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Retailer focus
With the recent announcement of a record year, accolades for multi-channel achievements and ongoing growth in Home categories, House of Fraser is “seeing a renaissance”, acknowledges Christabel Biella, buyer for brands and concessions. PH met with Christabel and head of buying, Martin Shires to find out how big brands are making an impact.
House style Looking the part Inset: LSA glassware in the current Fraser Home brochure, which features bespoke photography. Left: Le Creuset, as presented in the current Fraser Home brochure. Below left: Martin Shires and Christabel Biella.
n 2013, Christabel took on the newly created role as buyer – Home brands and concessions at House of Fraser, in a team headed up by Martin (as head of buying for Home brands, concessions and hospitality). Prior to that, the Home buyers were buying relevant branded products alongside developing private label specific to their product area. The change in strategy has been key to the growth of Home over the past two years, confirms Martin. Kitchenware brands need to fit in the upper echelon of House of Fraser’s ‘good, better, best’ strategy, with its own label, Linea comprising ‘good’ and its “exclusive and licensed” own lifestyle brands (which include Biba, Living by Christiane Lemieux, Dickins & Jones and newly launched Gray & Willow) encompassing ‘better’. Martin observes: “The brands that
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Progressive Housewares
Recent in-store merchandising highlights include the Healthy Edit (pictured on page 47) and forthcoming features include cheese and barware. “We’re bringing in books to bring displays to life, taking inspiration from the US,” notes Christabel. Brand highlights include Le Creuset’s seasonal themes and LSA’s illuminated tables, which will showcase an exclusive launch for the Deco range this autumn. Martin reflects: “We’ve got the right brands and now we are looking at how we can shout about them.”
we stock need to be the best in class – all about form, function and design”. This has resulted in some considered re-selection of brands, particularly where there was overlap in product offering, and some wellrespected introductions, including Emma Bridgewater and recently, Robert Welch (introduced into six stores last season). Overall, the number of brand partners has decreased, and the split between branded and own brands is now nearer 50/50, rather than 60/40, explains Martin. However, he emphasises that, “We are growing both sectors overall”. Martin adds that, “Big brands bring gravitas” (such as Joseph Joseph, Le Creuset and Tefal)