Page 19 - December 2021 / January 2022

Oxford Street East, London, UK

“The pandemic has made us re-evaluate our objectives in a very
positive way,” explains Daniel Rubin, Founder and CEO of The Dune
Group. “It has accelerated a shift in our strategy which would have
taken longer to implement if there had not been a crisis. Although the
past 18 months have been very challenging we have emerged from it
a stronger and more focused business.”
The pandemic has seen them invest heavily in their digital strategy.
They re-platformed their website, which now allows them greater
efficiency and functionality and this is an ongoing project designed to
enhance the customer experience and offer increased engagement by
improved UGC, customer reviews and product descriptions amongst
other initiatives.
The most recent Dune London store opening came by way of their
franchise partner, Apparel Group, and is situated in the magnificent
Assima Mall that opened in Kuwait City on 8th November. Meanwhile
their franchise partner, Reliance, opened a site in the new Jio World
Drive in Mumbai which is their largest store in India. The brand also
opened a new unit in Edinburgh, Scotland in June at the impressive
£1bn St James Quarter which is one of the largest new shopping
developments in the UK.
In the coming months new sites are on course to launch in Dubai,
Doha and Riyadh in the Middle East, Lagos in Nigeria, Birmingham
and Glasgow in the UK, Cork in the Republic of Ireland and Malaysia,
whilst new outlet stores will launch in the UK and Europe.
On the topic of potential new markets, Rubin says their main focus
is to have a presence in the US, albeit through wholesale rather than
physical stores. “A very competitive and promotional market, you
need to have a real point of difference in both brand and product to
be successful in the US. We have considered the US market for many
years, and I believe that now is the time for us to make it work.”
True specialists in footwear and accessories, the team is passionate Assima Mall, Kuwait City, Kuwait
about the product and are always looking at how they can move
the range on in a Dune London way. Currently experiencing an
exceptional AW 21 with boots being particularly strong, they are also
seeing a revival in more formal products which are categories they
excel at. They are also looking at adding new product groups such as
kid’s shoes as well as increasing their accessories offer which is selling
extremely well.
More than ever, retail is about the experience a brand offers and
to improve this the business utilises the extensive data they have built
about their customers which enables them to segment customers and
therefore communicate with them in a more engaging, personalised
and relevant way.
Communication with customers is vitally important, and Rubin
highlights that social media and influencers are an increasingly
important way of sharing information and speaking to customers.
“We have a very active Instagram account with over 400,000 global
followers and a high engagement rate. Influencers are important for
us, however it is essential that they are aligned to the brand and are
authentic. Just having influencers that have broad following is not our Assima Mall, Kuwait City, Kuwait
way. They need to be stylistically and personality wise consistent with
the brand. We have a broad customer base so diversity is another
important criterion for choosing our influencers.”
Over the years, Dune London has built up considerable customer
trust and Rubin feels customers are confident buying from the brand.
Classing themselves as an affordable luxury brand, they offer great
quality, well-designed footwear and accessories at good prices.
“We are a creative company that embraces diversity as much as
our home of London. We are confident in what we do, because we
have been doing it for many years and this confidence and passion is
shared by both our team and our customers.”
So what lies ahead for Dune London and what is the greatest
challenge for the brand?
“An exciting future lies ahead as we look forward to celebrating our
30th anniversary next year. As for the greatest challenge, I feel this is
the factors that are out of our control, and it is how we respond to
these factors that will determine our success moving forward.”

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL 19