All that joy
"Exciting news. A great opportunity just plonked itself in front of me and I'm not the type to turn it away. I can confirm that a third Joy store called Joy in the City will open in Brisbane next month."
This for a company that took its first, fledging steps in May 2004.
Admittedly, Tan was no stranger to the industry at the time - having worked in retail, visual merchandising, styling and design for some years. But even she acknowledges that big business was a shy step away from her qualifications in journalism and PR. It's not surprising therefore she views her role as defying the traditional borders of trade.
"As a retailer, I get to encompass all my favourite jobs in the fashion industry and be a buyer, merchandiser, designer, stylist, writer and salesperson. I don't really look at it all as a job. I am such a hard-headed, sometimes stubborn person that I couldn't imagine myself working a job or in an industry that I absolutely love."
Positioning Joy Hysteric and Joy Electric under different categories - the former is a higher-end store with more international labels such as Marc by Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui and Betsey Johnson - Tan says her expansion has been based on diversification, not just growth. The names "Joy Electric" and "Joy Hysteric" are a case in point, she says.
"I decided to call the stores by different names as I wanted customers to realise that they are not the same store. I was not duplicating Joy Hysteric and opening it in another location - I opened a brand new store with new labels, new design and different stock. Joy Hysteric is priced up to $800 and has more Australian labels like Zimmerman while Joy Electric is up to $2500 and we do a lot more cocktail/eveningwear."
Now directing three relatively high-end boutiques throughout Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise and Brisbane, the self-confessed "fashion-fanatic-shop-a-holic" concedes setting up each operation has been no easy feat. In fact, when she's not busy scouring the globe and Sydney for fresh designer labels - including Josh Goot, Mad Cortes and Jayson Brunsdon - Tan says she takes to the floor for up to six days a week.
"I am totally hands-on and known absolutely everything that's going on between the stores. I often get feedback from customers that there is no other boutique like mine.
"We treat our customers like friends and like for them to feel that they can rely on us for any sort of fashion advice, emergency or drama- not just sell them clothes. We even have a VIP program which offers our best customers special discounts and advanced notice on sales."
It's this kind of mentality Tan believes helps puts her ahead of the pack. Perhaps more unexpectedly, she also credits the virtues of real estate. Positioning all of her boutiques in open-air, corner sites - which allow for greater store frontage - Tan says she is able to entice customers with "amazing" window displays that overcome the constraints of a shopping centre network.
Internally, visual branding is also important. By colour-blocking and merchandising her stock by "stories" rather than brands, Tan believes her customers can better visualise an outfit and familiarise themselves with designers that they might not have otherwise known.
"I am quite pedantic about it as all my staff can tell you. I know this may not be normal practice for most upmarket boutiques as they tend to arrange their racks by brand but for my stores I think this works better from a selling point of view and it is also aesthetically nicer.
"I believe that the entire store should reflect your product and vice versa - you can't expect to sell a $500 dress if you have it displayed on a plastic hanger or haven't bothered to steam the creases out of it."
Tan also adds that finer details - such as the unobtrusive placement of security tags and quality wooden hangers - can also encourage customers to frequent her stores.
"The type of mannequins you use are also very important as some mannequins do that clothes no justice at all, rather they can make them look ugly.
"Other than that, just keep trying to better ourselves."