MISFIT
Should manufacturers become retailers?
T
his situation has been going for decades and, I guess, will continue for many more years to come. I can remember when the well-known ‘Green Box’ brigade from the West Country
started opening retail outlets in direct competition with Independent retailers. I can clearly remember them opening a shop in South Wales only three doors away from a very good Independent that had traded for many years who had also been a very big seller of this brand.
They came along with a big fancy shop fit and destroyed the Independent’s business on that brand. But, the Independent wasn’t going to be beaten. He looked around and found new brands to replace the ‘Green Boxes’ and is still trading to this day. The manufacturer concerned might still be trading well on the High Street in their own shops, but how many Independent retailers stock their Men’s & Ladies brand today?
My view is that I quite understand that manufacturers
have to safeguard their production and need to get distribution across the country. The problem comes when they open in direct competition with an Independent already doing an excellent job for that brand.
The latest comfort footwear manufacturer to develop their business in this way has always been keen to sell direct to the public through various mediums and, therefore, opening retail outlets was only to be expected. What is very interesting is that although single branded outlets seem to survive I am very surprised that they actually make that much money. Maybe they allow themselves much better payment terms than they offer the Independent?
Surely, it would be far better for manufacturers to invest more
into the independents, that already have representation on the High Street and that are accomplished retailers, rather than getting involved themselves? If they are unable to find a retailer who wants to take on the task, then, I accept. they are left with no alternative but to open a branch under their own name.
Although manufacturers manage to have an excellent range of
their own product in these shops, I am not sure how many of today’s suppliers have wide enough and diverse enough ranges to offer the retail consumer the amount of choice they are looking for. If you look closely at single branded shops they generally have 5 or 6 styles that are offering exactly the same product with a very
18 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • APRIL 2013 The dictionary definition of Independent is –“ Not influenced or
controlled by others in matters of opinion, think or act for oneself” This is one of the most important things to remember as an independent retailer, be yourself and don’t let people tell you how to run your business.
small variation and therefore all doing the same job. If you look at a good independent retailer he will have a far wider choice of product with far less duplication from one supplier. He will also have the added advantage that different makes ‘fit’ differently, therefore offering the consumer more choice.
It is also totally unfair of these suppliers to run promotional offers that the independent has no chance of competing with. If the independent retailer started discounting and offering these sorts of promotions the supplier would be on their back straight away. It’s hard enough on the High Street without having to lose margin as well. These types of offers make me feel the only way they can entice people into their store is through discounts, rather than personal service, which is how the Independent survives.
If you look at a good independent retailer he will have a far wider choice of product with far less duplication from one supplier. He will also have the added advantage that different makes ‘fit’ differently, therefore offering the consumer more choice.
It is very hard to accept the fact that. as an Independent retailer,
you have worked tirelessly to build up a brand only for them to come along and take the business away by opening next door or in the next town. The other way to look at it is as a popular saying states “Everything happens for a reason” and if you think positively and go out and find new suppliers who are keen to work with you, at I would guess, a far higher margin, you can continue to build your business without having to jump through hoops to keep the old supplier.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40