Steady trade helps pacify retailers
According to figures from marketing research firm Nielsen Media Research AdEx, nearly all of the sector's top 10 spending advertisers dramatically increased the amount they spent promoting their product in main media - up an average of 22 per cent from 2005.
In all, the figures showed the sector's top 25 biggest spenders spent $90.1 million advertising their shoe, accessory and fashion ranges - $2.1 million more than in the previous year.
The Nielsen figures represent advertising spend across all forms of main media including metropolitan and regional television and newspapers, consumer magazines, metropolitan radio stations and outdoor. They do not include non-fashion specific advertising where other retail product categories, such as homeware or toys, are promoted.
Womenswear chain Rockman's proved the most brazen of all clothing and apparel retailers, upping its year-on-year spend by a whopping 87.5 per cent to $1.5 million for the 11 months ended November 2006.
Ragtrader Fashion Retailer of the Year department store award winner Target also spend heavily on promotion during the year, increasing its spend by 58.3 per cent to $1.9 million. Footwear chain Athletes Foot was another prepared to put its money where its mouth is, leaping two spots on the big spenders table after increasing the amount it spends by 27.6 per cent year-on-year. The story was repeated among many other top 25 big spenders with Sussan Corporation, Trade Secrets Clothing Fletcher Jones and Corporate Apparel Group all boosting their advertising budgets.
On the other side of the coin was David Jones. The department store's plans to open up 32 concession stores and add a further three stores to its portfolio may have played some part in its decision to slash its advertising spend from $2.0 million in 2005 to $1.7 million last year. City Beach Clothing was another who dramatically altered the way it spends its money, dropping its annual advertising spend by 62.5 per cent to $1.8 million.
A change in ownership swiftly followed by its largest stocktake sale ever prompted Myer to play it safe in 2006, electing to keep its advertising spend static at $1.8 million. Kelly Clothing was the only other retailer to keep its advertising static at $800,000.
The sector's big spenders
Jan - Nov 2006 Jan - Nov 2005
Rank $ Million $ Million % change
Total 90.1 88.0 2.4
1. (1) Rivers 8.0 7.7 3.9
2. (4) Athletes Foot 3.7 2.9 27.6
3. (-) Just Jeans 2.5 - -
4. (8) Sussan Corporation 2.2 1.9 15.8
5. (9) Fletcher Jones 2.0 1.9 5.3
6. (15) Target Australia 1.9 1.2 58.3
7. (10) Myer 1.8 1.8 no change
8. (2) City Beach Clothing 1.8 4.8 -62.5
9. (5) David Jones 1.7 2.0 -15.0
10. (-) Global Rags 1.7 - -
Others not in the top 10 63.6 54.9 15.8