Above Average Survival Strategies

The new economic reality requires retailers not only to increase price tags in accordance with the growth of exchange rates, but also to change global development plans and the procurement system as a whole - especially in the medium plus segment, since it is most vulnerable to crisis.

Recently, as we recall, the Rose Group company, which runs the Tsvetnoy department store in Moscow, stopped buying clothes and shoes in the fashion zone and liquidated the fourth floor, where Maje, Sandro, The Kooples, Mars by Marc Jacobs, Comme des Garçons Play and others were sold. . How are the strategies of other multi-brand concept stores changing now?

Leform, the oldest concept store and the relatively young “Kuznetsk Bridge 20,” decided to abandon the young and not very popular brands in Russia, relying on bestsellers whose price does not matter to customers. The history of the lines behind the Yeezy Boost sneakers proves the correctness of this decision. “Few people are ready to invest big money in an unremarkable base now,” representatives of Kuznetsk Bridge 20 explain.
 
Another way to gain a foothold in the market is to develop an online store with international delivery. “The launch of an online store with worldwide delivery allowed not only buyers to get acquainted with our purchase, but also to communicate directly with people who were not affected by the exchange rate,” said 20 CM.
 
The founders of Porta 9 shoe concept boutique have chosen a more risky strategy, deciding to develop a small retail format. Soon, three Portal mono-brands will open in Moscow (a shortened version of Portalittle). The Porta 9 assortment will also remain in the same price segment, where the average price for a pair of shoes is about 150 dollars.

“We take on most of the growth rate by trying to reduce costs and working on indicators such as conversion rate and average bill,” said Aleko Iliopulo, owner of the store. “Porta 9 presents 30 – 35 brands, of which 10 – 15% can vary from season to season.”