MELBOURNE: Iconic accessory designer Catherine Manuell is not about to be undone by a slump in the US retail market.
Manuell has launched a dedicated online store for American consumers following the collapse of 40 of her US-based stockists this year. The country represented nearly half of the brand’s export market in 2008, with over 80 outlets stocking its range of luggage, bags and scarves.
“We had built such a strong following within the US that when outlets began to close, we found our US customers coming directly to us through our Australian website,” Manuell said.
“The demand to ship to the US became a weekly occurrence and we decided instead of losing our following to closed shopfronts, we needed to create a life raft.”
The targeted website, which went live last week, was underpinned by a 1000-plus consumer mailing list provided by the brand’s US distributor. Manuell said costs were minimised through a special agreement with web developers Kudos Digital, with a percentage of each item sold online going to the former.
The next step will be to expand the brand’s social media network with a Twitter site set to go live at the end of this month, Manuell said.
“We have always utilised our mailing list to promote Catherine Manuell Design and create a relationship between our brand and customer. Social media like Facebook and Twitter feel like the next step or evolution of this media. They create the opportunity to expand that relationship in a forum that is instant and interactive.”
The online marketing push is hot on the heels of a major distribution agreement with department store Myer. The designer’s luggage and travel range will debut across selected national stores over spring/summer 2009/10, adding to the line of scarves that launched through Myer five years ago.
“With each edition of our range to the Myer portfolio it creates a buzz and excitement for us,” Manuell said, adding her relationship with Myer started over 10 years ago with the release of her millinery collection.
As part of the latest agreement, Myer will stock Manuell’s classic collector trolley sets, medium suitcases, self-handle laptop cases and a seasonal laptop wheely.
Manuell has two stand-alone stores in Melbourne, a clearance outlet in Sydney and over 150 wholesale accounts across the world.
Assia Benmedjdoub