| > | | | | term relationships, within and without. |
| Predicting trend changes and fashion fluctuations is | | | | The article also advised investing in training staff. |
| as hard to accurately predict weather patterns. | | | | All well and good, but you can’t teach |
| It's like sailing into a constantly changing, always | | | | people good attitude if they ain’t got it. |
| on your guard because you never know when | | | | You could be investing a lot of time and money |
| the wind will suddenly change. That's the fashion | | | | for short term gain. |
| industry | | | | One of the core principles of marketing is |
| Spring fashion for men is alive with lumberjack | | | | determine the needs and wants of your |
| checks and dainty floral, masculinity and femininity | | | | target audience and then supply accordingly |
| vying for top spot, we know who will win. This | | | | Listen to your customers, give them what they |
| seasons floral patterns are reminiscent of the | | | | want. Focus on getting the product right: The |
| 70’s, and checks, well if you think | | | | product, the product, the product. You can have a |
| lumberjack checks originated in America, sorry to | | | | bunch of well trained staff with poor attitudes and |
| spoil the party but their roots can easily be traced | | | | you’re not much further ahead or different |
| back to the Scottish tartan. | | | | from your competitors. |
| You take the high road and I’ll take | | | | Take the example of Singapore Airlines, one of |
| the low road and I’ll be in Scotland afore | | | | only two services to make a continuous profit for |
| ye, but me and my true love will never meet | | | | more than 30 years. They have a bunch of well |
| again on the bonny, bonny banks of Loch | | | | trained staff with good attitude. In fact their staff |
| Lomond | | | | selection process focuses on selecting new staff |
| This old Scottish tune has been around a wee | | | | with good attitude. The technical training is easy. |
| while, but the Kilt and the tartan check have been | | | | If retailers want to differentiate from the pack, |
| around far more than a wee while. Certainly long | | | | why not treat your customers with respect |
| before any whiskey toting lumberjack swung an | | | | rather than punters |
| axe through the air Rambo style and sunk it into | | | | Late last year we launched a new unknown brand |
| the heartwood of an old pine, no sire, shiver | | | | of silk ties, after much listening to customers and |
| me timbers | | | | researching the keywords they were typing into |
| The cat walks are a blaze with checks and floral. | | | | search engines. We tested our theory by selecting |
| Soon to be conservatively washed down for the | | | | conservative and out of ordinary styles. The out |
| high street stores and, no doubt they’ll all | | | | of ordinary won out because we new customers |
| look pretty much the same, it’s just | | | | were looking for something different. |
| another name. Certain styles are never far from | | | | We picked colours that reflect the hues of any |
| the fashion cycle, like tweed, checks, floral, they | | | | season spring, summer, autumn and winter. |
| just go into orbit for a while and then coming | | | | Married them to a pattern that cannot be |
| crashing back to earth. Westwood realised the | | | | categorised, it is abstract, but symmetrical, |
| longevity in Tartan. For many years she has used | | | | conservative or non. And then to add depth and |
| its patterns and colours wisely, more recently in | | | | interest we selected heavily textured silk twill. |
| some great looking tote alls. | | | | The experiment worked from all angles. The |
| At the end of the day, retailers large and small, | | | | Abstract and other floral sold out, prompting us to |
| online, or on high street have to give customers | | | | order more fabric. The conventional checks and |
| what they want, such is the fete of this industry. | | | | stripes did poorly. We determined the needs and |
| Shifting slightly: | | | | wants of our customers and supplied accordingly |
| I read an article published in England’s | | | | without any fuss or bother. |
| number one business fashion weekly | | | | We are very happy with our little experiment and |
| Drapers, titled Exploit your assets to | | | | soon will attempt the same with cufflinks. |
| temp shoppers It’s always been my | | | | There is a lot of room to grow and move in |
| opinion that customers are a retailers biggest | | | | men’s fashion accessories, the market as |
| assets. The article went on to advise; In short, | | | | we see it is very generic and undersupplied, |
| retailers should deliver a higher standard of | | | | it’s like fruit ripe for picking. And we aim to |
| service to get customers’ attention. By | | | | make a difference, albeit in a small way, because |
| doing the basics well, and working in some magic, | | | | we are different. |
| the brands on offer will inspire and delight | | | | To conclude: Focus on getting the product right |
| customers and get them spending more Well | | | | (colour, pattern, texture, quality and price point) |
| if this topic is open for debate, then why create a | | | | listen to your customers, deliver in accordance |
| mirage? Customers will see through it pretty | | | | with their demands, supported by right attitude |
| quickly. It’s not about working in some | | | | and a consistently good level of service. Focus on |
| magic, that sort of stuff might work in the circus. | | | | the thing that will generate revenue. And most |
| Creating an illusion is short term strategy and just | | | | importantly begin with the end in mind |
| a knee-jerk reaction to a changing market. More | | | | Prepare a strategy that is workable enough to be |
| focus on the thing that will generate revenue, | | | | a constant guide through good and bad times. |
| rather than dreaming up ways to make more | | | | Avoid knee jerk reactions. A strategy will act as |
| profit out of customers would be a good | | | | your compass. Finally, sincerity is key, no magic, |
| strategy. In other words focus on the product, | | | | and no smoke screens. |
| the style, colour, pattern, texture and most | | | | This is just my opinion, is there a cat amongst |
| importantly quality. Retailers must build trust in | | | | the pigeons? |
| their customers, sincerity is key to building long | | | | |