Melbourne-based Arch Brands has held the local licence for Fred Perry for close to 10 years and opened the brand's first boutique in Sydney's Strand Arcade. Despite the move, Arch Brands marketing manager Melissa Prime said there was no plan for additional retail investments.
“We are keeping it quite tight with the customers that we have, making sure that we look after those customers,” Prime said. “The only department store we're in is David Jones so we want to grow the brand within that store.”
The increased focus on David Jones comes on the back of the department store's decision to pick up additional Fred Perry lines in recent seasons, including footwear and kidswear for winter 2011.
David Jones also began stocking Fred Perry bags last season and carries Fred Perry men's polos and shirts on an ongoing basis.
In addition to pushing further into David Jones stores, Arch Brands is also overseeing the first public relations drive for Fred Perry in Australia since the company took on the brand licence.
“It’s a directive from the UK – globally they want a big push on PR,” Prime said.
As a result, Arch Brands has recruited public relations firm Style Counsel “to really get the menswear out there" as well as to promote footwear, accessories and kidswear. Prime hopes it will drive traffic to Fred Perry's 20 local stockists including Glue Store and Blonde Venus.
As for the opening of the sole Fred Perry boutique in Australia, Prime said it was about cementing brand awareness.
“There's a big Fred Perry fan base and by having our own store we're able to put in that store quite a wide selection and not go so deep in quantity,” she said. “It's to showcase the brand to its fullest and what the brand offers. The focus is on menswear with a bit of footwear and a bit of accessories and we've got just the iconic women's polos in there.”
She explained Arch Brands chose Sydney for the Fred Perry flagship over Melbourne due to the “very large selection” of Fred Perry stock already carried by Prime retail stores in Melbourne. The stores are owned by Melissa Prime and her partner.
Fred Perry was founded in 1952 in the UK and is available in Europe, the US and Asia and the United Arab Emirates.
Erin O'Loughlin