Attire Accessories - Mar/Apr 2020 (Issue 81)

RETAIL INTERVIEW 79 Can you tell me a bit about the company? Roo’s Beach is an award-winning independent fashion and lifestyle destination store positioned opposite Porth Beach, between Watergate Bay and Newquay on the North Cornwall coast. Myself and my fabulous all-female team, curate constantly evolving seasonal collections of signature laid-back, colour-filled and effortless styles from our favourite brands. What is your aim as a retailer? We are guided by our mantra ‘happy clothes’ and everything we sell has the number one aim to make people feel fantastic. We want Roo’s Beach to allow you to be influenced and inspired, to reinvent yourself, feel great and have fun! We all need to re-fall in love with fashion, find an emotional connection that adds value and worth to what we wear. Take on individual brand values and become invested in the story behind the garment. We at Roo’s Beach will be focusing on this journey going forward. What have you learnt about being in business, and what makes you stand out? Having opened in 2013, Roo’s Beach continues to offer something completely different and stand-out to most independent stores, especially within the South-West of England where the trend leans towards supplying standard surf brands and adhering to traditional coastal styles. It’s the level of thought that goes into the brands we invest in too and the clothing we choose from them to showcase. It all comes together under one roof with such positive synergy. Roo’s Beach continues to gather fans from far and wide who want to immerse themselves with this multi-generational, fresh fashion vibe with 2020 bringing an exciting array of new plans. Are there any standout accessories brands you stock? As well as the range of womenswear, menswear and homeware on offer, Roo has curated an accessory collection for all. For the AW19 season, this features scarves, beanies, bags, socks and hair accessories from brands such as Barts, Colourful Standard, Baggu, Wanderlust Life, Stance and Black Colour. Do you use social media and does it work for you? Social media is constantly growing, seeing a 10% increase across all channels over the past year. Instagram is the most popular, now at just under 13,000 followers with a buzz-like interaction rate for each post and story. We like to post once or twice a day on Instagram, a few times a week on Facebook and the revenue off the back of our efforts really pays off! How do you decide on the what you stock? Myself and shop manager Bex visit and discover many brands on buying trips to London throughout the year. We visit different showrooms and trade shows to make sure the mix of brands and offerings are diverse and inspirational. Plus, we really buy into ethical brands with a good quality goods that have been crafted with care and will align with our ethos of investment shopping for longevity. Your coffee shop is an integral part of the business – do you think more independent high street retailers should consider experiential spaces in a bid to offer something different to consumers? Yes, we believe it’s all part of the shopping experience, helping to make the store a destination for visitors and not just a stop off. Customers can park easily right in front of the shop, sit and enjoy Origin coffee, homemade cakes and fresh juices on the sunny decking overlooking the beach and sea. Visitors usually pop their heads into the store before or after a coffee, and so new customers are made. The more you offer, the bigger the audience you’ll capture. It’s for this reason that we also