Attire Accessories - Nov/Dec 2019 (Issue 79)

INDUSTRY NEWS 11 KIT HEATH CONTINUES SUCCESSFUL EXPANSION IN THE U.S. As it approaches its one-year anniversary of entry into the U.S., Kit Heath has announced the continued success of its expansion plans in the country. The British jewellery brand has welcomed 10 new U.S. field sales representatives, revealing a 248 percent increase US income year on year. The company’s Art Deco-inspired Empire collection has been taken by 97 percent of existing and new accounts. Creative director and co-owner Katie Nickell says, “We take great pride in our service levels and back this up with our in-house sales support team along with our field sales team. Our stateside partners have been hugely impressed with the efficacy and speed of service. The trust that we have built is hugely comforting in these testing times and the new business we are seeing every day is a testament to our growing success.” Visit kitheath.com STUDY SHOWS SMALL AND INDEPENDENT ONLINE RETAILERS OPEN TO NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATION SME retailers are most open to new technologies and innovations in a bid to drive growth over the next year, says payment provider Klarna. Research conducted across 100 SME decision makers at online retailers in 2019 showed that UK’s SMEs understand the need to embrace flexibility and innovation. According to the report, “Over the next 12 months they plan to prioritise investing in flexible payment options (49%) and e-commerce capabilities (48%) to meet consumer demand for a frictionless shopping experience.” However, they face a myriad of challenges, with half (53%) stating the cost of introducing flexible payment options was the biggest barrier to adoption. The report said, “The UK’s current turbulent landscape is also inhibiting tech spend; whilst SME online retailers have budgets set aside for investment in new technologies, almost half (48%) cited uncertainty around Brexit as the main reason they’re currently halting investment. This was followed by not knowing what tech will provide the best return on investment (31%). “But SMEs who let this stand in the way could be damaging their bottom line in the long run, especially given 54% said competition from bigger players and online giants is the biggest external challenge currently impacting them.” SMEs, however, are said to be thinking ahead and planning to boost customer experiences over the next 12 months. The report says the customers, “also understand the importance of an omnichannel presence, with three quarters (74%) having created some form of physical experience for their customers in the past.” Luke Griffiths, UK general manager at Klarna, “Introducing new tech, like Klarna’s Pay later and instalment options, is an investment that will pay off in the long run — ultimately leading to greater sales, higher basket value and increased customer loyalty. Being small in size doesn’t have to mean small-picture thinking. SMEs have the advantage of agility, and are often better equipped to do a fast integration than their larger counterparts.”