Page 25 - Ragtrader Magazine April 2020

WWW.RAGTRADER.COM.AU IN FOCUS APRIL 2020 25 TECHNOLOGY
Land of the brave Rodd & Gunn CEO Mike Beagley discusses the brand’s omnichannel US rollout.
WE ENTERED THE US market nine years ago and via wholesale, which was a first for us.
We weren’t really looking to expand to the US but I was convinced by a friend liv- ing in the US to give it a go!
Our US business offers direct to con- sumer – currently 10 retail lodges – plus wholesale in the USA, with Nordstrom as our largest wholesale partner.
We currently have over 200 wholesale accounts, eCommerce and by October 2020 we will have 12 stores in our US portfolio.
All of our locations have been decided by our sales success at wholesale particu- larly Nordstrom. We are targeting 10 key cities in the US and the choices have been made based on whether the location, space and economics meet our benchmarks.
Being in a different hemisphere was initially the biggest challenge but once we solved this, it has been learning about the vagaries of each region and state. It’s a massive country with a huge population but it is actually more like six countries in one.
Besides opening our stores, which is incredibly humbling, building a mean- ingful and successful business with Nordstrom has been the most fulfilling.
Initially, our US production followed Australia/New Zealand sourcing. Over, time we have developed a totally different manufacturing cycle and program includ- ing where the products are made for the northern hemisphere.
There are category strengths in the USA that are slightly different, but the key styles are the key styles in all markets. What sells
in New Zealand, sells in Australia and what sells in Australia sells in the USA by and large.
Now, we are looking to continue the success we had in the USA in the UK.
Knowing how long it took to get USA going, we thought it was the right time to trial the UK.
It was in the midst of Brexit so the tim- ing to do a deal was right. Our Conduit St Mayfair store opened in August 2019 and whilst it hasn’t been plain sailing it has been a hugely successful way of position- ing our brand and showcasing who we are and what we stand for in one of the world’s great cities.
In terms of challenges in the UK, getting things done from a statutory compliance, banking, government perspective has been particularly challenging.
The biggest surprise has been
that we really aren’t dealing with
the UK market. The location is so tourist dominated where we are introducing our brand to customers all over the world on a daily basis. It feels like we have more international visibility here than anything we have done in the US.
Four years ago we launched our first hospitality venture, The Lodge Bar, attached to our South Island flagship store in Queenstown (in the ‘Aspen’ of New Zealand).
Showcasing the best New Zealand has to offer along with building on Rodd & Gunn’s ethos of sourcing only the finest materials.
We partnered with Michelin starred New Zealand chef Matt Lambert and
New Zealand’s only master sommelier Cameron Douglas to build a food and wine program that identifies with the Rodd & Gunn brand.
In late March our second hospital- ity venture, The Lodge Bar & Dining opened at Commercial Bay, the forefront of Auckland harbour.
Here Matt really showed what New Zealand culinary skill is all about as we have the space to offer a full dining experience and have direct connectivity with our flagship store.
Our plan is to create lifestyle, hospitality
Over time we have developed
a totally different manufacturing cycle and program including where the products are made.
and tourism experiences within Australia and New Zealand that are unique and showcase our brand.
They will be modelled on the success of The Lodge Bar concept and adapted to the location but at this stage there are no plans to go outside of Australia or New Zealand
We would like to continue our growth internationally and develop our brand in as many countries as possible using a vari- ety of models.
I not sure that is accurate, maybe fool- hardy and overly optimistic is more accu- rate, but I do love doing things differently and challenging the norms. ■