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| LULU AUSTRALIA |
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Lulu Australia hits the UK and Ireland with a bang, promising
a refreshing take on fun fashion. Mark Shea, Managing Director
of the brand’s retail partner Poppyjack Ltd, talks to
RLI about the much-awaited launch and the company’s plans
for expansion
Lulu Australia is a fresh, new and flourishing international
brand offering fun, colourful,
fashionable and practical collections of beach bags, tote bags,
accessories, gift items and more — soon to be found in
UK shops.
Reaching beyond its beach-bordered Australian home to Singapore,
Dubai, Canada, Europe and now the UK and Ireland, Lulu Australia
products have been welcomed
and embraced by consumers for being just as sensible and durable
as they are
fashionable and stylish. This, together with its unique and
exclusive design motifs, is what sets the brand apart. Through
its partner Poppyjack Ltd, the Lulu Australia brand is launching
throughout Britain and Ireland with a combination of classic
and recently-designed collections. |
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The brand
currently operates in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia,
Japan, Canada and Dubai, with coming launches in China, Thailand,
India, Austria
and Switzerland Says Poppyjack Ltd Managing Director, Mark Shea:
“We formally launched in the UK with our Spring/Summer
09 collection at Top Drawer in September, although deliveries
will be available pre-Xmas this year. As this is the first range
to be available for the UK, we have taken one or two of the
hottest stories from previous collections as well as some brand
new stories for 2009, and are currently taking advance orders
for this collection.”
The brand targets customers of 16-45, with an emphasis on the
25-35 age group. Typically this core consumer will be middle
to upper income and lead an active lifestyle. Attitudinally,
they are fun-loving, outgoing but practical in their buying
decisions. They tend to like luxury goods, but are not pretentious,
and want a wardrobe to reflect their fun and vibrant personality. |
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In the immediate
term, Shea plans to focus on supplying Lulu’s retail partners,
though plans are afoot to set up a number of concessions in
2009. But what of standalone
stores? “We have no immediate plans for a Lulu own store,”
he says, “though these have been launched this year with
great success in parts of Asia. We are continuing to
monitor these with interest and will build on the experience
gained by the brand in
those markets.” |
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| An exciting
development has been the extension of the Lulu Australia brand
into Swimwear in Australia and Asia. “We hope to bring
this over to the UK in 2009,” explains Shea, “together
with some other line extensions, which are currently closely
guarded secrets.”Introducing a new brand to the UK market,
especially given the current economic climate, is a bold move. |
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“The
key challenge is that many retailers are finding that their
current ranges are moving a little slowly and they are nervous
about committing to anything too new,” says Shea. “On
the plus side, they are also looking for distinctive and fresh
products that can help them stand out from their competition,
and offer their customers ‘affordable’ fashion.
Our accessories range in price from £10-£30 and
our bags from £25-£75 so they are readily accessible
— fitting current demands perfectly. It obviously helps
that the brand already has a proven track record outside of
the UK.”
The origins of the brand lie in Australian beach culture, which
is outdoors, bright
and fun yet demands products that can withstand the onslaught
of sun, sea and sand. In meeting these demands Lulu has produced
a brand that has an appeal well beyond the Aussie beach.
For the full article please see the RLI
October 08 issue |
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Paramount
Publications Ltd Suite 15, Hardmans Business Centre, New
Hall Hey Road, Rawtenstall BB4 6HH UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1706 212200 Fax: +44 (0) 1706 211782 Email:
info@rli.uk.com
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