Fraser Live: Duck, Dr Quackquack
Fashion Exposed pointed out that while one observer may not be happy with its show, more than 200 exhibitors are, and gave me a list of exhibitors to talk about their Fashion Exposed experience.
One, Tom Tindall, a director of Queensland-based Orientique Fashions, is certainly a fan of Fashion Exposed. He says it works well for him, but not in sales written at the fair. In fact, he tries to avoid taking orders on his stand, preferring one-on-one presentations in showrooms. Orientique offers a wide range of India-sourced garments for the over-35 age group and includes the beading and handwork for which India is famous. Retail prices are between $80 and $150.
Tom has worked out that natural attrition reduces his turnover by about five per cent a year – which he tries to turn into a 10 per cent gain from new business, 75 per cent of which he gets from Fashion Exposed. He also observes that new accounts typically spend 45 per cent more than those that drop out.
He says he does sell immediate delivery stock at the fair but it is in the section confined to Frontline members and that Fashion Exposed management checks on his stand to make sure that it is only showing indent samples.
Tom also likes Fashion Exposed for the opportunity it offers to retailers who want to compare garment ranges conveniently gathered in one place.
Another company happy with Fashion Exposed is Allen Gibson, a Melbourne-based menswear supplier offering suits, trousers, shirts and knitwear. Managing director Denis Gibson relies totally on fairs like Fashion Exposed to sell his range.
Between fairs he does some follow-up sales himself but does not employ a sales team. The fairs therefore offer a much lower cost substitute when it comes to paying sales people’s salaries and other expenses.
While he acknowledges womenswear dominates the fair there are still enough menswear retail buyers visiting to give increasing business for his two labels: Perrone and Gibbo.
Melbourne-based Breakaway Apparel has been making tracksuits and related garments for men and women for around 40 years. Its labels include Black Pepper, Yvonne Black, Equus and Breakaway.
Originally specialising in men’s basic tracksuits, the company has broadened its range to include leisurewear for men and women over a wide age group. Most garments retail for between $50 and $90.
Fashion Exposed saves Breakaway from having to visit remote country customers, who are prepared to visit the fair to place their indent orders. Selling staff at the fair come equipped with databases to avoid slow payers and unnecessary clashes between rival retailers trading in the same location.
Originally, Fashion Exposed, and its previous incarnations, provided Breakaway with new business but now the emphasis is on servicing the established customer base. Of the two fairs, Breakaway finds the Sydney one more productive, probably because the company is Melbourne-based and is more accessible to Victorian buyers.
About the only criticism expressed by a spokesman for Breakaway was that the noise level at the fair, especially during fashion parades, can make it difficult to carry on a conversation on the stand.
Pacific Brands is the biggest exhibitor in Fashion Exposed and also the biggest collective company of apparel brands in Australia. Sales general manager Ian Everett says his brands show at Fashion Exposed for many reasons, only one of which is sales written at the fair.
He believes fairs like Fashion Exposed have become a necessary part of industry wide apparel marketing in that they enable retailers to see what is on offer at the one venue. Big retailers and big manufacturers both have the advantage of a market overview but small retailers generally do not.
Pac Brands is continually trying to balance its customer base between big groups and independent retailers, he says. Fashion Exposed is vital for its contact with those independent retailers.
Having said that, Everett acknowledges Fashion Exposed is under challenge to attract numbers from both the selling and buying sides. Unless both groups support the fair it cannot do its job of being representative of the industry at large. He says he is concerned by recent falling attendances.
While Pacific Brands intends to continue is support for Fashion Exposed, it is trying to make its investment in the fair go further. Considering its virtual army of sales people around Australia, Fashion Exposed has to be cost-effective outside simple dollar sale calculations.
Fashion Exposed will be pleased to know that Dr Quackquack has now gone back to tending his own ducklings, but I can’t guarantee he won’t start squawking about something else.