Inexcess Fashion

Merry Christmas and happy New year from Inexcess!

Time has come to say a big big thank you for the year gone! We have had a great, but challenging year like everyone and are a little glad it’s over…

We had a great start to the year followed by a worrying tendency in client habits over the summer period! We thought the crisis was slowly improving but with euro zone crisis lurking around every corner clients seemed more budget conscious than ever – We anticipated a slight down turn but obviously not knowing exactly what season it would effect, but then SS12 proved to be a very difficult selling season as a poor retail landscape finally had an impact.

We heard a lot of ‘I’ll just buy in season’ or ‘I’ll reorder from stock’  – comments that are absolutely understandable and fair but also a very ‘dangerous’ habit to get into as brands are in turn left with smaller forward orders, overall set backs and as a result poorer production volumes in order to ensure the good prices our brands can produce. (and a market flooded with cheap poor quality brands) Our experience tells us that if you decide to stock main line brands you have to have strong representation in order to have strong sales. if you only buy 2000£ worth of stock chances are you will only sell bits and bobs leaving you with a strange selection on the rail and no coherent size runs – small orders also increase the chance of bad deliveries! should you suddenly do well and want stock, chances are we don’t have any as our brands would have had to scale down their stock risks as their forward orders were smaller.

We are fully aware that everybody has had to tighten their belts and cut budgets where they can – however a constant cut in spending means no additional turnover or potential income. Not rocket science but even so we still see a lot of shops who have suddenly scared themselves out of business.

Another pitfall this year has been the increase in online adventure seeking clients – just because fes (and that’s literally all) of on-liners do very well chances are this is as challenging as setting up brick’s and mortar without the proper research, financial backing and business skills. The days of ‘easy’ are over (i know no such thing never really existed but still pre 2007 things were different). Consumers are tough and only reward the on-liners who have fantastic brands, coherent branding, excellent consumer service and that little something extra…

So what is that little something extra? that little thing that makes woman (and many men apparently) feel special when shopping online? how do you recreate the feeling you get from walking into a beautiful boutique and receiving excellent costumer service? a question we have all been asking before online took off and many thought online was a one night stand (sorry)  – we here at Inexcess think its all in the attention to detail… back to basics almost! its like having a fling with the new coffee shop in town as it looks shiny and new but after too many cappuccinos being latte’s and no personal service we end up going back to the slight messy Gallery cafe at work with Ikea cutlery and mis-matched china, but they will personalize our coffee and make it exactly how we want it because they like us! ( i hope : )

Anyway i think its the same with anything, it being coffee or shopping online – if you have a fling with an online shop but experience poor costumer service on too many occasions we revert back to what and who we know (obviously the starting point (boutique) has to have desirable brands etc.) because at least then we are recognized and appreciated in the most basic human form and that’s actually very very simple…

Regardless we wish you all a very happy holiday season and beginning to the new year- may it be a positive new year with more calm in the world and a basic recognition of us all being in it together therefore lets get out of this turmoil together so that we can have some more fun!!!

See you all in the new year!

Inexcess xxx