The first thing I always want to understand is the heritage and history of the Brand at its height. If it’s a well-known brand, it’s important to respect that and to understand which parts of this to protect as unique.
It’s then important to understand who is the customer who’s buying it where they are moving to, and how to stop that erosion. I assess what are the key requirements to win back customers and also to grow new customers, sustaining the brand’s role in a demanding and fickle world of fashion retail.
I then work out where it’s position is in the market and where it needs to be, to fill the customer needs on price, style and design credentials, quality, sustainability and personality.
The key difference I believe I make is then deciding with confidence, what is the USP of the brand and making some brave decisions about what to stand for and what to leave to others. If you can’t give a customer a convincing reason to shop with you, then they will go elsewhere.
