training sessions as the in-store team in order that they are equipped to give style advice and excellent customer service over the phone and email. Epos systems are integrated to ensure the highest possible levels of stock accuracy, with online customers benefiting from real-time stock availability to avoid disappointment wherever possible.

It’s an investment that Tadd didn’t ever underestimate, but she has been pleasantly surprised by the rewards reaped by the company.

“The biggest surprise has been how much the website has had a positive impact on the business as a whole,” she says.

The plan now is to continue strengthening The Dressing Room as a multi-channel business, and to continue its growth both in-store and online. Specifically, the retailer is looking to increase its international sales on a long-term basis.

“Our sales are predominately national at the moment, with international sales accounting for around 10 per cent of overall sales,” says Tadd. “This is something we are looking to increase, but the budget is not there at the moment. The investment into the site has been large and is ongoing, but it is predominantly in the technical support, staffing and the marketing of the website. The manpower and budget involved to keep it maintained has been a real learning curve, but I have learnt from all of our experiences and made better decisions going forward.”

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CASE STUDIES —

Claire Wright, owner, Gemini, Stratford-upon-Avon www.gemini-woman.co.uk

Steve Cochrane, owner, Psyche, Middlesbrough, Teesside www.psyche.co.uk

With estimated growth for the current financial year at 35 per cent for www.gemini-woman.co.uk, it’s fair to say that the transactional arm of Stratford boutique Gemini has been a success. So much so that owner Claire Wright is aiming for the e-commerce side to account for 70 per cent of the overall business within the next two years, up from an already impressive 52 per cent currently.

Wright launched her transactional website in October 2008 and, although the first couple of years were a steep learning curve, she says that the site has become a key driver for growth of the business, particularly in light of declining footfall on the high street and her bricks-and-mortar store. “We’ve seen good growth year on year, and the website has definitely been a valuable addition to the business,” she says. “But I have to say that I never envisaged the amount of hard work that is needed to get products to market compared to opening a shop. Our biggest mistake was to use a marketing company to build our first website, and we wasted 18 months [until we got the concept right]. I would have to say that if I was doing it all again, I would do more research into finding a good web developer.”

Wright decided to go for an in-house set-up, and recruited a dedicated team to handle everything from photography and uploads to SEO and marketing etc. “We’re doing everything mostly in-house, allowing us to be reactive to daily demands. For instance, photographing and editing each item takes around 30 minutes, so we can control costs better having it in-house.”

Without disclosing actual figures, Wright says that the investment in the running of an e-commerce business should not be underestimated, as costs are ongoing as the site and demand grows.

“The development of the site never ceases, and our investment is ongoing,” she says. “It’s been significantly more than I originally anticipated and planned for; roughly 50 per cent of the first two years turnover, and 20 per cent of turnover ongoing.”

The offer online differs from the brand mix in-store, due to the cost of product uploads, with some of Gemini’s key brands such as Hobbs, French Connection and Great Plains, who also run their own websites, having a low representation online, though 100 per cent of stock is offered on other key brands. And that’s not all – Wright is looking to trial a “showrooming” concept, whereby she’s dropping the amount of stock held in-store, and consequently reducing the square footage of her bricks-and-mortar boutique in favour of the website, with future plans to have specific premises for online offices, studios and warehousing.

Having successfully adapted multi-channel retailing, Wright shares a tip for anyone starting out on the e-commerce venture.

“Decide if you want to enhance your shop sales or have an online business that can be your biggest store,” she says. “If you are serious about an online store, you need to commit to creating a specific online team and do things properly. There are no short-cuts.”

Should a potential consumer in Scandinavia carry out a Google search for a Paul Smith dress, one of the first results on the page will be Psyche – the Middlesbrough department store located over 1,000 miles away. For owner Steve Cochrane, it’s the justification for the £60,000 he invested into the store’s website earlier this year, and one of the reasons the website is responsible for 20 per cent of the retailer’s overall business.

“Affiliate marketing has been the key for us,” says Cochrane, who first launched a transactional website in 2002. “Pay per click and SEO are so essential that we have hired an online marketing person specifically for the role.”

The online marketing manager is accompanied by a dedicated online customer service team, all of whom are trained to have the same product knowledge as the store’s bricks-and-mortar staff. The delivery of service, regardless of geographical miles, is testament to the effectiveness of Psyche’s international presence, but promoting the business on a global platform can be addictive, according to Cochrane. The online marketing has been so successful that he advises other retailers to cap their budget when it comes to optimising results for Google searches.

