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Luggage and bag retailer Strand on how Afterpay helps grow business.

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After nearly a century in business, <a href="https://www.strandbags.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Strand</a> is one of Australia’s best-known and most trusted luggage and bag retailers.So, when it came time to offering Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services to customers, the fashion-travel retailer was determined to work with an equally trusted partner. Strand found this – and more – in Australia’s number one BNPL platform, Afterpay.“Trust was really important to us and we feel that Afterpay came to the table with that,” says Strand marketing director Prue Thomas. “It was also the first Buy Now Pay Later platform that really coupled an incredible product and service with marketing advantages and opportunities.”

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"Afterpay couples an incredible product and service with marketing advantages and opportunities.”

Today, not only do one in five Strand customers pay using Afterpay, but Afterpay Day has become an important date on the brand’s marketing calendar, consistently driving an 18%+ uplift in sales.Meanwhile, the opportunity to draw upon Afterpay’s industry-wide insights has also helped Strand reach new customers. “Being able to leverage audience insights has really improved our ability to market effectively.”<h2>About Strand.</h2>Strand was founded in 1927 and today has 270 stores around Australia and New Zealand as well as a thriving online e-commerce site.&nbsp;With an extensive range of designer and own-brand handbags, as well as business bags, backpacks and luggage, Strand has the largest market share in travel in Australia.&nbsp;

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<h2>Afterpay offers customers flexibility.</h2>Afterpay enables Strand customers to spread their payments for luggage or bags in instalments. “Our customers tend to use Afterpay for larger luggage purchases,” says Thomas, adding, “if you’re buying suitcases for your whole family, for example, that’s a big outlay.”“We partnered with Afterpay to empower the customer with options,” says Thomas. “We could see the rise of Buy Now Pay Later options, so it was a case of listening to our customers. Afterpay offers customers flexibility.”Today, she says, “there’s an expectation that Afterpay is available to our customers, either in-store or online”. And, she adds, Afterpay customers are valuable.“We see a stronger average order value among Afterpay customers than any other payment gateway.”

“We see a stronger average order value among Afterpay customers than any other payment gateway.”

<h2>Afterpay campaigns drive sales and customer acquisition.</h2>For Strand, Afterpay Day has become a crucial date on the marketing calendar, and drives an 18-21% uplift in sales.“For us, Afterpay Day sits very comfortably with the Black Friday, Prime Day type moments. Afterpay Day is as important as a Mother’s Day or a Father’s Day,” says Thomas.&nbsp;“Afterpay Day brings in a new customer to the business who might not have considered us before. It also brings in customers who may have bought from us three years ago and realise they need a new handbag. It’s a sales trigger.”She adds, “Afterpay is legitimately another channel for us to market with.”<h2>Afterpay offers exclusive market insights.</h2>Thomas says that, for Strand, Afterpay is more than a payments solution; it is a data platform, too. The retailer often turns to Afterpay for industry-wide insights to help them access new audiences.Recently, when Strand launched a new youth-oriented handbag range, the retailer leveraged Afterpay’s industry-wide data to cross-check and validate its own insights.&nbsp;“For a business like Afterpay to build up a data platform that’s really easy and self-serve for any business they partner with is incredibly valuable.”<h2>Afterpay’s team goes the extra mile.</h2>“Afterpay is almost like an extension of our team,” says Thomas. “They are incredibly collaborative. Both Strand and Afterpay come to any project with a shared objective and that naturally makes the results better.”Afterpay can always be relied upon to provide training, she adds. “Our frontline teams are the backbone of the business, so it’s fantastic for the Afterpay team to go in and talk to them and educate them.”<h2>Afterpay is a trusted payments platform.</h2>As one of Australia’s most established retailers, Strand has built a trusted reputation, so when it came to offering BNPL, the retailer was determined to work with an equally trusted partner.“We’ve been in the fashion travel space for nearly 100 years, and people come back to us again and again. Dependability and trust were really important to us and we feel that Afterpay came to the table with that. It was the first BNPL platform that really coupled the marketing advantages and opportunities with an incredible product and service."

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Luggage and bag retailer Strand on how Afterpay helps  grow business.

