FIGHTING AGAINST THE FAKES

 

With around 6% of global branded revenue stolen by counterfeiters, companies who take protective measures are not just acting for the consumers benefit.

 

Brands have a unique market position: they can penetrate third party sales channels through wholesale and licensing but still maintain a direct consumer relationship. This relationship is crucial in the fight against fakes.

 

To a consumer, the most important element of a brand is trust. Fakes erode that trust.

 

Your brand fan trusts you to help them portray their desired image and they trust that what you stand for is special. Think about your brand as a very personal possession and take some protective steps in your processes. If you need to justify this to yourself, see these steps as building an internal insurance policy against future losses.

 

Know your supply chain.
Don't assume that everyone you deal with is only loyal to you. Check and double check activities around production and sampling.

 

Guard your labelling and packaging.
Who manufactures, stores or distributes your labels and packaging? Do you know how many were sent and used?

 

Establish product development agreements.
Ensure that suppliers who regularly work on new developments have automatic penalty clauses (enforceable commercially as events unfold rather than only after legal action) if styles that have not been released yet are found outside the process.

 

Use a PLM system or other method of tracking access to your product details.

Create a logged audit trail, showing who accessed what and when.

 

Evaluate interactive anti-counterfeit methods.

Can your consumer check before they buy? With mobile internet access consumers can engage directly with a brand to interactively verify authenticity, whilst leaving a useful location trail. You can see which product was verified where. This opens up the opportunity to move in on counterfeiters whilst building a relationship with your brand fans.

 

The market around us is continuously focusing on direct relationships with consumers throughout the whole customer lifecycle. We are told to not only obtain customers, but to create engaged brand fans. Consuming is starting to mean something different in that respect.

 

In summary, do not leave brand security to chance. Jobs are precious and protection should be in place. Just imagine handing 6% of your revenue to criminals. Don't make it easy for counterfeiters to steal your brand and your jobs.

 

By Ben Muis, Fashion Industry Consultant and creator of Authicode

 

 

CELEBRATE AN INDEPENDENT CHRISTMAS

Over 100 representatives from towns throughout the UK have shown their interest in creating “Christmas Shopping Crawls” to boost footfall to towns and retail centres during the critical peak Christmas trading period.

There were a record 83 registered attendees for a free webinar that took place on Tuesday: “How to create a Christmas Shopping Crawl”.

As founder of the “Celebrate an Independent Christmas” campaign I led the session which was hosted by ATCM (Association of Town Centre Management), key campaign supporters. During the webinar representatives of towns and retail organisations learned what was required to create and run a Christmas Shopping Crawl in their local area.

Feedback was hugely positive and it is anticipated that consumers will be able to enjoy taking part in Christmas Shopping Crawls in numerous locations throughout the UK this year!

The Independent Christmas campaign runs from 12th November to Christmas day. Our focus is to encourage consumers to spend more of their Christmas budgets - be that on gift and food shopping, partying or pampering - with local, independent businesses. The campaign is inclusive of all those who serve consumers – so bars, restaurants and salons as well as traditional shops.

To capture consumers’ imaginations, and to encourage them to seek out their local independents, we are calling on “local activation partners” to work with the traders in their communities to create “Christmas Shopping Crawls”.

Intended to be a lot of fun for consumers, and offering an opportunity for shoppers to win a prize for completing a crawl, shopping crawls also address the very serious issue of lack of footfall to our high streets.
Also this week the Local Data Company reported a worrying slow-down in the growth of Independent businesses in our high streets. The relatively stable high street vacancy rate had been attributed to a buoyant Independent sector, although now the growth has slowed from 2.4% in 2011 to just 0.8% in 2012. Since 67% of all retail and leisure units in the UK are home to independent businesses, a campaign such as this can have a very real, positive social and economic impact.

By creating a sense of fun, excitement, some competition, and a community spirit, businesses who participate in a Christmas Shopping Crawl have the opportunity to engage new customers from their local area.

The campaign team are providing a complete solution for towns and participating retailers with window posters, template “Shopping crawl maps” and even cards to thank consumers for their business.

To support all those involved there are downloadable guides available: “How to create a Christmas shopping crawl” and “How to make the most of participating in a Christmas shopping crawl”. A second webinar takes place on Monday 15th October at 7pm for the benefit of retailers who intend to take part (see https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/812235358 to register). Like the first, this will be recorded and made available to provide support for all those who were unable to participate in the live session.

Anyone interested in becoming either a local activation partner or in participating in a crawl should register their interest via www.indiechristmas.co.uk or by emailing champion@retailchampion.co.uk.

