PETER KAISER SUPPORTS RETAIL PARTNERS WITH DEDICATED SALES CAMPAIGN The renowned shoe brand Peter Kaiser sets new standards in sales promotion by supporting retail teams at the point of sale (POS). With an innovative concept, the aim is to strengthen the motivation and engagement of customer advisors from retail partners on the sales floor, increase sales, and enhance brand awareness. Under the title We Boost Your Sales, the concept combines five measures, including personal communication, modern training methods, and attractive customer promotions. A special highlight is the ‘After Work Bag,’ personally presented to store sales staff by Peter Kaiser sales representatives. The elegantly designed bag, featuring Prosecco and premium branded glasses, invites retail employees to discover the collections and brand values of Peter Kaiser in a relaxed atmosphere. Through the Peter Kaiser Academy, the company introduces an app-based training platform that provides interactive and flexible education for individual employees. Topics such as brand philosophy, product knowledge, and sales techniques are taught using innovative learning methods. Successful completions are recognized with a ‘PK Diploma,’ enhancing personal motivation. An accompanying competition encourages additional engagement: with attractive rewards, such as gift vouchers, retail staff are motived to actively promote the products. www.caprice.de SOCIAL SHOPPING IN FASHION, SAYS JOHN LEWIS REPORT Soggy weather, our quest for good sleep, retro ’80s trends, preppy and Brat Girl fashions and travel returning to pre-covid levels were among the biggest influences on our shopping habits in 2024. That’s according to John Lewis’s annual trend report How We Shop, Live and Look, which looks back at the products and trends that defined the past year. ‘Social shopping’ is definitely in fashion. One in five (19 percent) of the 1,996 customers surveyed said they have shopped more with friends and family this year, and nearly seven in 10 (68 percent) of them said they like to combine it with other activities like eating out. This tallies with John Lewis data, which shows that more than three quarters of a million more customers ate in its Place to Eat restaurants over the past year. Half of those surveyed (51 percent) said they like shopping with friends or family because it’s a good way to spend quality time together, rising to 59 percent of 18-44 year olds. But only half (48 percent) want their advice on what to buy. In the past year, John Lewis helped 35 percent more customers with personal styling appointments, and 49 percent more parents via its baby and nursery advice service. The number of holidays booked through in store Kuoni Travel counters also jumped 12 percent. Peter Ruis, Executive Director for John Lewis, said: “We’ve seen a record number of app visits this year, but the enjoyment of shopping in person and expert face-to-face advice is here to stay. What’s more, whether it’s advice for new parents or personal styling sessions, we’re seeing huge demand for our in-store services, as well as a significant rise in people turning their shopping trips into a bigger social event and enjoying our restaurants as part of their visit. “Customers are also embracing new ways to pay. We’ve recently added Klarna and Clearpay, and this year 6.4 percent more customers have opted to benefit from the rewards of shopping with a John Lewis Partnership Card.” What we shopped for – fashion: Large bags, cut out swimsuits, barrel leg jeans, leopard print, ruffles and preppy rugby shirts. Small handbags were given the cold shoulder as we tired of forcing essentials into them and fell back in love with large, tote style bags which fit everything. The number of small bags in the top ten bestsellers halved to just four. In fashion two new shapes stood out as a cut above the rest: cut out swimsuits and barrel leg jeans. John Lewis sells 385 different swimsuits, but the second best-seller in 2024 was not a traditional cossie. It was the ‘Hello Sailor’ striped cut out swimsuit, bolder than a traditional costume, more flattering than a bikini. After years of the straight-leg silhouette dominating the jeans market, customers have embraced a new relaxed silhouette – the barrel leg jean. Searches were up 60 percent on last year on www.johnlewis. com and it was the bestselling jean shape for autumn/winter 2024. Other fashion trends included sequins driven by ‘Swifties’, leopard print for the Brat Girl aesthetic, ‘Chloe look’ ruffles, and rugby shirts +30 percent bought to achieve the on trend preppy look. UK CLOTHING MANUFACTURERS SEE SALES JUMP IN Q3 2024 UK clothing manufacturers are riding high on a wave of newfound confidence, as figures reveal a dramatic uplift in sales revenue and purchasing. Small and mid-sized firms saw their average sales jump by 128 percent in the third quarter of 2024, while the number of purchase orders (POs) placed with suppliers was also up by 123 percent, according to a report from inventory management software provider Unleashed. Fashion manufacturers – which includes footwear and accessories – saw the fourth biggest jump in sales revenue out of all the 12 manufacturing categories analysed. It also saw the second biggest rise in POs. Revenue and POs were both up by 88 percent across the manufacturing sector – signalling high confidence among consumers, retailers and other businesses. The report also shows that clothing manufacturers are buying more inventory in anticipation of further orders. It comes as consumer confidence in Q3 2024 reached its highest level in five years rising to 7.9 percent. Social media is a big driver for sales with 42 percent of consumers buying fashion goods through it in 2023. Instagram, Facebook and TikTok trends are also influencing fashion buyers. Joe Llewellyn, GM of Cloud ERP at The Access Group, the parent company of Unleashed, said: “This uptick in sales revenue and purchasing bodes well for the manufacturing industry. Government has pledged to invest in housing, public infrastructure, clean energy and technology, which could provide a welcome boost to manufacturers in the construction, energy and electronics sectors.” 6
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