Then & Now

Saba has had a strong influence on the Australian fashion industry since it began trading in 1965. Renowned as a chic and contemporary label for both men and women, Saba has undergone several ownership changes in the last five years.
In 2002 Joe Saba (owner and manager of Saba) sold the company to Daniel and Danielle Besen, who then sold it to Sydney based Apparel Group in July 2005.
Ragtrader spoke to Apparel Group's CEO, Andrew Michael, to find out how Saba has evolved over the past five years and what approach will be taken to maintain Saba's reputation as a leading fashion brand.

Q. What are the key issues/ challenges for Saba?
A. The key challenge for Saba today is to regain market share and reclaim the premium positioning which the brand was built on.

Q. What was the range like five years ago? What is it like now?
A. Five years ago the brand had a very distinct brand identity, which has waned in recent times. Today the opportunity is to embrace Saba's heritage and focus on rebuilding key categories.
Examples include knitwear, contemporary business wear and modern casual wear. Drops to our stores and department stores will be monthly.

Q. How many stores/ wholesale accounts does Saba have?
A. Today Saba distributes through its own freestanding stores and in selected department stores. Our focus will be on improving the customer experience in all our locations.

Q. What was the retail climate like for your sector five years ago? How has it changed?
A. Good economic conditions have prevailed in the last five years, which has benefited the retail segment and fashion in particular. Ultimately the challenge for any fashion label is to meet the increasing demands of consumers who have greater choice than ever before. The growth of China has opened up significant sourcing opportunities, but it has also put greater pressure on pricing due to the strengthening of the value channel.

Q. What was your approach to marketing and promotions five years ago? Now?
A. Apparel Group's priorities for Saba are to invest in all key areas of the business. First and foremost is to bring together an energetic, knowledgeable team. Secondly we need to focus on our customer and develop our unique point of difference. Critical to our success is to build information systems that facilitate timely and accurate decisions. This clearly involves refining our supply chain to ensure greater consistency and quality in the product.
When we communicate with the market we will continue to maintain a premium tone consistent with the brand positioning.

Q. How many staff does Saba employ now?
A. Today we employ approximately 100 people.

Q. What has been the greatest moment/ most significant development for Saba?
A. Apparel Group believes Saba fits perfectly with its long-term strategy. Whilst the business has arguably under-performed in the last five years the current sales trend is extremely positive and the upside still to be realised is substantial. We look forward to celebrating some major milestones shortly, including the unveiling of our new flagship concept and the launch of exciting new ranges.

Q. What has been the worst experience of the past five years?
A. Fortunately as new owners we have nothing but good news to celebrate.