We are also keen to hear from businesses who would be interested in sponsoring the campaign - either nationally or at a local level - so please get in touch if that is something you'd like to find out more about. A full sponsor info pack can be found via http://www.independentretailermonth.co.uk/Indie%20Xmas%202012%20B2B%20Sponsorship%20Information.pdf

Claire Rayner, Retail Champion

BACK TO SCHOOL

Our members with children’s shops are reporting a great ‘back-to-school’ with many shops 25% up on last year. Bearing in mind the dreadful summer we have had, it is great news. Is the message finally getting across that there is no substitute for having your children’s feet looked after professionally?  Probably not, it is more likely to be staff getting more forceful and better at making a sale in difficult trading conditions.

It would be very interesting to know how many people actually had the nerve to go into shops to check their child’s measurements and then walk out to buy cheaper brands elsewhere.  Shops have reported a massive increase over the past 3 years of people doing precisely that, some parents even having the cheek to stand instore whilst checking the internet on their mobile phones for a particular style!  Subsequently we supplied our members with ‘polite and warning show-cards’ to display instore to inform the public that they are in a retail outlet and not simply a showroom. 

Things can only get worse as it is now possible for the public to buy shoe gauges on the web.  Our organisation will never sell gauges to anyone without the necessary training in their peculiarities as gauges are all different, a gauge is merely a guide, simply a starting point in the fitting process.  But are the public aware of this?  Of course they are not, how could they possibly know the dangers of self-fitting and how important it is to measure and fit a child properly?  They won’t realise the damage they could be doing to their child’s physiology until it is too late.

When a child needs glasses they go to an optician and it is only when they are adults they may choose to risk off-the-shelf cheap specs, but as footwear is seen as an accessory rather than the most important thing a child wears, the same cannot be said of footwear.  With the sale of foot gauges the public think they can do it for themselves. Parents who would not dream of smacking their child, or missing a trip to the doctor or dentist, will quite happily buy a gauge and then trot off to a high street store to merely check their measurement and look at the choice of shoes, then click a button on their computer for ‘Jacintha and Bartrum’s’ footwear to be delivered, or buy the cheapest they can find.  They think the size on the gauge is the size that will fit their child regardless of brand, style, materials, country of origin etc.  The chances are it is only when the child becomes bored with the shoes or they are simply falling apart, that the parent will get their gauge out to re-measure. 

Shops are reporting seeing children wearing shoes up to 2 sizes too small and parents complaining their children’s feet hurt!!!!  If gauges were not so easily accessible it would definitely increase the footfall back into footwear outlets and parents would benefit from experienced people assessing their children’s feet and foot health, giving them much needed advice and a reminder to come back for more in a few months time!  Selling gauges literally reduces the need for parents to buy responsibly.

This month there will be hundreds of children unhappily dragging their new shoes round the playground where parents have allowed too much growing room.  Many children will be hobbling due to their low ankle bone rubbing on the shoe collar, or their toes hitting on the upper.  Those that chose a slip on style that had to be fitted ‘near’ (or more likely tight to keep them on) are likely to have their toes cramped in a month or two’s time when they have had a growth spurt, but the parents wont be thinking of buying another pair so quickly, so the gauges will not be used as a guide, simply a means to an end and most likely to buy cheaply made, unsuitable footwear.  Year’s ago it was often the ‘poor’ kids who suffered this fate, kids wore ‘hand-me-downs’ from their siblings; but nowadays it is just as likely to be the offspring of the affluent middle-classes who think they know best and would sooner buy a very good bottle of wine at the weekend to impress their friends, or the latest computer game to keep their children happy.

We bang on about how many Chiropodists there are now in the UK (over 11,000) and it is common-sense to realise why there is such a need, but how many shops reading this actually care about the feet they are serving?  How many really know about the footwear they are selling?  How many new shops will spend a fortune on local advertising to establish themselves when they actually have nothing unique to offer to compete with the ‘big boys’?  Many new shops are building a business on shaky foundations and would sooner buy another couple of lines of shoes that may not sell, than qualify on one of our courses enabling them to buy more sensibly and fit what they have on the shelf confidently.  Our members can say with pride that they ‘sell shoes that won’t come back to people who will’.  Ignorance is not bliss, it is blisters, but it is never too late to learn how to do the job properly.

Laura West, The Society of Shoe Fitters www.shoefitters-uk.org  Email: secretary@shoefitters-uk.org  Tel. 01953-851171

WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE...

There’s so much to see at Moda, so many brands to talk to and so many buyers to catch up with, that I’m always amazed how much we manage to cram in.

Likewise, the sheer volume of quality product across so many different industry sectors never fails to impress me. If I were a buyer, I’d feel pretty confident about finding precisely the right kind of commercially viable stock at the show. 

So it’s no surprise there were plenty of stand-out pieces catching my eye this season, many of them with strong colourways or quirky touches. I’ve pulled together a few of my favourites for you to take a look at (below).

Makki Bags

Blink Leopard Shoes

Camel Active Footwear

Dents

Gucinari Footwear

Renata Bags

Riva Sandals

Sugar Boots

Suzie Blue Jewellery

I also made time to pop into Flip – the UK’s new trade show for urban, street, board and action sports lifestyle clothing and footwear – which had an exciting buzz about it.

