Then and now - Joanne Pellew
Every edition Ragtrader talks to a previously profiled brand about how it has developed in the intervening years. This week Tracey McEldowney caught up with Kooey swimwear owneer Joanne Pellew.
COMPANY Kooey
OWNER Joanne Pellew
What were the key issues or challenges for your company five years ago? What are they now?
Five years ago I would have just begun thinking about designing swimwear.
What was the range like five years ago? And now?
My first samples were a learning curve only, until I got the hang of the machine and how it treated the lycra. At the beginning they were all in plain fabrics as that was all that was available in Broome at the time, but I dressed the bikinis up with silver thread or elastic and now the range is very vibrant with original prints in bold colours. The workmanship is excellent and the cuts are flattering and sexy while still being comfortable and completely wearable. The range includes sexy cut-out mallots, bikinis, kaftans and beach pants.
How many stores/wholesale accounts did you have five years ago?
None - I actually started the business by making swimwear for my daughter, then her cousins and friends saw them and wanted some so I started taking orders. I also moved onto the local Saturday markets and began taking orders from tourists who wanted them delivered to their hotels once I had made them up. From here I went online selling and I then got to the stage where I was making swimwear almost 24 hours a day.
And now?
I have deliberately not gone out and aggressively marketed Kooey to outlets as I would prefer to sell to a worldwide market online, but having said that I have been approached from stores in QLD and NSW that are asking to be stockist, so I will definitely do business with them and they will have Kooey in stores ready for the summer.
What was the retail climate like for your business five years ago? How has it changed?
When I started it was only on a small scale and I was happy to make the profit I did from the amount of outlay that went out. Now we are talking huge numbers, especially on a worldwide basis, but I think with the online retail sector increasing in terms of customer base and expenditure every year it should work out very well for Kooey.
What was your approach to marketing and promotions five years ago? What is it now?
There was no marketing at all, it all happened by word of mouth or from other kids seeing my daughter in her bathers at the local pool. But now I have received an enormous amount of media exposure (especially for such a new label) that has helped to market my product around Australia at no cost, which is fantastic for Kooey. But I am trying to think outside of the box for a marketing campaign for next season that will grab everyone's attention.
What was your approach to staff training five years ago? How has it changed?
When I started out it was just myself doing everything from designing, pattern-making, constructing and posting out etc, now it is still only me running everything but I outsource the manufacturing side of things. I use a fantastic CMT factory in Perth for all my manufacturing, they are a great bunch of ladies who are very good at what they do, their workmanship is second to none. I also use other services such as a business coach, graphic designers, marketing consultants and accountants that all help me along the way.
What was your approach to retail technology (either POS or security) five years ago? And now?
Thanks to the technology of the internet, my site will be directed to all English speaking countries of the world first. We will need to set up the structures and procedures of handling this area of the world market without the communication problems before we move onto other countries. I find the whole process extremely exciting and I'm learning about new facets of business almost everyday which has been great. Of course five years ago I would never have even dreamed that I would be talking about the world market.
What has been the worst experience of the past five years?
I haven't had any experiences that I can consider the 'worst' but it has been a bit of a financial struggle considering I have gotten to this stage by using all of my own funds, but then again that is a sacrifice that has to be made if you believe in your product. I think the right term would be 'putting your money where your mouth is'. But I know it will all pay off in the long term.
By Tracey McEldowney