“It’s easy to get carried away with things such as Google Adwords when you see it is working and driving traffic to the site,” he says. “But if you’re not careful, money can run away with you.

There is a steep learning curve with online because it is such a different model to bricks and mortar.”

It’s a curve, however, that Psyche has conquered. Following the relaunch of its site earlier this year, the business now predicts that the website will be accountable for 30-40 per cent of its sales by the end of the year. More importantly, it’s a growth that has not been at the expense of the retailer’s core bricks-and-mortar model; on the contrary, Psyche is looking at opening a second store in a different city in the near future. “People will look at the website and then come into the store to buy,” says Cochrane. “We are happy with the direction in which the website is going, and how it is fuelling the overall business.”

Despite the website’s success, however, Cochrane’s eyes have been opened to a new category of risk related to the innovative crimes of web-based sales. “I have been surprised at the level of crime online,” he says. “We have had people buy goods and then send fakes back as returns, and there is a level of online shoplifting – where people use a stolen credit card to buy a large amount of stock – for which there is very little policing. The law is great when it comes to stealing from a store, but there needs to be an increase in the help available for online theft.”

Despite the risks, however, Cochrane is in no doubt that the website has been – and will continue to be – an essential element of contemporary trading. “It’s a great addition,” he says. “Website sales have remained consistent at 20 per cent but, following the relaunch, we are looking forward to doubling that by the end of this year.”

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SHORT ORDER —

LONG STORY SHORT With s/s 14 in full swing, it’s time to freshen up your offer with some on-trend top-ups. WWB opens a new chapter on the brands available to get in-store now.

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AAIKO

AMARI

Taking inspiration from the roots of its name, which can mean beloved in Japanese or tough in its Germanic form, Dutch brand Aaiko offers a range of contradictions to create its unique character. This season, Dark Romance, Virtuosi Shadows, Dame de Coeur, Essential Softness, Precious Camouflage and Crown Jewels are the key stories within the collection.

Wholesale prices: £25-£100 Turnaround: One week Contact: www.doublehagency.com, 020 3432 6387

Amari turns to its immediate surroundings for spring inspiration, incorporating the spirit of the flower meadows and open heathland of the South West into its designs. Scarlet, popsicle pink and sherbet yellow make for a summery colour palette, which complements the fresh floral prints of the new season.

Wholesale prices: £5-£20 Turnaround: Two days Contact: www.amariuk.com, 01566 779477

BELLFIELD

CIRCUS

Bellfield gathers inspiration from all four corners of the globe for s/s 14, presenting a range of jungle geometric prints and splashes of neon throughout one of its most diverse collections to date. The seasonal focus on prints is complemented by a range of new denim washes and a selection of outerwear designed with cooler summer days in mind.

Wholesale prices: £4-£22.50 Turnaround: Three to five days Contact: www.justconsultancies.co.uk, 020 7739 7620

Making its debut this season, Circus is a dedicated short-order label produced by the designers behind Brighton brand Pretty Vacant. Sharing the same nostalgic handwriting as its sister label, Circus turns to 40s, 50s and 60s style to create a boutique collection with vintage influences.

Wholesale prices: £10-£18.

Turnaround: Two weeks Contact: www.vacantclothing.co.uk, 01273 670455

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SHORT ORDER —

DEAD LOVERS

EMILYANDFIN

Focusing on bold prints and fierce graphics, Dead Lovers builds upon its debut last season with an extended collection for s/s 14. The brand’s signature graphics are complemented by sleek silhouettes, including newly introduced cut-out bodycons and maxi shapes. The label also launches its debut range of swimwear this spring.

Wholesale prices: £4.99-£69.99 Turnaround: Five to ten days Contact: www.brandsapart.com, 0161 834 4422

Boutique British label Emilyandfin presents a series of bold, original prints for s/s 14 in a range of pastel hues.

Button-down dresses, full skirts and modest tops feature throughout the range, while new, longer lengths make for a collection designed with wearability at its core.

Wholesale prices: £10-£28 Turnaround: Delivery within two to three days Contact: www.emilyandfin.co.uk, 020 7812 9992

GARCIA

ICHI

Now in its fourth decade, Garcia has established a signature style within the womenswear industry as an elegant brand with effortless styling. This season sees a focus on the baseball jacket silhouette, as well as fitted dresses, trench coats and biker styles.

