The Fall Of A Legend

Woodies Emporium last weekend was another casualty of this credit crunch. After 26 years of tradeing in the high end fashion sector dressing the terraces for many years and also dressing Cardiff City Football Club Players for many important games last being the FC Cup Final where the Woodies team kitted out the stars with £300 woolen suits. Its a sad day I knew owner Ray not on a personal level but had met him a few times over the years and I had/have nothing but respect for him. He clearly had his finger on the pulse spotted an opening in the market and took it with both hands and became one of Cardiffs big Indie names nobody could match Woodies in that high end market not even the big boys Woodies was too much of a household name but also had a massive following from football fans across the country and I am sure had a massive influence on many bands that played gigs in Cardiff Center. I was sad to pick up my local paper a read of the fall of such a legend. Cardiff will miss Woodies Emporium and I am sure local buisinesses too will feel the downfall. Its estimated that Woodies was probably accountable for 30% of Morgan Arcades footfall and for just one shop that is a big influence on such a small enviroment such as Morgan Arcade.

Yet another story of the economical disater we are in right now. But also it shows that councils and goverments do not think of all businesses when they are revitalising there cities. To these councils and goverments dont forget to protect your local businesses when coming up with great plans. Cardiff’s St Mary Street has been hit hard the last few years with all the redevelopment that is going on and customers finding it hard to get to stores and park as all the traffic is being pushed into the center of Cardiff.

It is a sad day for retailers in Cardiff and Shoppers and people that knew Ray and his team. This shop will be sadly missed. And I can only wish Ray and his family all the best for the future and hopefully it is not the end and Ray will somehow come back and bring Cardiff its heratige for great Independant stores.

The New Year Is Upon Us

Well Christmas will soon be upon us and the start of a new year. Hopefully the New Year will bring stability back to our economy. The last few months have been bad for many people both personally and in business with thousands of people losing jobs due to cut backs or because businesses have been closing down left right and centre. With the newest casualty being Woolworths going out of business and more than 25000 people losing their jobs. I for one can help but feel bad for these people but not just that I am sad to see a store like Woolworths that have been in many of our lives from a child closing their doors for the last time. I am very surprised that nobody has attempted to save Woolworths as with a little TLC and great management and direction these stores could be revived. I guess the debt is just too big to take the risk in such a hard financial period. For our company I can’t say this festive period has set the world a light but we are holding our own and sales at the moment are like for like on last year but making the sales are a lot harder this year. The thing the concerns me is there is a great lack of Christmas Festivity on the high street. Its like people have forgotten what time of year it is or are just trying to blank it out of their mind. I think that most of us will be glad to put “08 behind us and start to plan the future for “09.

For NP2WENTY6 we are already focusing on the new Spring Summer ranges arriving in January and February it will be great to get in new product and lift the shopper’s spirits with nice bright summer colours and get rid of all the black, grey and navy product from the shop floor. In Autumn Winter we inserted a small injection of Gio Goi menswear into our store and Ichi women’s these two brands will continue into the summer but there will be more depth to the product. Gio Goi we will have both men’s and women’s product and Ichi we are looking to increase the amount of product we purchase. Also for Spring Summer we have the pleasure to introduce Superdry into our store we will cater for both men and women with some fantastic product from the Superdry range. But at the moment we are getting excited to see Autumn Winter “09 ranges. For Autumn Winter we are already in talks with some new suppliers to take on new brands I know you should not wish your life away but for us as buyers we need to focus 6-8 months in advance and Winter products are always fun to buy yes the colour pallets are boring as hell but the designs and fabrics are great there is not much you can do with a T-Shirt but there are thousands of things you can do with knits, shirts and jackets.
So on that note all we can do is raise a glass to you all and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas To All

From All At

NP2WENTY6

Is Ebid The New Auction Site Of The Future

After several years of tradeing on a certain auction site I have taken the steps to set up an Ebid account as the fees on the other site were getting out of control I still do trade on the other site as it would be suicide not to.

But what are peoples views on Ebid? is there enough room for another auction site and will it be as big? Mainly I clear our end of line products on these sites but I also offer new season products to.

Have you got an Ebid account if so I would love to hear your views.

