What advice do you have for aspiring shop owners? We posed this question to three fashion indies on Vend and Bira’s Remarkable Retailers list – and it revealed some inspiring words of wisdom for retailers at any stage in business.
Tanya Brown and Jake Jarvis, co-owners of Shoreditch sunglasses and apparel retailer Hot Futures, recommend “digging down into every aspect of the business to understand the costs involved and how sales will meet your objectives.” They add: “There’s a lot to think about but start small, aim to make improvements to what you do every day and don’t be afraid to ask for advice from people with experience. There are many great apps out there to help make your life easier so don’t be afraid to try them – it will make a big difference down the line.”
Meanwhile, Jake Hardy, owner of London-based menswear indie Number Six, advises retailers to use technology to their advantage. He says: “We wanted to reinvigorate the shopping experience and invite people to enjoy retail without forcing it. Having the right software solution in-store has helped us to focus on creating an enjoyable retail environment, as well as running events, and buying seasonally from around the globe.”
Hardy also advises retailers to use their EPoS software for a deeper understanding of sales trends: “By scheduling weekly reports, we are able to read all of our multi-platform sales channels across a daily, monthly, and annual comparison,” he says. “Regular reporting with Vend has become the basis for our forecasting and allowed us to grow accordingly and bring in new customers.”
Lastly, Penny Rawson, owner of Cheshire’s The Edit, says retailers should have a vision of how they want their business to look and let that guide small decisions. “Especially when it’s visual things,” she says. “I think about the vision of the store and then think about whether those items would fit into my store.”
Read the full Remarkable Retailers list at: Vendhq.com/uk/remarkable-retailers