Wholesale prices: £4-£70 Turnaround: One week Contact: www.doublehagency.com, 020 3432 6387

Continuing with its commitment to the innovative combination of fabrics, shapes and colours, womenswear label Ichi turns to the jungle for spring inspiration. Interpreting the leafy canopy of the tropics for the contemporary urban jungle, the brand builds upon its reputation for bringing playful prints to the forefront of the season.

Wholesale prices: £4.89-£50.

Turnaround: Three to five days Contact: www.justconsultancies.co.uk, 020 7739 7620

JOIN CLOTHES

LAVISH ALICE

Greek label Join Clothes specialises in the layering of breathable fabrics, offering designs in cotton, jersey, silk and silk chiffon. Draped silhouettes make up the brand’s style signature, with many items designed in a versatile, one-size format.

Wholesale prices: £22-£105 Turnaround: Three weeks Contact: www.joinclothes.gr, 020 8349 7287

Clean, crisp and effortlessly cool are the style signatures of Lavish Alice this season as the brand takes inspiration from the catwalks of New York, Paris and London. All Whites is one of the label’s six stories, focusing on a range of simple yet detailed outfits encapsulating both minimalist style and power aesthetics.

Wholesale prices: £6.50-£12 Turnaround: One week Contact: www.lavishalice.com, 020 7253 5552

>>>

52 WOMENSWEAR BUYER — MAY 2014

SHORT ORDER —

LAVAND

LOUCHE LONDON

Established in 2008, Lavand sets its sights on the international market this season with its latest range of day and eveningwear.

The Spanish label focuses on tactile styles in feminine silhouettes with ethereal influences across its styling.

Wholesale prices: £10-£80 Turnaround: One week Contact: www.doublehagency.com, 020 3432 6387

Bringing an array of textures, candy colours and fresh florals to the forefront of the new season, Louche London returns with a diverse collection including dresses and jersey basics. Since its launch in 2007, the brand has established itself as a contemporary label with a discreet vintage influence, and maintains its hallmark quirky details for s/s 14.

Wholesale prices £5-£55 Turnaround: From two days Contact: www.louchelondon.com; 020 7091 1886

MI-PAC

NANCY MAC

Accessory label Mi-Pac combines fashion and function through its signature backpack, which is available in a range of finishes and colourways inspired by fabrics typically used for garments. Launched in 2012, the brand diversifies for spring with a new range of innovative designs.

Wholesale prices: £3.35-£7.50 Turnaround: Three to five days Contact: www.justconsultancies.co.uk, 020 7739 7620

Inspired by 40s glamour and designed to flatter, Nancy Mac focuses on opulent materials this spring. Lace dresses, silk shrugs and velvet tea jackets are key, while cuts are typically vintage in line with the brand’s signature style. Core designs such as the classic lace dress are available in a new spring palette of aqua, reef and rose.

Wholesale prices: £44-£72 Turnaround: Next day delivery Contact: www.nancymac.co.uk, 01273 891616

PIT

PRETTY VACANT

Established last year, Dutch label Pit aims to bridge the gap between fast fashion and luxury ready-to-wear labels. This season sees the brand diversify its range of workwear, evening, partywear and special-occasion styles.

Statement necklaces and jewellery complement the core collection.

Wholesale prices: £20-£35 Turnaround: One week Contact: www.doublehagency.com, 020 3432 6387

Best known for its unique fabric prints, Pretty Vacant is a womenswear label with a focus on contemporary silhouettes.

The brand has explored a symbiotic relationship with music since it was established in 2005, and has designed its most recent offer for s/s 14 around direct customer feedback sourced from its own standalone store in Brighton.

Wholesale prices: £8-£20 Turnaround: Eight weeks Contact: www.vacantclothing.co.uk, 01273 670455

53 WOMENSWEAR BUYER — MAY 2014

SHORT ORDER —

RAGGED ROBIN

RAINS

Launched this season, Ragged Robin is the creation of retailer Clare Serjeant, who struggled to find the right quality jersey label for her own womenswear store, Fox & Feather, in Bristol. The debut line features designs in printed jersey, produced in conjunction with artist Amber Elise, whose designs are hand-printed onto the fabric in Bristol.

