New Venture Further.....

Next have decided to take their e-business to the next level, with an aim to grow their online business internationally.

"According to Catalogue e-business Next is to concentrate on growing its international business with the NextDirect.com website as the core focus. The company will also begin an international marketing campaign, with concepts already being tested in the US."

-The Online Fashion Agency
http://www.theonlinefashionagency.com/business/views-news/03/30/news-international-focus-for-next-asos-co-founder-offers-tips/?utm_source=e-style&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=300310

Next have a separate website for their international online customers, Next Direct, with a focus on promoting Britsh Style. Next already have stores abroad, but this is the next step in becoming a truly international brand.

Revenues at the direct division of British apparel and decor retailer Next rose 7 percent to £873.2 million ($1.30 billion) in the year ended January 2010. Profits for the division are also up from £157.6 million ($234.6 million) last year, to £183.6 million ($273.3 million)—a rise of 16.5 percent. Overall pretax profit at the retailer was up 18 percent to £505 million ($751.5 million).

Next says one of its primary targets for 2010 is growing its international business. The retailer is moving away from overseas store openings to focus on its international website NextDirect.com. Having posted a profit of £800,000 ($1.2 million) via its international website last year, Next has set its sights on generating a profit of £1.4 million ($2.1 million) on sales of £7 million ($10.4 million) in 2010.

This year will also see Next embark on a fully fledged international marketing campaign; it has already started testing concepts in the US.

-Catalogue e-Business
http://catalog-biz.com/news/Next-plans-international-ecommerce-expansion_2129.asp

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New Look New Website....Ideas!!!

Last week New Look launched their new website:

"New Look has thrown down the gauntlet to Asos and Next with a target to become the number one online fashion retailer within three years, after launching a multimillion-pound second-generation website last week."

-Drapers


I took a look at the denim page, my area of focus, and I love how the page is laid out for customers. The jeans are dispayed on models, with a side view. This allows the customer to easily see how the jeans fit and hang, aiding the customers decision process.

The menu on the left of the page allows the customer to easily refine their search by jean type, colour, price and size.


When the customer clicks on an item, they are told everything about that product which they would find on a care label, the fabrix mix, washing guide as well as colours available, alternate views, the price and also "Perfect With" which suggests other products the jeans would look great with for outfit buidling.


All in all........a great improvement for New Look!!

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Marks and Spencer- Competitor

On Wednesday my competitor store Marks and Spencer have, after much anticipation, aired thier new TV ad campaign...



The campaign continues to be fronted by Twiggy, as in previous campaigns, but she is joined by new faces Danii Minogue, Lisa Snowdon, VV Brown and Ana Beatriz Barros.

I love the song- To Be Real by Cheryl Lynn- which as a fan I recognise as feature song from Sex and the City. When I interviewed the Next Southampton Store Manager and asked to describe his target customer, his answer was "the sex and the city kinda gal". Therefore I find the link quite interesting!

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The Next Shoe Room

Next have opened new Shop-In-Shops in key stores across the country, dedicated to shoes. I first read about this is in Elle magazine this week, and decided to look it up online.

I found the press release at http://www.next.co.uk/press/lookbooks/lookbook.asp?sn=ss10&bk=shoeroom&id=shoeroom



So why not a denim shop-in-shop? Women infamously find it hard work to find the perfect pair of jeans, a denim shop-in-shop could help solve this........

This issue I will explore in my journal

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BHS Store Manager

Yesterday, on the train home, I got talking to the woman who was sat beside me. It wasn't long before I found out that she is the Lancaster BHS Store Manger!

So, of course, I told her about my Store Management unit and she was more than happy to answer my questions, tell me about her daily job and she even looked through my work and the portfolio brief, giving me some tips and advice. A lot of what she told me I could relate to Next, and she also knew some things about Next. The advice she gave me helped me a lot in terms of seeing things from a store managers point of view, and helped me realise just how much work they do, and the value of the manuals they receive from Head Office- the manuals we have to produce for this unit.

She also advised me on how to say things so that store assistants can clearly understand what is being said in the manual, and the value of visual guides rather than written and long wordy guides. She said I must write an "idiots guide with lots of pictures"!

A issue we discussed at length was the market shift which Next is going through- moving away from work wear and more into fashion wear- and whether or not we think is it the right thing for them to do. As she herself falls into their target market, I found it interesting that she herself no longer shops there. She used to, especially for her work wear, and used to pick up other basics; but Next is moving away from this product segment she now rarely visits Next and doesn't care a lot for their new fashion ranges. I got to thinking, if this 30 year old successful professional no longer desires to shop at Next, how many are like her? Especially one who knows her stuff in the business!

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Too Long

Unfortunately it's been a while since my last post :( so I have decided to update with some images from my journal......


This page covers my reflection notes of the Next Carlisle store, over from this page I also produced a longer more in depth written reflection.


These images are from a Seminar activity where I looked at the trends in Next and how they relate to the denim's in my bay.



Here I have produced in images, how my bay is made up, with the denim on the main wall, and 3 rails of other products in front.


This is a more in depth build up of the main wall of my bay, with folding out images which beind hold my reflection notes, again over the page I wrote a more in depth reflection.

This is another seminar activity from when Helen Stock visited us from Ted Baker. The activity is a mock up of calculating the profits produced from the bay

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