READER PROFILE
Reader profile Naomi Davis talks premium brands and upmarket fashion with Anne Horton, MD of Hoopers.
Department store chains which maintain an individual, independent feel are few and far between, but this is exactly what Hoopers stands for, and managing director Anne Horton (pictured above) says she plans to keep it exactly that way!
mid-market, it positions itself at the top end of the category priding itself on an aspirational product offer including designer fashion, whilst steadfastly preserving an ‘independent’ atmosphere in each branch. Anne says this angle has helped
T
to shield the business somewhat from the squeeze on purse strings, “The recession has seen a real polarisation of the market that has put pressure on the ultra- competitive high street; we purposefully aim above this and have found that our customers haven’t been affected as much as those who shop elsewhere.” She adds that being toward
the top end of the market is about offering much more than a
he Hoopers brand is like no other in the UK; intentionally avoiding the
good price, “The premium brands seem to be a little less vulnerable to price comparison as shoppers are really looking for the quality and shopping experience that is associated with them. They trust the Hoopers brand and so do our suppliers who know that we are not constantly discounting.” Having started her retail career
on Harrods’ shop floor, Anne’s experience began in premium fashion retailing. She says she is fortunate that she belongs to a generation which benefited from early opportunities to develop, “I began at Harrods as a summer job and then decided I wanted to stay rather than go to university – 13 years later I was still there and had worked my way up from executive trainee to running a large section of the fashion floor. Retail is very different now and unfortunately I don’t think there are as many opportunities for those that go into business straight from school, although a passion for retail always separates those that are likely to make a career out of it from those that see it as just a job.” Anne’s experience includes
having been a buyer at Simpsons Picadilly, assistant general manager at House of Fraser, and looking after the Knightsbridge store for Aquascutum. Following this she took on the role as a general manager at Hoopers swiftly adding the menswear buyership and then the role of buying controller, before taking over as MD for Hoopers in 2003. “I’ve loved the different aspects of my career from operations to merchandise which has stood me in good stead in my role as MD. I have come to love the variety that working in department stores offer: you can be in menswear one day, gifts the next and planning adjacencies for a shopfit the day after.” Since joining Hoopers she has
helped evolve the chain’s fashion offer to one that is truly distinctive. Targeting the ever- more complex and increasingly image and brand conscious 40+ female shopper, the consideration put in by the Hoopers team is clear to see; the result is a refreshing mix of fashion that is perfectly suited to the demographic by brands that this shopper is proud to wear.
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DepartmentRetailer.co.uk “Our typical shopper is female
and aged 40-55, although the age is coming down somewhat,” explains Anne. “We keep the style top end premium but accessible to this type of lady; flattering and wearable shapes, in quality fabrics and great cuts are essential.” There is everything from the classic to the more fashion-led and daring, but all with an underlying elegance. Iconic British brands such as Aquascutum and Jaeger as well as Max Mara bring sophisticated and understated tailoring while Marc Cain and Luisa Cerano offer a point of difference not generally found in other stores. Anne says that her shoppers love one of the more recent additions, NYDJ (Not Your Daughter’s Jeans), a brand that has won huge acclaim for its super-flattering jeans which it claims will make wearers look and feel one size smaller. Then there’s a category which Anne describes as “deconstructed”, offering pieces with a certain contemporary look but without obvious branding, and a slightly more European feel seen in elements such as asymmetric
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