Page 26 - RLI May 2019

TImELESS DESIgNS

HANDcRAfTED IN ITALy

Luca Faloni is a brand that serves clients who have a

global lifestyle, who value quality and timeless designs. marylebone High Street Store
LONDON, UK
They make it easy for them to find great products for all

their needs. Here RLI sits down with company Founder
Luca Faloni to discuss how the brand is looking to expand

over the coming years.

marylebone High Street Store
LONDON, UK

So on the one hand customer feedback is pivotal, on the other
the company has its own theory and hope that some of the
products they think they should launch, the customer agrees with.
“In terms of how we make our designs, we start with our
own best judgement and we have a discussion internally with
the people that make the product and myself and the retail
people, based on the feedback that they got from the client The company believes in craftsmanship and they believe
and then we come up with a first draft,” says Faloni. that craftsmanship should apply to things that customers
When talking about social media and its importance in the need. They feel they should have a permanent collection
modern retail world, Faloni explains that in general, things have that gradually changes over time and is refined through
changed quite a lot, even in just the past five years. A few years customer feedback, rather than bringing out a new
ago Instagram was much smaller and everyone was instead collection every six months or year.
using Facebook, but in today’s world this metric seems to have So what lies ahead, and
flipped. So it is vitally important for a predominantly online what is the greatest challenge “We are moving in that direction,
brand to think about how people use Instagram and what facing the company? We Want to open more stores and
type of content people are engaging with on Instagram. To “Essentially we want to
this end, the company is investing more in videos and stories, add more design, slightly the plan is to have by year end
because this seems to be the key content for users today. expand our collection and five or six stores, With an addi-
So why does Faloni believe customers have remained loyal become a much more
to this up-and-coming brand? global brand. The branding tional ten opening across 2020.”
“I believe its two things, the first of these is product, we is Italian in essence, but from
use only the best materials and this makes people come back a physical point of view, we are in London to begin with
or think of Luca Faloni when they want to buy something and we are gradually expanding the metropolis worldwide.
new. Secondly, I believe it is the customer service we offer. We I think the challenge is the changing landscape of retail and
talian in its essence, but based in London, the Luca Having only been operational for five years, the first two ensure answers to any queries are given as fast as possible, and how different it will be ten years from now. Today, online
Faloni brand is one that is on the rise. The idea behind to three years was all about understanding the Luca Faloni if there happens to be a problem with the product, we will brands are growing a lot and traditional brands are ceasing.
the brand is to fuse exceptional Italian craftsmanship customer, improving the product, brand style and operations. solve it very quickly which gives our customer confidence that I’m curious to see what is going to happen and we are
Iand style with modern distribution channels, to make In the last couple of years, the proposition has become more if something goes wrong with a product, we are here to help.” happy to be part of it.”
great products easily available worldwide and provide refined after gaining more knowledge of the customer, which
stronger value to its customers. has made the avenue into physical stores much clearer.
The company launched online in 2014 and has been “We are moving in that direction, we want to open
growing ever since. Online has to date been its main more stores and the plan is to have by year end five or
channel where they sell globally, but recently physical six stores, with an additional ten opening across 2020. We
stores are a topic on the agenda. do not want to have a saturated retail presence, but we
“I was convinced to launch a pop-up in London, that want to be operational in each of the big cities so that our
went well so we opened a larger pop-up, and then that customer can have a true choice,” explains Faloni.
went well so we decided to make that permanent, and that To assist with keeping the company at the top end of the
is now working really well,” explains Luca Faloni, Founder market, the company is making sure they ask their customers, in-
of the brand. “We are now looking to open a second store store and online what products they would like next, and in-store
in London very soon, and then we are opening in New they take note of what people ask in relation to products so that
York as well.” they are continually gathering feedback and never standing still.

26 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL MAY 2019 DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL 31