Then and Now: Morrison
RAGTRADER regularly catches up with a previously profiled label to chart its development over the intervening years. Here Belinda Smart talks to Richard Poulson and Kylie Radford, founders of womenswear label Morrison.
COMPANY:Morrison
OWNERS: Richard Poulson and Kylie Radford
How has your company evolved in the past five years?
Firstly our team has evolved significantly. Morrison staff share equal importance with our product lines and this interdependence is a key factor to our success. Our team genuinely enjoy coming to work and being part of the success story. They have a good product to sell, which is essential to retail and merchandising success. This enthusiasm is reflected in unsolicited commentary from customers, with many identifying Morrison as their favourite shop, manifesting in repeat business and word-of-mouth promotion.
In addition to our unique formula of team, culture and exceptional product, our business coach, Mark Stocks, has worked with Morrison to develop and continually re-evaluate our business strategy for sustained growth. Mark's methods are simple; get your direction right in your head and on paper, improve efficiency and monitor every aspect of the business to see where improvements can be made.
What were the key issues or challenges for your company five years ago? What are they now?
Five years ago our main issue was paying the rent each week! Now it is coming up with a range as beautiful as the previous season.
How has the company's range changed over the period?
We started out with a basics range featuring T-shirts and pants made from cotton poplin and cotton nylon blends, providing a stock service with two main drops. Now we have a much more sophisticated look. Designs are beautiful, natural and romantic and made from exclusive fabrics handpicked from French and Italian mills.
How many stores/wholesale accounts did you have five years ago?
We had one store in WA and 15 wholesale accounts. Now we have six stores in three states and 150 boutique wholesale accounts.
What was the retail climate like five years ago compared to now?
The only difference now is that it is now much busier in our stores. Most of our stores now have a minimum of three team members on the floor at any given time. As far as consumer confidence is concerned, WA has been a great place to start.
What was your approach to marketing and promotions five years ago? What is it now?
Our approach has not changed. We do no advertising per se, however, we do seasonal launches and take good care of our customers.
How many staff did you employ five years ago?
We had [founding designer] Kylie and a Sunday cover. Now we have a team of 81.
How has staff training evolved?
We now have a systematic training program for all new team members from induction to operations, to give them the best possible advice on working within our environment.
What was your point of sale technology like five years ago?
We had no till or computer and didn't even give receipts unless people asked for them. Now we utilise a new system that operates in real time throughout the stores and links back to the warehouse. Inventory control is one of our highest KPI's across the board.
What was your greatest moment in the past five years?
It would be difficult to pinpoint one thing, but Morrison has achieved many milestones and it is the culmination of them all that would be our watershed moment; in other words, our brand.
What has been the worst experience of the past five years?
Losing our dog Morrison, after whom the brand is named, to cancer in October last year. You can see the number of people who loved him from the blog comments on our website.