Wholesale prices: £10-£16 Turnaround: Top-up orders can be placed via the brand’s website for a fast turnaround.

Contact: www.raggedrobinuk.com, 0117 329 2575

Hailing from the rainy nation of Denmark, Rains celebrates the beauty of unpredictable seasons with its range of waterproof outerwear and accessories.

Spanning jackets and practical covers for precious accessories such as computers and tablets, the brand embraces all meteorological elements of spring with its collection of practical yet stylish solutions.

Wholesale prices: £8.40-£37.80 Turnaround: Three to five days Contact: www.justconsultancies.co.uk, 020 7739 7620

SASKIA

VOODOO VIXEN

Timeless separates are the focus for Saskia as the brand develops its commitment to the ethical production of womenswear for s/s 14. This season specifically sees the label introduce its lightweight cardigans in a range of bright new shades in a diversification from the brand’s more muted hues.

Wholesale prices: £21-£36 Turnaround: Two weeks Contact: www.saskia.co.uk, 01843 446336

Sold in over 400 stockists worldwide, Voodoo Vixen mixes pastels with floral prints for s/s 14, bringing its signature flirty dresses, leg-lengthening shorts and vintage cardigans to the forefront. Key styles this season include the ladybird-printed crop top and high-waisted shorts, targeting the festival-goer as well as the holidaymaker and daytripper.

Wholesale prices: £8.50-£19.95 Turnaround: Immediate Contact: www.voodoovixen.co.uk, 020 770 23155

WHISTLE & WOLF

WIZARD JEANS

Pink is at the heart of this season’s range as Whistle & Wolf turns to brights and pastels for a new summer-inspired palette. Prints are bold, with digitally printed roses taking their place alongside more statement designs including Bambi-inspired characters and an all-over jungle print. Silhouettes, meanwhile, incorporate a nostalgic influence with a nod to the 50s prom shape and other flattering cuts from decades gone by.

Wholesale prices: £18-£26 Turnaround: Two weeks Contact: www.whistleandwolf.com

British denim label Wizard Jeans diversifies its collection for s/s 14 with the introduction of its latest candy colours of turquoise, pink, lemon, white, stonewash blue and blue-and-white pinstripe.

The brand’s popular Marilyn silhouette remains key for the new season, and is available alongside a wide range of other cuts and rises including boot-cuts and straight legs.

Wholesale prices: £37-£62 Turnaround: Next-day delivery if ordered before midday Contact: www.wizardjeans.com, 07768 816420

54 WOMENSWEAR BUYER — MAY 2014

RETAIL DIARY Like it or not, the weather is intimately linked to consumer behaviour in retail. The fortnight of warmth and sunshine in early March gave us three strong weekends on the trot and an upturn in sales compared to last year.

Equally, the cold snap that ensued resulted in a downturn.

— We are aware that we need to remain vigilant and agile as a retailer, and take on board changes in circumstances, and sometimes that’s as simple as reacting to the weather.

There is no sense in remaining intransigent when things are slow. We have the reality of House of Fraser and its frequent promotions to contend with, and it requires a tailored and philosophical approach from us. We ran a targeted promotion in late March to encourage our mailing list customers to visit and start shopping before 1pm on Saturday.

The idea was to challenge the pattern of a steep surge in the late afternoon and secure some sales earlier on in the day. Knowing our customer is, I think, one of our defining characteristics at Javelin. Social media has given us a major boost so far this year, with our blog posts bringing more referrals to our website than any other source.

As an indie, we try to introduce fresh, under-the-radar brands each season as we feel this is an important part of our unwritten contract with our customers. We have done especially well with silks and digital prints from new suppliers Stills and Nooki. Maison Scotch remains a strong seller for us, too, with its picture prints proving popular. With our plans to expand the footwear for a/w 14, I find that the buying season has been drawn out this spring, but we hope to redirect our energies to our online store again soon.

September and October are going to be colourful, as we mark our 25th anniversary with 25 days of celebrations.

There have been hoops to jump and boxes to tick, but the plans are falling into place and the schedule is beginning to take shape. With the local community and media involved, as well as support from our suppliers, it is looking like it will be an anniversary to remember. Watch this space!