It could have been the on-trend product and the uber-cool exhibitors and visitors, but it was also definitely something to do with the Animal Bike Tour show, which had spectators on the edge of their seats right way through….and when you see the pictures, you’ll understand why!

You’ll find a full review of Moda and Flip in the September issue of the magazine.

Suzanna Bain, online editor, Fashionextras-online.co.uk x

YOUR STAFF ARE THE MOST PRECIOUS SALES TOOL YOU POSSES

The one item of ‘clothing’ that can serious damage your health and alter your entire physiology is your footwear, but unlike in Germany, still the UK government neglects to insist on formal qualification – it is left to moral obligation rather than legal obligation.

The Society of Shoe Fitters has been running qualification courses for 53 years which is what helps them to maintain help-lines, website, foothealth education leaflets etc., however they acknowledge that there are many good shoe retail staff that know how to do the job properly and have no formal qualifcation. 

Staff may be extremely knowledgeable about their products, feet and the ability to actual ‘fit’ shoes, but may have nothing to prove they know what they are doing.  Spending a day with a manufacturer, or learning from well experienced colleagues is extremely beneficial, but does not provide them with an all-round sense of achievement or overall stamp of approval.

The not-for-profit SSF is addressing this problem.  They work with the finest people in the industry and continue to do so with their training and support systems.  Now they are approaching those that DO know what they are doing and helping them to prove it.

The SSF have introduced a new Entrance Application which should be extremely straightforward for experienced shoe retail staff… in addition they have also made it affordable to all, merely £50.   Now, for the price of one pair of shoes, you can provide your business, and an experienced member of your staff, with national recognition.

If you or your colleagues would like to take part you can download the Application without obligation from the SSF website (www.shoefitters-uk.org) or pick up a hard copy at MODA (Stand S40). Successful conclusion gives membership of this prestigious and reputable organisation (M.S.S.F.), so if your shop needs something new to shout about and a U.S.P. to upstage your competition, look no further!

For inexperienced staff the 5 month course starts September 1st and the 10 month course starts October 1st.

Laura West, www.shoefitters-uk.org  Email: secretary@shoefitters-uk.org  Tel. 01953-851171

REASSURANCE IN RETAIL

I was recently awarded the Young Retailer of the Year award by the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira), which was a fantastic reassurance that I am working in the right direction when it comes to retail.

The award was something I came across when I was at a committee meeting for FAB (Fashion Association of Britain) – the new division of Bira that acts as the voice of independent retailers in the fashion sector – and I thought it would be a useful marketing exercise for the business, as well as something for which I wanted to apply for my own personal development.

I am always looking for opportunities for the business, and awards can be a good way to promote an independent store. Like most retailers, however, I had not placed much value on what I was doing because I felt someone else somewhere else was doing something better. Working in an independent boutique, I think we all feel isolated at times, so awards can be a great source of reassurance.

I have been immersed in this industry from an early age because my mother owns Ambiance of Colchester but, having taken on more areas of responsibility, I have discovered my key areas of interest. Winning the award has increased my innate thirst to learn even more about the fashion industry and working in retail.

Melissa Wheeler, marketing and PR manager, Ambiance of Colchester, Essex

WHATEVER THE WEATHER

This time last week I was desperately scouring the internet for the perfect summer shoes as the first of the spring sunshine streamed through the window. This week, I am (rather gratefully) back in my comfy winter boots, drying off my hair after a mad dash into the office in the pouring rain and thinking – what is happening with the UK climate?

If I am confused as to what to wear from day to day, I can only imagine how retailers approach the issue of merchandising their product. Capturing that consumer spend is such a time-sensitive issue, and having the perfect summer window display can be all it takes to inspire the spring shopper as her thoughts turn to her seasonal wardrobe.

No surprise at all then, the high street is awash with Easter displays and depictions of holiday fun, even though the streets are quite literally awash with rain. And maybe some snow at some point this week, if the weather reports are anything to go by.

Displays can of course be hurriedly changed as the weather takes an unexpected turn. Stands of brightly-coloured umbrellas can at least be placed more prominently, and any remnants of winter sale stock may at least be snapped up as the climate retreats into its wintery depths. When it comes to actual buying however, it’s all retailers can do to place their orders carefully for summer beach bags and flipflops, and hope for at least a sprinkling of summer sunshine in months to come (if not a host of holiday wardrobe shoppers heading off for sunnier climes).

It’s all part of being British and, amid the furore over fuel price hikes and pasty taxes, it’s also one thing that we cannot blame on the Government. Good weather is indiscriminate, a bonus and – all too often – a complete surprise for those of us living and working here in the UK, so let’s try and literally look on the bright side and hope there’s a summer yet to come.

Christina Williams, editor, FE magazine x