Attire Accessories - Nov/Dec 2019 (Issue 79)

RETAIL INTERVIEW 85 THE DRESSING ROOM T: +44 (0)1727 853 577 W: the-dressingroom.com @thedressingroomsocial collections and footwear is performing very well as a category. The sneaker trend has changed the way women dress, and it has had a transformative effect on our footwear business. Are you active on social media, and how do you use it for your business? We are incredibly active on social media. It forms the basis for our whole marketing strategy and is a very strong channel for us to communicate who we are and what we are up to. We were very early to use YouTube, with our first video going out quite a few years ago, and it has become a strong channel for us to give our customers styling tips. Instagram is also a very strong channel; we use this to strengthen our storytelling and to put across our personality with new arrivals, styling tips and team images. How do you choose what to stock? I know my customer base inside out, and I have a passion for hunting out new collections that I know they will love. I instinctively know whether something is right for my business. However, I am also a bit of a numbers nerd, so I do love to draw up a merchandise analysis and work on my budgets and sell through figures. I start with the numbers, and then I go out to search for the product and love bringing all of the brands together to create a unique edit. How often do you change up your window dressings and displays? We re-merchandise the store around every four weeks, creating a completely new layout and new collection edit. Then changes are made to the shop floor on a daily and weekly basis to react to trends, bestsellers and daily new deliveries. Our customers love newness, and it drives footfall and repeat visits. Our windows are changed weekly, with new window schemes around every six weeks. What are your plans to develop your online presence? Our online presence is going from strength to strength, and it continues to form a key part of my business plan for the future. It is hard work to get it right – it’s expensive and labor intensive, but it is worth it and I wouldn’t be without it. It also drives footfall to the store and opens up the business to a much-wider audience. Watch this space for lots of activity this autumn and beyond at the- dressingroom.com. Do you attend any trade shows, and if so, which ones and why? I do attend trade shows. I have a one-year-old son, so I have limited my travel a little in the past 12 months to just include the London shows: Scoop and Pure. However, I will be back travelling next season to Copenhagen and Paris. I love trade shows for inspiration and getting an overview of trends. What has been your standout moment since opening the store, and why? There have been many! I would say my first Drapers award for best new business in 2006 is one. Being invited to the House of Lords last year to represent small businesses was a pretty standout moment too! I also feel very proud when I can see how my team have developed over the years and how I have enabled them to build strong careers in retail and really flourish. How do you view the fashion accessory/ jewellery retail market at present, and what advice would you give other retailers? I think it is a strong part of the industry; people love buying fashion accessories and jewellery to pick themselves up without necessarily spending a fortune. My advice is always to make sure you know your customer and to make sure that every business decision you make is with them in mind. What advice would you give brands looking to get into your store? Do your research – really try to understand whether your product is right for the business you are contacting. We are inundated with enquiries, which is good, and unfortunately I can’t always respond to every enquiry. But I do try my best and I always, always look at every email and collection that is sent to me – you just never know what you might find! What are your plans for the future? There are many, although most of them I will be keeping under my hat for now. I would just say watch this space and see what we get up to!