Jeremy Clayton is MD of Javelin in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

He is a member of the Fashion Association of Britain (FAB) www.fashionassociationofbritain.co.uk

FORUM —

RETAIL FORUM

The latest news from the industry —

LARK LONDON MAKES SUCCESSFUL DEBUT

ZANDRA RHODES VISITS YORKSHIRE’S FINEST Harrogate ladieswear boutique Snooty Frox recently welcomed iconic clothing and handbag designer Zandra Rhodes to the store to launch her new collection of vintage-inspired s/s handbags, incorporating this season’s key trends of metallic, patent, quilting and snake trim.

Rhodes, who has been at the forefront of the British fashion scene since the 70s and has dressed a host of famous faces, took time to chat to customers and reveal her inspiration behind her work.

“Zandra was amazing, just as I imagined and quite an inspiration,” says owner Hilary Haresign (pictured above left with Rhodes). “What a wonderful lady. Our customers loved her new collection and we can’t wait to welcome her back to Snooty Frox again.”

—

London’s Kensal Rise has a new face on the local retail scene, thanks to the opening of stylish boutique Lark. The store recently opened its doors after founders Phoebe Pring, a former model and visual merchandising expert, and Lucy Olivier, a style journalist, saw a gap in the market for an aspirational and yet affordable fashion destination. The boutique, which can also be found at www.larklondon.com, stocks brands such as Hide, Nanushka, Lna, 2nd Day, Wildfox, Markus Lupfer, Ash, Genetic Denim, Finders Keepers and Hanky Panky.

—

Phoebe Pring and Lucy Olivier

55 WOMENSWEAR BUYER — MAY 2014

FORUM —

WHAT IS YOUR S/S 14 BESTSELLER? —

SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY HOSTS RETAIL CONFERENCE Southampton Solent University held its second annual fashion conference last month, intended to help local fashion retailers to increase sales and grow their businesses.

Topics covered included retail management, key trends within retail, visual merchandising, brand building and the use of social media.

The conference also played host to a networking event, and was followed by a runway show in the evening. Speakers included Thierry Bayle of Global Fashion Management; fashion writer Ted Polhemus; Ben Harris of WGSN; Nikki Patrick from Chanel; and Joel Adebeyo from Utter Couture.

—

CLARE SERJEANT “Our graphic-printed Owner, Fox + Feather, tops. We’ve done really well with all the Bristol

Attendees discuss retail issues

ARTY PARTY IN ST ALBANS St Albans indie The Dressing Room teamed up with hot French label American Vintage for an arty party last month.

The event saw a graffiti artist customise American Vintage T-shirts in-store, while “live art” in the windows transformed the display with quirky designs. Customers benefited from a nail bar, a gift with purchase of American Vintage items and 10 per cent discount across the store.

As the brand’s largest UK stockist, The Dressing Room has built up a strong and loyal following for the label.

—

MY FAVOURITE SHOP...

THE MERCANTILE

by Daniella Alves, director, Somewhere London

Sugarhill Boutique styles, especially the cute bicycle print, which has sold out. The fox-print cropped tee from our Ragged Robin collection has also been great with our younger customers.”

—

MEL ROLLINSON Owner, Woodie & Morris, Haslemere, Surrey

“Danish label Saint Tropez has been great for us because it has such a wide appeal to women of all different ages, shapes and sizes. Swedish brand Dr Denim has also performed well.”

—

RUTH GEORGE Owner, Eden, Edinburgh

“So far, bright and neon colours from our Compañía Fantastica collection have been doing well for spring, especially the Foxy dress, which has sold out.”

—

MAXINE STEWART PR & marketing, Accent, Leeds, West Yorkshire

“Kevan Jon has sold well for us both in-store and online, and we have seen some good sales across the Maison Scotch collection.

Replay Denim is also a good seller for us season after season.”

—

The Mercantile Charlotte Road, London EC2A 3PB Established: 2011 Owner: Debra McCann Brands: Baum und Pferdgarten, Sol Sana, XO, Dr Denim, Nanushka, See by Chloe, Current Elliot “A trip to The Mercantile is always an inspiration; owner Debra has been in the industry for years and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of fashion labels. She is not afraid to champion new brands, and this makes for an interesting mix of established old favourites and hard-to-find emerging labels.

The staff takes a lot of pride in visual merchandising, with beautiful window displays, and a pop-up concept room in the basement that changes seasonally.”