Discover how Afterpay helps luggage and bag retailer grow by driving sales and customer acquisition.

How Afterpay helps this fashion retailer grow by offering a new marketing platform

"One in five customers pays with Afterpay. It’s a new marketing channel."

strand bags

Every Human founder Matthew Skerritt on how Afterpay has helped his business make adaptive fashion more accessible.

Matthew Skerritt partnered with Afterpay as soon as he launched <a href="https://everyhuman.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Every Human</a>, a fashion business that sells stylish clothing to people with disabilities.&nbsp;After all, his business was founded to provide people with disabilities access to inclusive, adaptive fashion, and buy-now-pay-later platforms like Afterpay only make this easier.“Afterpay provides choice and we provide choice. We allow people to express themselves through choice… and be independent as well.“I would definitely recommend Afterpay – without a doubt – it would be one of the first things I’d do as an e-commerce owner.”<h1>About Every Human.</h1><a href="https://everyhuman.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Every Human</a> curates fashion with a difference: from shoes with zippers for those with mobility restrictions to seamless jeans for people in wheelchairs.The business was launched in December 2019 and has since become a leading adaptive fashion platform, offering a range of stylish products and designer brands such as Tommy Hilfiger.

<h1>Afterpay gives niche products an accessible edge.</h1>Life-affirming fashion can have a huge impact – as long as it’s financially accessible. By offering Afterpay’s buy-now-pay-later service, Every Human is able to offer what customers want, when they want it, and provide the flexibility to pay it off over time, in four interest-free instalments.&nbsp;“Our slogan is about life-changing fashion. And I’m truly grateful that Afterpay makes these products more accessible.”<h1>Afterpay has driven new business.</h1>Brands who partner with Afterpay are able to submit their business to Afterpay’s Store Directory, available to Afterpay customers through the website and app. It’s a valuable offering that helps attract new customers – as Skerrick discovered. “Afterpay brought awareness to our brand, and drove hundreds of referrals to the site,” he says.

How Afterpay helps make Every Human more accessible

“I’d recommend Afterpay, without a doubt.”

Every Human

The founder of All Things Golden shares her tips to make the most of Afterpay Day.

When Olivia Coleman launched her fashion label <a href="https://allthingsgolden.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">All Things Golden </a>(A.T.G) in 2016, she was determined to build a brand that would be the antithesis of fast fashion. That meant long-lasting, everyday essentials that customers could wear and love for years.In keeping with this ethos, Coleman is scrupulous about the promotions that A.T.G participates in. “We are very selective when it comes to <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/smarter-discounting/retail-discount-strategy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">discounting</a> and sales.”However, there is one event the brand has taken part in every year for the past three years – <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay Day</a>, which last year drove $200,000 in revenue.Here are A.T.G’s tips for success with <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay Day</a>:

<h2>Plan early</h2>Coleman’s hard-working team of 10 starts planning their Afterpay Day strategy two months in advance.“We tend to go pretty hard and make sure we’re across everything," Coleman says. "We start with creating a really strong visual campaign that flows across from our site and then through all of our marketing channels. Specifically, we do a lot with both paid and organic platforms on both Meta and Instagram."

<h2>Try SMS and emails to reach loyal customers</h2>Although Afterpay Day attracts new customers, it’s the brand’s existing customers who are most likely to purchase during the event. To reach its loyal customer base, A.T.G sends text messages and email, and carefully considers the timing.“We don't typically like to do any lead-up campaigns for sales as I know some other brands do,” Coleman says. “We like to keep our sales limited and exclusive, so we really only let our database know the night before and explain they have exclusive early access.”“We generally use Afterpay Day as an opportunity to provide extra value to our existing customer base."Sending emails and text messages allows these customers to shop before everybody else, "and as we produce in limited quantities this means there's less chance they'll miss out on the things they love.”

<h2>Make your offer obvious</h2>As for the execution of the email creative, Coleman keeps the messaging simple and straight to the point.While she says she tries not to overthink the creative assets too much, she does have one golden rule regarding the actual placement of the discount: the email subject line and preview should hint or tease the discount but the actual offer should be revealed when subscribers open the email.“Some businesses put their offers and discount codes in their subjects which we don't do because you want people to open the email and to click the assets within it."