The thing I like about Ebid is there are no ion fees and I only get charged 2% if the items sells but you do have the option for 0% final value fees. This make a massive difference as I have been paying up to 10% fees on the other siteThis is my Ebid store currently we are clearing some items and I have some Crocs at a bargain.

http://uk.ebid.net/stores/NP2WENTY6

More change for 09

Well this year has been one big roller coaster for many Indies out there. We have had to deal with a really bad summer effecting sales. And now to top it all off we are now fighting the financial decline. It could not have come at a worse time with Christmas around the corner it seems people may tighten there belts and spend less. But personally I do not believe this. Christmas is a time to spoil your loved ones and treat your kids to something really special be it clothing or gaming consoles or whatever it may be. I am too guilty of holding back on what I spend right now but I don’t think I am any worse off than last year. Yes it’s frightening what is going on at the moment but its better to live for today than to have never lived at all.

This year has proved to me who are my friends in business and who are just out for a fast buck. I have seen companies fold and reps take on new brands. And all of a sudden after only one call in a year when they were in the big time. Now are on the phone weekly offering me there new products. But sadly for them my New Years resolution for 08 was to look after those who look after me. And this will continue into 09. People I have known for many years in this trade have let me down. People I held a great amount of respect for have showed there true colours over the last 12 months. The good old days have gone now with fresh faced reps/agents hitting the road that are only driven by sales and could not care less about there after sales or what it is they are actually selling. Each Indie has its niche market and tend to stick to what they know sells. Have gone from buying comfortably from a supplier to being frustrated that products are trying to be forced upon them that they know will never sell in there store. Just because these young guys/girls are trying to make there stand in there current company. I heard a story this week of such an incident a young rep/agent fresh out of UNI going into a store that has been trading for over 25 years telling the owner they don’t feel their store is right for there brand. As you can guess this trader put this young man into his place and asked him to leave his store and never come back. This is a trader with years of expertise and a wide selection of top brands. Being told his store is not right by a guy working for a company that to is only in its youth. An old saying comes to mind “don’t bite the hand that feeds”.

This year has been a tough one for everybody in every sector of life. But nobody ever said life was easy. With 09 around the corner it is time to get our lives back on track as it is obvious we are the only ones that control what we have the government and the banks have not done a great job over the last 12 months.

Savile Row On BBC Last Night

Well I must admit what I saw I did enjoy. But I can’t help but feel that the BBC had edited the program for us to view what they wanted us to see. To me it seemed to be focused more around the price of the suits rather than the quality, hard work enthusiasm and long history of Savile row. I can’t help but feel for these guys on Savile row I am sure they will never be short of a bob or two but these shops have traded for over 200 years selling quality handmade heartfelt products. That alone I think should give them a say to what stores come to Savile Row. It upsets me to see these big companies taking over the world yes it will probably bring more footfall to the street but at what cost Savile Row is a landmark in its own rights serving gentlemen for over 200 years where else will you find that history shops being passed down throw generations of tailors probably the best tailors the world will see with very little recognition. Most designers could only dream about the knowledge these tailors have, and all this for what to have big stores with big money come and take all that away with mass produced product that you can get everywhere on the high street and these companies coming in will no doubt increase the Savile Row Tailors rent 10 fold. My thoughts are why fix it if it ain’t broke. Don’t get me wrong it is good at times to have the multiples to bring the public into an area but an area like Savile Row there is no need the clients that shop on Savile Row know what to expect when they are there and 9-10 times are there for one reason and that is the quality of its shops and the quality of its products. To me it’s just greed on the multiples part these guys know the area is full of success and a distinct smell of money and that is the only reason they want to be there on their part that is a good business plan. But for Savile Row I can’t help but feel it will be a disaster yes more people will hit the area but how many time wasters will the tailors get just so they can look at what a £2500 suit looks like with no intention what so ever in buying one and this will happen as I know I would like to see one:0). Myself I am not a suit wearer but I do have suits and I am guilty of buying off the peg but if I could afford a Savile Row suit I would buy one tomorrow. As I have a nightmare buying suits there was a time you could mix and match but most suit stores do not offer this anymore as it is a lot of stock to carry so most buy off the peg which for some is a pain I know for myself to get the waist size in the trouser I need to go up two inches on the jacket for it fit but then this makes the jacket slightly ill fitting it’s not noticeable but I bet I don’t feel half as good as a guy in a Savile Row suit that fits perfect. There are a lot of guys that live in suits due to work and how much money do they spend on suits off the peg every year? That after a few dry cleaning sessions needs to be replaced. I bet if most of you sat down and worked it all out I bet for what you spend you could buy one suit from Savile Row that will last you a life time and never date and will look like the day you brought it even after years of cleaning.