—

56 WOMENSWEAR BUYER — MAY 2014

DIRECTORY —

GARMENT STANDS

WANTED

HEADWEAR

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  

   

         

           

  

       

  

Distributed by: Arctic Fox Unit 22, Watford Metro Centre, Tolpits Lane, Watford, Herts WD18 9UN Tel: 01923 210646 Email: info@bullseyeinternation.co.uk

DISPLAYS

HAT BOXES

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STEAMERS AND IRONS



NAMES AND NUMBERS

           

To advertise please call

01484 846069 or email wwbsales@ras-publishing.com

APC Overnight 0800 373 737 www.apc-overnight.com Bronto www.bronto.co.uk Clipper Returns Management 0113 204 2050 www.clippergroup.co.uk Collect + www.collectplus.co.uk Cybertill 0800 030 4459 www.cybertill.co.uk DPD 0845 950 5505 www.dpd.co.uk E-Commera www.ecommera.com Fits.Me 0845 528 0572 www.fits.me Folk 01202 289000 www.wearefolk.com Hermes www.hermes-europe.co.uk Internet Jetstream 02476 980642 www.internetjetstream.com Fashot 020 7267 0700 www.fashot.com Micros www.micros.com Monetate 020 709 92101 www.monetate.com Photolink Creative Group 0161 273 7551 www.photolink.co.uk Retail Merchant Services 0845 643 6397 www.retailmerchantservices.co.uk Royal Mail www.royalmail.com Stefan Drew www.stefandrew.com Visualsoft 01642 633604 www.visualsoft.co.uk WorldPay www.worldpay.com/uk Yodel 0844 453 7443 www.yodel.co.uk

SCOOP I N T ERN AT I O N A L 13 . – 1 5 .

LONDON FASH I O N J U LY

SH OW

2014

HAUBER Showroom · Diane Sykes · 56 Wells Street · W1T 3PT London Phone: +44/207/323 6100 (direct call 6102) · Fax: +44/207/323 6109 · E-Mail: diane.sykes@hauber.de · www.hauber.de

58 WOMENSWEAR BUYER — MAY 2014

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL —

DAVID LONGSHAW The designer shares his inspiration and brand concept, and reveals his plans for the label.

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You launched your own collection in 2010 after graduating from Central St Martins and the RCA, as well as a stint at Alberta Ferretti and Max Mara. How has your range progressed since your early days?

The range is larger; there are more pieces to each collection for people to buy into. It has also evolved style-wise. People have really taken to my prints and shapes. Whereas the first collection only had accents of print and the style was quite simple, there’s now more of a mixture, as well as a focus on bolder colours.

You start each collection with a range of illustrations and stories that you write – where does this concept stem from?

I was always intrigued by storytelling and illustration, and initially used pre-existing works as starting points and then subverted them. I began working from my own stories and illustrations when I was at Central St Martins, as I wanted to drive my label and make it stand out. I use the illustrations to inspire everything, from print and colour to shape and texture of the garments. One of my central illustrations is the character of Maude, a fictional “fabric muse”, fashion editor at large for numerous publications and editor in chief of Maudezine. She’s what might happen if the late Isabella Blow got together with Daphne Guinness, Alan Bennett, Katie Grand, Anna Wintour, Paula Rego, Tilda Swinton, Dame Maggie Smith, the cast of Last of the Summer Wine and The League of Gentlemen and produced a fabric child.

How is the label progressing commercially?

I’ve expand and diversified the revenue streams, from initially creating a small collection of a few pieces to one that produces collections of clothes and scarves, and collaborates with other brands such as Nails Inc (on packaging), Matchesfashion.com (on windows and limited-edition prints) and animations for magazines such as Love. These different areas of income help build the business financially, but also help to promote the creativity of the label. This in turn aids sales of the core business.

What are your plans for the brand going forward?

More clothes, more Maude, more animations, more stories and more collaborations. These separate elements all help to grow the brand and feed into each other.

INSIDER: Who is your style icon?

Maude.

— Which fashion business do you admire?

Comme des Garçons, for its ability to straddle high-concept designs with more commercial pieces without it feeling disjointed.

— What’s the best piece of industry advice you’ve ever been given?

Listen to others. Take on board people’s ideas and thoughts about your label and business, but ultimately believe in your own vision, and be prepared to ignore everyone and go your own way.

— What’s the one fashion item you can’t live without?

My printed cashmere-lined silk scarf.

It keeps me warm, but also adds an element of style and fun to my generally rather dark wardrobe.

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