Visited a Retailer at Kaffe 1668

Today, as usaul, I went to a nice cafe around my school to grab a coffee. It was the same Janpanese girl served me as last time I came. Then I placed an order of Latte to go. A while after my purchase, I heard my name was called to pick up the coffee. I doubted if it was my coffee because there was no one asked me for my name to put down on the coffee cup. So I brought the coffee cup up and saw my name was on it. Actually the Janpanese girl asked my name on my last time visit, then she keeps it in mind. When I came today, she reconized me and my name. Therefore, she put my name on the coffee cup without asking me again.

As a customer, I feel special that someone remembers me after seeing me once. This makes me want to go back again when I need coffee because I have a friend there.

As a marketing student, I understand it is one of marketing strategies that to build up a relationship with customers. Making friends with customers can make them feel warm. Once customers do not feel strang at a place they will feel more confortable to come back rather than visiting other stores.

In store sale and On-line shopping

Topshop is a series of chain stores, so that their sale is based on in store sale and on-line sale. Recently, Topshop has over 300 chain stores in Britain and more than 100 flagshops in Asia, Europe and Americas. This means most of people in Britain would prefer to walk in and shop because it is not hard to find a chain store in their neighborhoods. However, for those who live in other countries where have less stores they have to make purchase on-line. For example, the Soho Topshop branch store is the only retailer in American. This is really convenience for many New Yorkers. But for the rest of Americans who love fashion or fans of Topshop, they would not make a trip to New York for Topshop. So they usually order from Topshop United States Website then the New York chain store will ship for them within a week.

This year Topshop has expanded its international shipping to include twelve new destinations: Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Hungary, Republic of Korea, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey. Customers just need to make purchase through Topshop.com even though there is no chain store in their countries.

She Brought Topshop Up

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16261614&method=full&siteid=115875&headline=shy-genius-who-turned-flopshop-into-the-high-st-darling-topshop---name_page.html

She is the most successful retailer in Topshop history, she turned Flopshop into one of the high street top shops, and she is Jane Shepherdson. 2005 was the worst customer downturn in the past 20 years, but she helped Topshop to make a profit of £100million. Trusted to make an order for the jersey department, Jane stuck her neck out and ordered tank tops - and sold 500,000 in a week. Her secret being successful in retailing is she takes all risks. She said “"People who play safe will not be safe. There are a lot of retailers out there who have just settled into what they do and stayed the same, and that was OK when there was a lot of money around. Now there isn't, they're the first to go. To stay at the front, you've always had to move forward and take risks. And I think it will be more and more obvious that those who take risks and innovate are going to leave the rest behind."

Fashion is an extreme business different from any other businesses because it doesn’t follow tradition. Change in style is the main definition of fashion. In order to express the idea to every customer, Shepherdson and her team workers dress whatever they feel like everyday. Design should not be exhibited on the hangers but on these life models catwalking in the store.

Segmenting and Targeting Market

Topshop’s target market is 15- to 30-year-old women. Although it mainly focuses on young women generation, internally it also targets everyone who loves fashion. This means Age Segmentation exists but does not affect its potential business. On the other hand, Topshop is gender segmented because it only produces women clothing, accessories and shoes. It only works in favor of women. Therefore, the male market is never ever targeted by Topshop.

Consumer Decision

Topshop as one of the top fashion leaders in England, they not only care about external beauty of a product but also about practical use. If a dress only contains some fashion elements, that just means it is able to catch customers’ eyes but is not enough to persuade consumers to make purchases. In order to have consumers to recognize their need for the product and decide to buy it, a company also needs to promote from the aspect of practical use. So Topshop produced a commercial video about two girls are wearing Topshop Winter Collection to ski. Although the video is pretty simple without big cost of money, it is good enough to convey the idea that their cloths are not only made to flash yourself on the street but to keep you warm all the time.

The only thing that I would recommend Topshop to improve is to have more commercial videos introducing their seasonal collections so that consumers will be alarmed that it is time to shop. Also, I think to have all the commercial videos to be on the TV in New York will definitely abstract more new customers. They shouldn’t limit shoppers down to women but everyone because whoever sees the commercial, even though they are men, fathers or children, they will encourage their sisters, waives and mothers to shop at Topshop which is called nonmarketing-controlled information source.


Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VphSLosGm8U

Topshop Goes Internationally

In 2005, Topshop became the first high street name to stage a catwalk show in London Fashion Week. It was Topshop’s first time to be on the screen in front of millions of international audiences. It signaled that Topshop should recognize the international market.

In order to establish Topshop as an international trendsetter, Mr Phillip Green, the owner of Topshop, believed “both through flagship overseas outlets in big cities and, much easier and faster, through online retailing.” (TIMES ONLINE)

Nowadays, 5 years has been gone, Topshop already owns over 100 international locators in Asia, Americas and Europe. For the future market expansion, Topshop basically aims at the market at Canada and some other big countries in Asia such as China. As succeed launching its first retail store in New York, Topshop will also consider developing more outlets in America in order to satisfy Americans’ demand.

Topshop's target market changed in the past 15 years

Topshop is a chain of women clothing retail stores in UK, as well as in the other countries across the continents. Its target market changed basically due to style and region.

Back in 1900s, Topshop was only considered a flop shop or an unfashionable phenomenon in Britain. But after a decade expenditure, it successfully transformed to be a trendsetting retail brand. Until 2005, Topshop was finally reconized in the public because its Unique collection becomes the first high street range to be shown on the catwalk as part of the official schedule of London Fashion Week. When it came to 2007, the arrival of the first collection designed by supermodel Kate Moss's made another sinigicant change in Topshop history. Topshop also became a mixed contemporary celebrity and trendsetting retail brand. It targets the new generation as well as those run-way models and celebrities like Kate Moss.

In the past 15 years, Topshop forcused on Europe basis business. Nowadays, Topshop starts expanding its business internationally. The first branch store in the United States was launched in New York Soho in last April, 2009. and more flagship stores will be located in different states in the U.S.