Competitive Shop Report

In order to physically review my direct competitors – I needed to conduct this competitive shop report in Selfridges&Co (on Oxford Street) . I also did an online competitive shop to ‘fill in the gaps,’ with what I couldn’t find in - store . I chose this department store over visiting each stand - alone store because I want to stock my best sellers in a department store as well as online . Many brands choose to have a concession in these large stores to test initial demand and therefore predict future success . This is what I aim to do for Missfits, as it is a new brand that wants to build a strong customer base .

Quality of Materials

Each of my competitors that I saw in Selfridges had some high quality items . Self -Portrait’s items felt like they has used a lot of material –making it thick and look substantial. This is important as it justifies the higher price point – making it better value for money Doing this could make the item trans -seasonal, as it would still keep the customer warm in winter.

Rixo’s dresses felt more lightweight but I think this is because they are made for the summer, where a lot of fabric is not desirable . However, I feel as if they were a high price for the product

Harmur’s materials were soft, but the sequins felt scratchy This is something I will try to investigate as comfort is key for my consumer (from my market research).

Lastly, I was disappointed that I could not see Nadine Merabi's items physically because this is my most direct competitor.

Concession - Presentation

Out of all of my competitors, Self -Portrait had the biggest floorspace – with seating and multiple rails . This highlighted to me that the brand is very in -demand . I know this is true because there were multiple people browsing and trying items on . This brand was strategically positioned next to a walk -way and the escalators, so the maximum amount of people could see it.

However, I felt as if my other competitors Rixo and Harmur were dismissed – with one rail each in the corner of the store . This meant if you did not know where the brand was placed, you would not see their items I can assume from this placement, that the amount of sales would decrease – due to their positioning . I know now, that to be successful as a concession – where a brand is placed is crucial to its’ success .

Fashionability

Across all of the brands I reviewed within my comp shop, each brand had items that suited a Gen-Z consumer. I would say Self-Portrait and Nadine Merabi’s items were aligned most with my designs. Most of their items have embellishments or other details that make their items playful and fun. I feel as if this comp shop has taught me that Rixo and Harmur are aimed at a slightly older age group – but still remain my competitors in other ways (such as styles and sizing).

Self-Portrait

Harmur

Promotional Activity

None of my competitors were having sales in store. This shows they must have a good sell-through rate (meaning there is not any stock left remaining towards the end of the season). However, after searching online – I found some items within each of my competitors were marked down. Doing this may help the brand remove some left over stock, so they can still recover some of what would have been a bigger loss.

Sizing

In terms of sizing, Rixo has the most extensive range of sizing. This was both within Selfridges and online. I admire how inclusive the brand is and I want to try to cater for as many people as possible within my brand. Self -Portrait and Harmur’s size ranges were relatively small. On the rail, there were only the smallest dress sizes. From looking online after the store visit, I saw this was the case for some of their other items – which only went up to a size L (which was a Size 14). This is not very inclusive as the average women in the United Kingdom is a size 16. the brand would have a lot larger customer base if they opened up their ranges to a variety of sizing.

Availability of Items

Rixo and Harmur had limited availability of their items . For Rixo, this could be due to the fact that they have multiple stand -alone stores elsewhere in London – meaning they would not need a large volume of stock in Selfridges . I assume their aim is to have a small selection so customers can be redirected to their store . For Harmur, it may be that their items have not been bought by Selfridges in large quantities –and/or their items have sold through .

Self -Portrait had a large floorspace and also a lot of items per rail. This gives the consumer a lot of choice – their were a lot of styles in lots of colours .

Nadine Merabi had a good online availability, with many items in stock in many sizes .

These comp shops were completed with similar items to mine, so that I could accurately compare my items to my competitors.

Lessons Learnt

Things I will now consider for my brand as a result of this comp shop:

• Positioning my brand strategically within a department store.

• Cater for a large range of sizes (I will also be reviewing sizing later on in this proposal to ensure the items fit properly).

• to markdown items if I need to sell the rest of my stock.

• Make as many sizes as possible available within the store.

• When deciding which materials to use, ensure the material will work throughout the seasons – but still needs to be breathable.

• Ensure each item is trend driven and suited to my Gen -Z customer.