<h2>Try new channels</h2>For A.T.G's most recent Afterpay Day in August 2022, Coleman experimented with promoting the offer on TikTok – and says she is still fine-tuning her approach.“We started by using the same kind of content that we would generally use for video reels and advertising on Instagram. We did that as a starting point and we did see success once we built hot and warm audiences. But when it comes to converting cold audiences through TikTok ads, it's a lot harder."

<h2>A golden result</h2>The team’s hard work and months of planning paid off in a major way. All Things Golden’s participation in Afterpay Day last August saw an increase of $55,000 in sales. Across the four days of the sale, the brand saw an overall revenue of over $200,000.And while the sales alone are a major achievement, Coleman says it’s the team camaraderie that really stands out as a personal highlight from the event.“It creates a collaborative buzz around our office and warehouse. Working in the lead up to an event like Afterpay Day, it’s just a really fun time of year for us and customers as well! For them to be able to purchase things they've been holding out for… it’s really special."

In 2023, the brand has some exciting plans on the horizon, including an upcoming denim collection and expanding both local and <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/international-commerce/selling-internationally" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">international markets</a>.“Over the past two years, we’ve been selling into the US and it’s now over 50 per cent of our revenue. We have lots of amazing opportunities at our fingertips. I want to continue to grow sustainably while maintaining the values of our business.”

The founder of All Things Golden shares her tips to make the most of Afterpay Day.

The founder of All Things Golden Liv shares her tips to make the most of Afterpay Day.

How Afterpay Day helped this fashion brand drive $200k

How this fashion brand drove $200k during Afterpay Day

UGG Express’ sales soared by 42 per cent during Afterpay Day. Here's how they did it.

When Australian ugg boot company <a href="https://uggexpress.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UGG Express</a> first took part in <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay Day</a> four years ago, it barely promoted the event. It was only when the brand started marketing it on its own social channels that they truly saw success.“You have to use all your own marketing channels,” advises UGG Express marketing manager Laura Li.

UGG Express started as a family business in 1970, focused on creating high-quality, reasonably priced ugg boots. Now, it’s a thriving Australian footwear, and accessories retailer, online and offline, with 30-plus brick-and-mortar stores and just under 100 staff – but their devotion to quality and comfort remains.&nbsp;‘We use premium Australian sheepskin to craft our uggs, and Australian sheepskin lasts for years. Plus, we offer the best price in the market,’ explains Li, who adds that warehouses in Sydney and Melbourne mean the brand can offer fast delivery.

Last year the business’ Afterpay Day strategy resulted in a revenue increase of 42 per cent, as well as a 27 per cent increase in new customers<h2>Set a competitive offer</h2>“Afterpay Day is now pretty well known in Australia,” says Li. “Which is a good thing – but also means your competitors will likely be involved. Do some research to set a competitive price and diversify your product offer – that can really help to attract more customers.”<h2>Time it right</h2>UGG Express drives promotion across multiple channels, including email, leading in, right before and during the event but “no longer than a week before the event, with three to four days before being the best lead time to foster that sense of urgency”.<h2>Use urgency</h2>In fact, emphasising urgency is another key tip from Li, who explains that UGG Express’ omnichannel marketing strategy focuses on creating a sense of urgency, with a simple message: It’s Afterpay Day … 15% Off Storewide … 4 days only.

<h2>Take an omnichannel approach</h2>The company’s multi-pronged approach includes Google ads, email campaigns, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and a home page takeover.While Google and EDMs drive the most direct website traffic, the team learnt that using all digital channels delivers the best results.UGG Express invested in Google ads in 2022, and Li advises that one tactic merchants could try is a lead generation funnel – i.e. getting customers to sign up to your email list so that you can let them know once the offer is live. Or even offer early access.<h2>Instagram, Meta, Pinterest</h2>UGG Express posted 3-4 paid and organic posts in the lead-up to, right before and during Afterpay Day.

