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WHOLESALE ECOMMERCE FOR FOOTWEAR, APPAREL, & ACCESSORIES BRANDSA RETAILER-CENTRIC SOLUTION THAT PUTS THE RIGHT PRODUCT IN THE RIGHT STORES

2019 RESEARCH

The Specialty Retailer’s Seasonal Challenge

of specialty retailers have experienced growth in the past year

Specialty retail is growing, bringing with it ever increasing demands on your retailers.

This is a vibrant growing channel your brand needs to participate in.

82%

Envoy B2B surveyed and interviewed thousands of specialty retailers to get their unique perspective on the industry. By understanding these retailers needs your brand can align a strategy to become their best brand partner. Our survey covered specialty retailers in North America that have less than 5 stores and operate in the footwear, apparel and accessories industry.

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WHOLESALE ECOMMERCE FOR FOOTWEAR, APPAREL, & ACCESSORIES BRANDSA RETAILER-CENTRIC SOLUTION THAT PUTS THE RIGHT PRODUCT IN THE RIGHT STORES

2019 RESEARCH

Here is how specialty retailerssaid they grew their business.

As a brand, keep it simple. Collaborate with retailers through

authentic advertising on social platforms. This advertising

should support events associated with the retailers where your

product can be found.

More reading: A brief chat with Brendan Madigan of Alpenglow sports

In the past year, growth can be attributed to...

68%10%6%...in-store sales

...3rd partyplatform sales

...website sales

Here are the strategies they said worked:Advertising on social platforms

In & out of store events

Deeper collaboration with brands

Brand takeaway

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WHOLESALE ECOMMERCE FOR FOOTWEAR, APPAREL, & ACCESSORIES BRANDSA RETAILER-CENTRIC SOLUTION THAT PUTS THE RIGHT PRODUCT IN THE RIGHT STORES

2019 RESEARCH

3-4 Seasonal Releases Every Year

Retailers are busy running their stores!

Understand their world3% use less than 5 B2B platforms

97% use more than 5 B2B platforms

20% 14%

66%

Carry 20+ brandsCarry 11-20 brandsCarry 1-10 brands

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WHOLESALE ECOMMERCE FOR FOOTWEAR, APPAREL, & ACCESSORIES BRANDSA RETAILER-CENTRIC SOLUTION THAT PUTS THE RIGHT PRODUCT IN THE RIGHT STORES

2019 RESEARCH

The best thing for our store is a rep who communicates with us regularly, both through email and phone calls, but also in person. This helps all the staff put a face to the brand and keeps the brand at the forefront of all of our minds. Every brand that we sell makes great products, so good brand support can make all the difference in helping us understand and love it even more.

Continued & constant communication, seasonal visits,

recommendations, and ability to act as a “partner” for the success of the brand and the success of our store.

Show me they care about my store. Include me in updates about the upcoming collections, provide frequent sales-rep visits, and allow me to easily order in my own time, rather than pushy and unreasonable “order windows.”

WE ASKED RETAILERS

How can brands best support their retail partners?AND THEY SAID...

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With a sales rep that visits me at least each season or more

Provide coop marketing opportunities

Regular communication Provide educational clinics

Easy ordering on my own timeShow us their vision for the season early in the season

In Their Words

A sales rep that stays in the store awhile and talks to the sales people - answering their questions, hearing their comments.

Be a real partner. Don’t make preseason goals that are unrealistic, like 10% growth every year. Don’t use independent retailers to grow your brand and then forget how you got where you are. Yes, communicate. Yes, provide marketing. Yes, have sales reps invested in the relationships.

I’m the customer. Keep cultivating that relationship.Quick and easy access to customer service and a dedicated sales rep who visits frequently.

An easy to use B2B site that includes availability and indicates top sellers and maybe some education.

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WHOLESALE ECOMMERCE FOR FOOTWEAR, APPAREL, & ACCESSORIES BRANDSA RETAILER-CENTRIC SOLUTION THAT PUTS THE RIGHT PRODUCT IN THE RIGHT STORES

2019 RESEARCH

These are by far the most important issues, the biggest

being a rep who isn’t present. We don’t ask much of our reps, but the ones who make it a priority to communicate with us tend to be with the brands that are growing the most with our store.

When a brand decides to debut product on social media or their website, but doesn’t inform us about those product debuts. It impacts us negatively when we don’t have access to the product, and more so when we don’t even know that it exists. If we are to truly represent the brand, we need to be informed so the customer can have the best chance at getting to the product or at least knowing where to get it or something similar.

As a small boutique I like flexibility to adjust orders or cancel. Some try and charge restock fees. I won’t reorder from the brand if that occurs.

90% of it is showing up, but don’t just *show up*...if you want to see staff, and do some education, make an appointment. If you want to show me the line, make an appointment.

When they discount their products online. Direct competition with their stores that have invested in their company. They should drive consumers to brick and mortar stores that carry the products.

Holding to MAP and not discounting on schedule.