I have nothing but respect for these tailors respect I did not have until I watched last night’s show. Simply because they are stores I have never been in as I do not wear suits often enough to warrant buying one. But I can assure you if I am ever in a position to buy a Savile Row suit I will as to me the service alone is worth the money. And the variety of fabrics is mind boggling even the colours correct me if I am wrong as I was tired but I am sure it was said that they have 100 different shades of black so you can bet your bottom dollar that the chances of somebody else walking round is a similar suit to you is very slim and that thought I like.

Dress To Impress With Sonneti This Winter

Sonneti Autumn Winter 08 Stock Just Arrived in store. We will be getting the product online at NP2WENTY6 in the next few days. We have had a fantastic rang of knitwear both crew neck and v neck also a range of fitted shirts. Dont forget our 15% off offer take advatage of it now offer ends soon

Hot Brands Gio Goi, Fly 53

NP2WENTY6 has picked up two new hot brands for its store and ecommerce site.
First being Gio Goi this fashion label is proving the brand to be seen in with many celebs sporting the famous Gio Goi white label T-Shirts.

Second being Fly 53. Born in the mid 90s from a limited series t-shirt collection, FLY53 has grown into one of the most innovative street fashion labels in the UK. Fly53 produces the very best wearable and original garments. Staying true to its heritage, the brand continues to collaborate with musicians and artists, injecting integrity, creativity and quality into an increasingly bland corporate market.

Please feel free to visit our site it cost nothing to look all our items are currently 15% off the RRP offer will end on the 26th October 08.

NP2WENTY6

Is This A Sign Of The Times?

Well today started out as a normal day again for most but yet again the Indies have to open there glossy mags to find out yet again some big names have been hit by the financial decline we are currently in. With the Miss Sixty and Energie brands and stores going into administration. Vantis Business Recovery Services has been appointed as the administrator of Sixty UK Ltd. Yet Miss Sixty will continue to trade as normal and are aiming to complete deliveries. The administrators are not at present looking for a buyer but looking more towards a restructure. At present there have been no redundancies in head office or any of there UK stores and hopefully arrangements will be reached to continue into the future.

Also today news just comes out that ladies fashion brand Lipsy have sold to “NEXT” for £17.4m. Next have said that there is no intention for Lipsy to stop supplying there products to existing customers nor does it have any plans to stock Lipsy in its own stores yet products already feature on the Next Directory and this will continue.

It is always sad to read about these sorts of things Miss Sixty and Energie have been big names in the fashion world for many years and it will be a dreadful shame to lose them at this stage. Hopefully changes will be made to keep these brands on the market and we can only wish them luck.

As a stockist of Lipsy I can’t help but be concerned that “NEXT” have brought them out. Not because “NEXT” is a bad company but because I personally feel that Lipsy will lose the edge it has over most labels on the market today. What attracted me to Lipsy in the first place was there no minimum no fuss short order attitude. Also the freshness of the product it was dead on fashion and everything was the look all the girls wanted and the way they kept it fresh was by there short order system I used to travel to London and would always be amazed by what I had just purchased as soon as it hit the floor we would notice an increase in sales as it looked so fresh and the girls wanted it now. Which is refreshing as most products in our store are pre book and this is good but the problem is the ladies market is so fickle the fashions change daily. So it can be hard to hit the latest craze without these short order companies. And the problem I feel the high street will feel from “NEXT” buying out Lipsy is that it will end up a brand that floods the market, I feel short order will be non-existent. And the big thing will be yes “NEXT” don’t have plans to stock Lipsy in there stores but you can bet you bottom dollar they will copy the product and this effectively will make Lipsy lose the current edge they have on ladies fashion at the moment.

I just hope tomorrow will be a brighter day I hate reading these articles of people selling up or going under.

