Peter Alexander beds America

NATIONAL: Pyjama king Peter Alexander has announced plans to open four retail stores in Los Angeles in the first half of next year.

The hugely successful Just Group retailer, who unveiled the plans at the National Retail Forum held in Melbourne this week, told industry peers that he believed the brand will be well received in the US.

This first move into overseas markets comes just two years after his first concept store opened in Melbourne Central.
Alexander, who spoke on the topic of 'Understanding the multi-channel consumer', said to succeed in retail 'you need to think like a Yank'.

"The Yanks do multi-channelling better than us. Victoria's Secret and Banana Republic and all those brands do it really well."

Alexander said his pyjama brand started off as a mail order business, but today operates in various channels including wholesaling, online, mail order and he also has 20 retail stores now operating in Australia.

Alexander said he would also start offering customers the chance to order product online inside his retail outlets soon as this would shore up sales even when the store wasn't carrying a customer's size.

He revealed brand licensing is also on his radar.

"We get approaches all the time from watch companies and the like, but I just don't think the brand is ready for that yet." However the move is likely in the next two years or so, he said.

Alexander said six years ago the business turned over $5 million a year, but since joining the Just Group in 2000 sales had swollen to a $50 million a year. Of that, $11 million is derived from internet sales.

Alexander said his 20 stores earnt more for the Just Group than some other brands within the stable some of which had double the number of stores. Eighty per cent of Peter Alexander's sales are derived from its retail stores and 20 per cent from direct sales.