We ask for ship dates based on our ability to have space in the store. When a brand ships on their schedule and not ours its impactful when you don’t have staff to process the delivery and no room to put it on the floor.

My biggest frustration is with brands that are aggressively competing with us online. I don’t have a problem with them selling online, but when they’re consistently offering 20% off or more, with free shipping, it’s hard for me to support or buy more product from that brand.

WE ASKED RETAILERS...

What are the main problems retailers encounter when working with brands?AND THEY SAID...

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No supportive sales rep No accurate visibility to inventory

Problems with getting product ordered and delivered on time

No educational opportunities to learn about their product

No support in marketing to my community

In Their Words

Lack of inventory and lack of communication are the biggest problems for me.

Brands being our number one competitor.

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WHOLESALE ECOMMERCE FOR FOOTWEAR, APPAREL, & ACCESSORIES BRANDSA RETAILER-CENTRIC SOLUTION THAT PUTS THE RIGHT PRODUCT IN THE RIGHT STORES

2019 RESEARCH

Needs to offer value, and either have high turn potential or

high margin. Must fit in with the rest of our assortment but

offer something different from other brands. Flexible terms and

willingness for swap out, etc to take some risk away. I love brands

that have coop marketing opportunities for marketing and

good B2B access for buying and for our staff to look at current

availability for special orders is important.

Needs to make sense with my product assortment. Needs to have good terms. It helps if there is a incentive to buy back SKUs that don’t move.

First and foremost the rep needs to understand MY business. I don’t need products that sell well in other parts of the US. I need products that will sell in my store.

WE ASKED RETAILERS...

What are the basic criteria brands need to deliver on to be carried in store?AND THEY SAID...

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Product needs to fit my stores assortment & consumers needs

Flexible buying terms

Easy access to purchase product as I need it

Provide coop marketing opportunities

In Their Words

Reasonable order minimums, reasonable freight, timely delivery.

Quality, price, design of product and packaging, sales per floor space, free shipping, strict MAP control, responsive customer service, easy to order, timely delivery.

Brands need to be a “partner” in our sales success. The brands need

to work with us to make the final sale through our store and not online or at the big box stores. The brands need to offer a specialty item to stores such as ours that are not offered elsewhere.

Ease of getting product is key. If I can’t get it, I won’t restock because there’s definitely something else on the market that I can get.

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WHOLESALE ECOMMERCE FOR FOOTWEAR, APPAREL, & ACCESSORIES BRANDSA RETAILER-CENTRIC SOLUTION THAT PUTS THE RIGHT PRODUCT IN THE RIGHT STORES

2019 RESEARCH

We are our own strong brand. To be in our store-fronts means we believe in the quality, functionality and reliability of the product. Our customers know to expect this from what we sell.

Small specialty retailers are influencers in the community. We host group runs, races, and other events where consumers can touch and feel new products. Our staff is trained to educate customers about all products. We are experts so our opinions mean something.

Our shop is a experience, and as such adds value to the products we sell.

We raise brand awareness in a positive way in our community. Shoppers value and trust or opinion. I also like to provide feedback directly back to the company or to our reps.

Heavy traffic, great at providing reads on new product early and often.

WE ASKED RETAILERS...

What is the number one value specialty retail shops can deliver on for brands?AND THEY SAID...

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Our community of shoppers that trust our opinion & recommendation

Good product is sold at full MSRP

I can offer a great product and brand experience

I can provide feedback on consumers product engagement

In Their Words

We are small and genuinely a specialty store. I take pride in carrying brands that the big guys carry but sometimes a more eclectic collection of goods!

We give a very personable shopping experience to our consumers. Our customers are family and we are just not in the position to have them buy and walk out the door. Shopping should be an intimate but also exciting opportunity to showcase value and quality of the brand.

Professionally fitted products that best fit the customers

needs and a sense of community within the store.

We focus on curating unique quality products, our clients trust us, we represent brands passionately and enjoy close partnerships.

Our shoppers trust our recommendations & opinions.

Located in small towns so we provide a distribution network that the brand would otherwise miss out on.

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WHOLESALE ECOMMERCE FOR FOOTWEAR, APPAREL, & ACCESSORIES BRANDSA RETAILER-CENTRIC SOLUTION THAT PUTS THE RIGHT PRODUCT IN THE RIGHT STORES

2019 RESEARCH

90% of retailers are looking for brands to start and end the seasonal buying process.

Start your next season by supporting your retailer’s journey:

Support your retail channels with #thefundamentalsand meet your retailers needs.

Vision

Collab

The Plan

Numbers

The Buy

Experts

100% of retailers prefer brands with a B2B

9 out of 10 retailers expect to be able to merchandise

100% of retailers want a rep to support them the entire season

Retailers want historical and performance forecast analysis

before they commit to an order

90% of your retailers want to do their own prebooks

100% of your retailers sell more of the products they

are educated on

2019 RESEARCH

Get all the info at envoyb2b.com/solutions

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The Specialty Retailer’s Seasonal Challenge