<h2>Try influencers</h2>UGG Express also utilised their regular micro-<a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing-examples" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influencers</a> by providing them with product and a clear briefing on key messages to post just prior.<h2>Consider customer experience</h2>Remember it’s not just about the pre-event marketing.‘This event will drive a lot of sales so businesses should use it to build a strong relationship with the customer. They need to provide outstanding customer service, especially during the after-sale service’ advises Li.<h2>Create after-sales funnels</h2>Communicating after the event and creating after-sale funnels are more likely to convert the new customers into regular customers – for example: thank the customer, encourage them to sign up to your newsletter or follow you on social media, or even offer them a special discount for their next purchase.

‘Afterpay Day works really well, it’s great for sales. No business should miss out.’

&nbsp;Li recommends, ‘Analyse all data sets – use everything from your own platforms, and the report that Afterpay provides. Assess and analyse customer behaviours and patterns so you can optimise and perform even better in the future.’

UGG Express’ sales soared by 42 per cent during Afterpay Day. Here how they did it.

UGG Express' sales increased by 42 per cent on Afterpay Day. Here's how the Australian retailer did it.

How Ugg Express leveraged influencers and urgency to win Afterpay Day 

How influencers and urgency helped UGG Express win Afterpay Day

Afterpay Day Ugg Express

Ana Piteira is the serial entrepreneur behind Blanca, Reliquia Jewellery and three other retail brands. She shares her tips.

You may not know her name, but you’re almost certainly familiar with Ana Piteira’s work. Her colourful, striped shirts have become a style staple – seen across Australia from bars to the beach – with a patchwork aesthetic that’s inspired countless imitations.And yet, incredibly, right up until the moment Piteira launched her fashion label <a href="https://blanca.shop/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blanca</a>, she wasn’t sure it would be successful. “I just thought, ‘Let’s just put it online and see what happens. Maybe no one will like it.’”“Everything is quite experimental for me,” she continues.Blanca is the latest in a string of successful experiments for Piteira, who has established herself as one of Australia’s leading fashion entrepreneurs, having launched not one but four other brands – <a href="https://reliquiacollective.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reliquia Jewellery</a>, <a href="https://valetstudio.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Valet Studio</a>, <a href="https://respiro.studio/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Respiro Studio</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aeyre_home/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aeyre Home</a> – as well as a public relations agency, <a href="https://www.suenocommunications.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sueno Communications</a>.Of all her brands, Blanca is the biggest, and Reliquia, a cool-girl, gold jewellery brand, the most established. Together, all five businesses confirm Piteira’s talent for identifying trends and building brands. Recently, Piteira moved to a dedicated 400sqm warehouse in Sydney to accommodate growth.“I’m the kind of person who’ll say, ‘Yes’ and then work out how to do it later,” says Piteira of her ability to juggle five brands at once. “I just try and take every opportunity. I like learning on the job.”

“I’m the kind of person who’ll say, ‘Yes’ and then work out how to do it later.”

Building brandsA key part of Piteira’s success has been creating aspirational, distinctive – and distinct – brands. Early on, she decided that rather than launching one overarching business, offering jewellery, hair accessories and clothing, she would build individual brands, each with their own websites, social media followings and identities. Hence, Valet only produces hair accessories, Reliquia is known for gold jewellery and Aeyre only offers homewares.“Reliquia was the first brand [I built] and I thought it had a really strong aesthetic and identity,” says Piteira. “I didn’t want to dilute that when I introduced Valet, which was next. Valet involved different materials – it was predominantly resin and really colourful and bright. I thought there would definitely be overlap, but I didn’t know that [the two brands] would necessarily [attract] the same girl.”As it turned out, Reliquia performed strongly in Australia, whereas the more irreverent, playful Valet found greater international success, including with stockists like Selfridges and Liberty. “So, I think they are different customers and that ultimately it was the right decision to separate them,” she says.Using content to engage customersThe benefit of building separate brands is that whenever Piteira launches a new business, she cross-promotes it to customers of her existing brands using content.“We create a lot of content where we use the brands altogether and show the customer how it can be styled together. Our EDMs usually entail products from all our categories. We want to introduce our customers to the idea that we are a collective world, [and show that] you can seamlessly style everything together.”The importance of User-Generated ContentAs a public relations specialist, Piteira is, unsurprisingly, a huge proponent of PR. “I really believe in PR, obviously, but I think it’s an ever-changing environment. Its relevance is always shifting. When I started out it was all about print media. Now, it’s very much about digital and user-generated content (USG).”

