As a customer my mind associates the merchandise I can expect to find when I walk into a store to the name above the door. Let me try and detail what my perception of where stores are positioned on the fashion ladder.
a) Entry level fashion would be Pep stores and maybe Ackermans/Jet.
b) Affordable throw away fashion would be Mr Price and Cotton On.
c) Middle range price and fashionability would be Foschini, Edgars, H&M and possibility Woolworths.
d) One up price and fashion would cover Truworths and Zara
e) More top end would be International brands such as River Island, along with many independent boutiques.
You can disagree with me on some of the above but in the main I think that is what a reasonable man or woman would expect.
You can imagine my surprise when I visited Edgars Hermanus on Sunday to try and update myself on what merchandise an Edgars country store has to offer.
Lets eliminate the sports brands which Edgars always have in stock such as Reebok, Addidas, Nike and Puma.
Then let’s also take out the old tired favorites Guess and Levi. Now what is left to tempt the fashion concious shopper…….
To be honest, the rest of the store product looks like a Jet or Ackermans store. No quality fashion feel about the individual items. The concept promotes cheap quality fabrics highlighted with visuals focusing on the value or price.
Not what I would expect when I walk into a store with the Edgars logo above the entrance.
Look at this gents polo shirt in the photo below…. Cheap fabric, cheap price R179, many units on display, looks like mass produced imports.
Another example is the visuals always highlighting price, no emphasis on fashion.
Can Edgars change its brand identity and compete at the lower end of the market and still make enough money to support the expensive stores and infrastructure it has to maintain.
Not easy……..
enjoy your shopping
