Julie McColl

Retailer and consumer perceptions of online fashion retailers: Web site design issues

Examines the Web sites of online fashion retailers. It evaluates the role of the Internet as a distribution channel and in particular discusses issues of Web page design. Retailer and consumer views within the fashion sector are explored in a three‐stage qualitative research process. This research highlights the differences in retail and consumer perception of fashion Web sites. While retailers are satisfied by their online offer they lack an understanding of consumer needs. Consumers are disappointed in the lack of service and product provision provided by fashion Web sites. Areas of concern include overall Web page design, level of interactivity, absence of information about fashion trends and inconsistency across Web sites.

An exploration of fashion retailer own brand strategies

Purpose – It has been proposed within the branding literature that the theory of the brand be extended within a variety of industries. The purpose of this paper is to offer a deeper understanding of the centrality of the own brand to fashion retailer brand strategy.Design/methodology/approach – The research involved six in‐depth interviews with large‐scale fashion retailers from a sample of the 20 largest and most successful fashion retailers in the UK.Findings – Participants identified the motivations, dimensions, success factors and problems associated with the creation, development and management of the own brandResearch limitations/implications – This is an exploratory study and as such is limited to the experiences of six fashion retailers. It is, however, part of a larger empirical study.Practical implications – The results of this study provide key areas for future research development to be applied within the fashion retail sector or to be expanded within alternative retail sectors.Originality/val...

It’s Vintage Darling! An exploration of vintage fashion retailing

Purpose: This is an exploratory study which defines vintage fashion, considers the vintage fashion consumer and evaluates the positioning of the vintage retail store from the perspective of the store proprietor/manager. Design/methodological approach: The research involved 15 in-depth interviews with vintage fashion retailers. Findings: It is proposed that vintage fashion retailers position and differentiate themselves by their uniqueness; a competitive advantage gained through the knowledge and skills of the owner/manager. Research limitations/implications: This is an exploratory study and as such it is limited to the experiences of 15 vintage fashion retailers. It is, however, part of a larger empirical study. Practical implications: The results of this study provide the basis for future research development in terms of the vintage consumer and consumer behaviour. Originality/value: The development of the vintage concept reveals a paucity of theoretical and empirical research studies. This exploratory research seeks to address this scarcity.

Developing and testing a value chain for fashion retailers: activities for competitive success

Purpose: This is an exploratory paper which empirically tests a conceptual model of value chain activity for fashion retailers, developed from the literature. Design/methodological approach: The research involved in depth interviews with 15 of the largest and most successful high-street fashion retailers. Participants were asked to comment on the structure and content of the value chain model. Findings: An updated model of value chain activity for fashion retailers is proposed which takes account of recent changes and developments in the market. Research limitations/implications: This exploratory study is limited to the experiences of 15 large-scale fashion retailers and may benefit from further empirical testing. Practical implications: The results of this study provide a basis for value chain activity and added value in the fashion retailing sector. Originality/value: Academic development and empirical testing of generic business models in the fashion retailing sector is rare. This exploratory research seeks to address this scarcity.

Contextual influences on social enterprise management in rural and urban communities

The idea that difference exists between rural and urban enterprise activity is not new, the obvious comparators are measures such as social architecture, resource availability and accessibility. However, when the concept and practice of management in social enterprise is compared in these two contexts then there is opportunity to further our understanding of the contextual challenges encountered by social enterprise. In this paper six cases studies are compared and analysed: three cases are urban social enterprises and three classified as remote rural social enterprises. The urban cases are social enterprises located around Glasgow in the west of Scotland and are compared with three remote rural location studies, one on the Scottish mainland peninsula, the other in northern Scotland and the final case on a Scottish western island. We conclude that the main differences between remote rural and urban management of social enterprise are heavily nuanced by in-migration levels in both rural and urban locations, leadership and community needs and therefore deserving of context relevant policy.

Creating, developing and managing the dimensions of the own brand: A study of UK fashion retailing

This paper seeks to consider the creation and development of the fashion retailer own brand and the management processes necessary to the effective implementation of fashion retailer own brand strategies. Interviews were carried out with forty two of the largest UK based fashion retailers. The participants identified a number of dimensions and sub-dimensions of the fashion retailer own brand which are implicit to its effective creation and development in a highly competitive environment. Participants also identified cyclical processes necessary to the effective management and implementation of own brand strategy within the fashion retail sector. The results of the paper highlight the interconnectivity between the brand dimensions and the need for management control over own brand strategy, providing guidance for fashion retailers on the implementation of their own brand strategy.

Vintage Fashion Retailing: Building the Store Brand

Over the past few decades, vintage fashion has become an enduring trend and vintage fashion retailers have become an integral part of the fashion retailing landscape. This chapter explores vintage fashion retailing from the perspective of brand image and the brand story and examines the positioning elements that operationalise the vintage fashion retailer brand. Vintage fashion retailers have evolved into sophisticated entities capable of competing in today’s fast paced omni-channel environment. They can benefit from the creation of a strong brand image that tells the story of an era or theme through the creation of a store/brand whose appearance and display elements bring that theme to life.

Luxury retailers’ entry and expansion strategies in China

Purpose- This paper examines internationalising luxury fashion retailers’ entry and post-entry expansion strategies in mainland China. Design/methodology/approach- The study adopts a pragmatic mixed-methods research approach, including a quantitative mail survey and qualitative face-to-face in-depth executive interviews. Findings- Different from initial single entry methods, multiple methods are increasingly popular for luxury fashion retailers’ post-entry expansion in mainland China. Although directly controlled expansion strategies have become significant, local partnerships are still important and omnichannel distribution strategies are rapidly growing. Research limitations- The findings were generated in mainland China only. Originality/value- This work provides an understanding of luxury fashion retailers’ activities in the Chinese market from both macro and micro perspectives. It examines luxury fashion retailers’ initial entry strategies, as well as their post-entry expansion strategies in mainland China. Few studies in the area of international luxury fashion retailing have employed a mixed-methods approach with this number of participants.

Developing a Value Chain for Fashion Retailers: Activities for Competitiveness

It is recognised within the branding literature that strategic and operational activities associated with the development and portrayal of the fashion retailer brand are essential to creating value and maintaining its competitiveness. The literature, however, is fragmented and brand building activities are rarely considered as a coherent process. These activities are proposed within this paper to be essential to the creation of value for fashion retailing companies. A model of value chain activity for fashion retailers, based upon Porter’s value chain, has been developed. The model is theoretical and the concepts drawn from the literature. For future research, empirical studies may consider its application in the fashion retailing sector.

Identifying the unique characteristics of independent fashion retailers in Scotland by utilizing Porter’s generic competitive strategy model and the marketing mix

Independent retailers in the fashion sector make a substantial contribution to the UK economy at the time of significant change on the high street due to financial pressures and the growth of online trade. They provide an element of creativity and innovation to a homogenous retail landscape. The independent fashion retailer creates a destination and individual identity by presenting a unique offering and differentiated experience. Whilst independent retailers are important to the future of our high street, research is limited, particularly in the area of fashion independents. Therefore this research examines and identifies the unique characteristics of independent fashion retailers within Scotland. The research adopts a case study approach, qualitative methods of data collection in order to fulfil the aim and objectives of the study. Porter’s Generic Competitive Strategies and the marketing mix were utilised as a means of drawing out the individual aspects and unique characteristics of the independent fashion retailer.