"I really believe in PR, obviously, but I think it’s an ever-changing environment."

In fact, USG has played an important role in building all Piteira’s brands. “[User-generated content] is a ‘win-win.’ It’s really nice to see your brand being worn by different people in different ways… It’s a really fun and exciting way of getting content for a brand, [plus it’s amazing to see] the results it can drive.”However, she adds that <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing-small-business" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influencer</a> marketing and USG only works when it’s authentic. “I think the audience now is super savvy. So, it’s about [knowing] where your brand is resonating with its audience, and finding the right partners [to collaborate with].”Bricks-and-mortar benefitsTwo years ago, Piteira took her first steps into brick-and-mortar retail and opened a boutique in Sydney’s Westfield Bondi Junction. She views the store, which is bright and colourful, as “an extension of [our] online presence”.“I think the role of a physical store these days is quite different to how it used to be. It’s not only about the sales that you’re generating, it’s about having a showroom for your product where people can go and see, touch and feel the range,” she says, adding “I really do believe a lot of them go [into the store] and then purchase online”&nbsp;

“I think the role of a physical store these days is quite different."

Partnering wisely&nbsp;Along with <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/instagram-influencers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influencers</a> and a physical presence, carefully chosen stockists have also played a key role in amplifying the brands. “We’ve been focused on wholesale from day one,” says Piteira, who was able to draw on her experience and contacts from her sales and PR business to get her brands into retailers like The ICONIC and David Jones.&nbsp;“Stockists are really important in terms of being showrooms for your brand. There’s a customer discovery there that would perhaps not otherwise occur when you’re in different stores. I think it’s similar to working with <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing-examples" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influencers</a> – it’s nice to see your product in different stores and to see buyers buy from a different perspective.”Afterpay has been another key growth partner, says Piteira. “Afterpay is a really valuable service to a lot of customers. Customers love it, so in order to provide the best customer experience we partnered with [the BNPL platform].”Piteira adds that there is a natural alignment between her brands and the Afterpay customer. “I think Afterpay has done a really amazing job of capturing the retail market and our customer is a pretty trend-driven customer, too.”A renewed focus on <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/customer-retention/customer-retention-rate" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">retention</a>Heading into 2023, Piteira intends to double down on <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/customer-retention/customer-retention-strategies" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">retention</a> marketing. “We’re developing a <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/marketing/customer-loyalty-program" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">loyalty program</a> and we’ll be focusing on communicating directly with our customer and giving them content that is interesting to them and that they want to engage with without necessarily only pushing product all the time.”With acquisition costs rising and <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/boosting-profitability/preparing-for-inflation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">inflationary pressures</a> growing, she says that the days of driving revenue by investing only in Google or social media ads are over. “It’s going to require so much more effort to not only engage customers but then retain them. We want to shift our focus to looking after our customers and making sure that we continue to provide them with a good experience time and time again – not just once."

Meet Ana Piteira, the serial entrepreneur behind Blanca, Reliquia Jewellery and more.

Ana Piteira, the serial entrepreneur behind Blanca, Reliquia Jewellery and more, explains why PR, stockists and USG are crucial to her brands' success.

Ana Piteira: The founder of Blanca, Reliquia, on launching six brands

The secrets to launching six successful businesses

Blanca Reliquia Ana Piteria

How making customers feel heard is the secret to Empress Athleticus’ success.

When it comes to buying clothes, women who are considered ‘plus-sized’ face more challenges than most, and no one knows that better than Brittany Lewin, a proud size 16-18 and the co-founder of activewear brand <a href="https://www.empressathleticus.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Empress Athleticus</a>.Lewin and her friend, lawyer Kristy Perdriau, launched Empress Athleticus (which offers activewear in sizes six to 30) in 2020, after becoming frustrated by the fashion industry’s attitude towards plus-sized women.