Inside The Independent Retailers Mind

Hello to everybody and welcome to our blog. Please do bear with us we are not professional bloggers, writers or columnists we are just average everyday people with hopefully a lot to say. I have viewed blogs and read articles in fashion mags for years now and decided to set up my own blog as sometimes although many blogs are very informative and professional how realistic are they? talking about Victoria or David Beckham being seen in a £10,000 pair of jeans and a certain brand making a copy of them for only £500, interesting yes and credit to the Beckham’s to be able to afford that kind of money but realistic? personally I don’t think so even at £500 it is a hell of a lot of money for most unless you are mega rich or even a celeb .

I have been in this trade for over 15 years now always in the independent sector and I have seen the good times and now I am seeing the hard times. I remember a day when lads/girls used to buy a brand new pair of jeans every week for there Saturday nights out the company I was working for must have averaged near enough 200 pairs of jeans a week. Plus all the other items that were in store and that was on average if it was extremely busy everyday you could imagine the amount of jeans that we used to sell. But sadly those days are few and far between now, why is this I always ask myself is it because lads/girls have got more formal over the years are they now wearing a lot more trousers, skirts or business suits? personally I don’t think so I put it down to the cost of living with constant living increases it has become unaffordable to spend your hard earned money on yourself effectively it feels like each and every one of us is working for other people. As every last penny we earn goes into somebody else’s pocket be it Taxes, Bills, Mortgages, Fuel and even food to live once all that is taken out of your packet what is left for you to enjoy?.

This being the case why hasn’t fashion labels tried to help its retailer and customer by reducing its prices making their product more affordable? It can be done I am sure many of you have visited stores that sell cheap fashion or even shopped online and found brand fashion at stupid prices. So it can be done but instead of doing this they try and make a brand more exclusive if you like by increasing the prices of the cost of goods to the high street. If you are in a very affluent area then fine this will work but in the real world it is nice to offer a mixture in a store so you do not make the customer feel alienated. In our store for instance we offer denim from £25 up to £70 and this I feel is a good mix it offers something for everybody, yes it can be hard at times because you can’t be all things to all people but we can’t forget that not everybody can afford the same luxuries in life as everybody else. And by doing this it makes our entire customers feel welcome and not afraid to come into our store.

The independents are the shops that give small brands a platform in which to set their brand onto bigger things yet they always seem to fail to remember this. Over the years I have seen many relatively big brands fall due to this, it is something that has gone on for years and I am sure will never stop. They get too big too soon and forget where they came from and the independents that helped them get there. But we are the first they try and return to on their decline, as an independent we are very rarely offered any end of line clearance stock. Why? Because that is too much like hard work they would prefer a discount store to come in and buy it by the pallet load, than make a few phone calls to see if we would like any. And now with the internet they even make lesser quality products under the same name and to you the customer you know no difference. You just see a brand you like respect and buy it nearly 75% cheaper than you do on the high street. And this is where I feel brands lose a lot of credibility on the high street it is no longer the brand to be seen wearing as it is expensive and cheap in certain places. And everybody and there dog are seen in it over crowding the market if you like. It is no longer unique to a certain customer be that by a look/style or even down to price somebody that can afford to spend £100-£200 on a single garment do not (I feel) want to be seen wearing the same product as somebody on lower income. And that is more down to a social status thing than a personal attack they wear this kind of product to show they can afford to and make their stamp when they are seen walking around town. A prime example of this was when I went on holiday in Newquay and spoke to some surfers about their fashions. And they quite frankly said to me we are all for our surf brands and styles but come the summer season when the tourists come we do not want to be associated with the “CHAVS” so we all start shopping in Top Shop and stores like that so we do not have the same look as them. And that is an example of social status and that I feel is the case across the board.

Being an independent retailer will always be a challenge but it is worth it yes you have to compete with big companies who hit the sale the month you start getting in your new product as they have got it up to 3 months earlier than you. But I can guarantee you will never get the service or care you do in an independent a lot of our customers that shop with us we are on first name terms with. They even sometimes just pop in for a chat and a coffee which is something we offer to our customers. We have taken this customer care online with us we are always just at the end of the phone and emails we make sure are answered the same day as they are sent to us. That level of care you will not get from anywhere other than an independent retailer and that is a worldwide thing. I remember as a young boy I used to go to a certain shop every Christmas to buy some china for my mother and as I walked into the shop I was followed all around the shop by security. Until I got to the department I needed to be in he/she would then hide behind racks as I looked at the china. Finally I would make my choice ask the assistant for a little help and then I would pull out a ball of cash to buy it. As soon as that cash came out where was the security guy? heading straight back to his post for his next victim. If I was what the authorities like to call a hoodie I would kind of understand but is it that strange that a young guy would be looking at china at Christmas? And that is the level of care I am talking about if I did not have a good sense of humour I would never return to that store but it became a bit of a Christmas ritual to see if he/she would follow me and they did every year. And I would start saving earlier so my ball of cash would be bigger I still return to this store now but thankfully with age said security guard’s leave me alone. Basically our main aim is to make everybody feel welcome from all walks of life we never judge a book by its cover and treat all people old and young with the same amount of respect. And that is what keeps the independents alive in the tough times everybody is driven by targets but that will never come across on an independent retailer’s shop floor. No matter what sector of retail they are in too often I walk in big high street stores and am bombarded with SALE SALE SALE, BUY BUY BUY, BUY ONE GET ONE FREE. And personally I find that depressing no not because there is a sale but because the sales seem to be twelve month things they are no longer fun don’t get me wrong I love a bargain we all do. But the good old fashioned fun of sale shopping has gone, gone are the days of end of summer sale and then the big Christmas sale that people used to rush out too. People no longer need to do that with pre pre summer sales and Christmas sales that start in November to me it’s no fun anymore there is constant sales in your face wherever you go whatever time of year . I have the pleasure of looking out of my door this morning at a multiple that has had Autumn Winter stock in for only 2 months and already they have big sales signs offering 20% off I know next week that 20% off will be 30% off and will continue to increase to the run up to Christmas. This makes me ask only one question how they can afford to do that they must be buying it dirt cheap. Because nobody is in the trade to lose money and I know from previous years the sale in the said store will be 75% off by November plus all the buy one get one free. So even at the 75% off they must be making money as it happens far too often to be a genuine sale. If it is genuine they need to fire there buyers as obviously the product being bought is not being sold. In five years I have seen another multiple with 5 closing down sales that’s one a year and they are still open. Two weeks ago the store was to close now the signs have changed from closing down sale to closing down for refit sale so yet again another multiple chain get away and turn over decent money from a misleading sale. So all those poor customers have rushed into buy product they think they will no longer get only to find out they will still get those products. Yes they got some bargains but were they really bargains is my question? So that goes to show it is just a PR stunt to drive more sales. This is the difference from Independent retailers and multiple high street stores I know for a fact that when you see an independent in a sale it is a genuine sale to make room for new season’s products and any offers are genuine offers where they pass any of their discounts onto you.

But this being said we independents never seem to lose sight on our goals and try our best to keep our business thriving. Always on the lookout for that must have label or got to buy look but yet trying to keep a hold of being unique and offering that something just a little bit different that you don’t find in every window of the high street.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog and I hope that you enjoyed finding out the thoughts of an independent retailer. And next time you see the big multiples in sales you will remember some of what I have said. And to all the fashion labels out there I hope this gives you an insight to what most independents think and hopefully it will make you pick up the phone and check how us guys are in this economical slump.

And to all prospective independent retailers you have got to have the passion for fashion to succeed and you must respect everybody that comes through your door old, young, rich and poor. All these people are potential customers and so are their families in return. Establish the market you are aiming at but remember your customers will mature so you still need to cater for there needs to keep them buying in your store but never forget about the next group of adults that are coming through which 9-10 times are children of your current customer. It’s a great trade to be in but it can be a hard struggle nothing is easy in life. You have to fight to get labels you need in your store often hit by massive minimum orders only to find the same brand similar products cheaper elsewhere but what will set you out from the rest is your great relationship with your customers. I know a few independent retailers and I don’t know one that does not ask why we do this? We do this because we love the buzz. We love buying for every season seeing great products but most importantly we love the thought of dressing our customers and seeing them around towns in your products. There is no greater feeling knowing that you have made a man/woman feel good about themselves and given them confidence in how they look in what they wear. This alone is enough to drive you in fashion retail sector and this is something only an independent retailer feels as they are not as driven by sales but actually care about the product they sell it is not just a job to us it’s our life and we take pride in every inch of our shop and our relationship with our customers.