“Lots of brands talk about being body positive, but they do it because they have to, not because they want to,” says Lewin, who adds that, too often, plus-sized clothing is ill-fitting and lacking in style. Fed up with fashion brands co-opting the language of inclusivity without truly serving their plus-sized customers, Lewin and Perdriau were determined to prove that there was a market for high-quality, well-fitting activewear for all sizes.

They didn’t have to wait long. On the night that Empress Athleticus launched, the brand’s first batch of black garments sold out in less than an hour. The next batch sold out, too, and by the end of the brand’s first year in business, Empress Athleticus was turning over seven figures in sales.Today, with sales still growing month on month, the brand also boasts an impressively high 70 per cent monthly retention rate.<h2>Creating a close relationship with customers</h2>&nbsp;A large part of the brand’s success – and a major reason for its repeated sell-outs – is its close relationship with customers. “We really focus on retaining our customers and looking after them,” says Lewin. “It’s about quality versus quantity of customers.”

Key to this is a small but extremely loyal Facebook Group or ‘fan page’ that Lewin and Perdriau have cultivated around the brand. “They tell us what they want, how they want it and when,” explains Lewin of the 6000-strong group, which she describes as the brand’s “heart”.Whenever Empress Athleticus releases a new range, they showcase the collection to their Facebook Group first and offer it on pre-sale. Members also have the opportunity to ask questions or make suggestions.&nbsp;The group grew partly from Lewin’s personal social media following (as a businesswoman and plus-sized model she has 16,000 followers on Instagram and 24,000 on TikTok). However, she and Perdriau have also worked hard to promote the group and elicit feedback from customers. “We are always asking our customers for feedback. We value everyone and we have a suggestion at the bottom of every order that says: ‘Follow our fan page and give us your feedback’” says Lewin.“Any feedback is good,” she affirms, “good or bad – because you want to know how you can grow as a business.”

“Any feedback is good – good or bad – because you want to know how you can grow as a business.”

<h2>Fit and the feel-good factor</h2>Another key to Empress Athleticus’ success is the fit of its products. Unlike many brands that offer plus-sized garments that are simply ‘sized up’ from a cookie-cutter size six pattern and don’t take into account different body shapes, Empress Athleticus has a unique grading system. Developed after a decade of experience, "each size is tested and approved on our fit models, family, friends and feedback from customers,” says Lewin.&nbsp;The brand is also careful to ensure that garments are sized correctly and offer plenty of stretch so that customers don’t feel they need to choose a size up. “It’s about making customers feel comfortable and confident knowing they can purchase the same size no matter what product they choose.”This is also the rationale behind the brand’s authentic approach to photography, with many of Empress Athleticus’ products shot on Lewin herself, with minimal retouching."I leave all my cellulite in there – everything. It helps our customers feel more confident and comfortable to see a plus-size woman absolutely rocking her lumps and bumps. It’s really, really important to us.”

<h2>Leaning into change</h2>Early on in the business, Lewin noticed a bolt of leftover material and decided to experiment with making size-inclusive underwear. “I had a pattern in mind, and we decided to just make it and see what happened,” says Lewin. “And it sold out in 10 minutes. Everybody loved them.”Today intimates make up 40 per cent of the brand’s revenue, and Lewin says this success is a lesson in leaning into unexpected opportunities.<h2>Offering a range of payment options</h2>Afterpay has also played a major factor in Empress Athleticus’ success, with 40 per cent of customers using the buy now, pay later service.“I am personally a massive fan of Afterpay, and as a business owner I wanted to offer it to our customers,” says Lewin, who adds that events such as Support Small and Afterpay Day have become key dates in Empress Athleticus’ marketing calendar.“I know there are other companies like it out there, but Afterpay is just trusted,” she says. “If you don’t offer it as a business, you lose out on a massive demographic.”

How making customers feel heard is the secret to Empress Athleticus’ success

The co-founder of Empress Athleticus’ success Brittany Lewin explains how the plus-sized brand achieved success.

Empress Athleticus: the plus-sized brand making seven figures

The plus-sized brand that became a seven-figure success

Success story Empress Athleticus

Their secret? Keeping their offering simple, classic and customer-focused

In a crowded market like fashion, you might imagine that every niche has already been discovered and filled. Not so, as mother-and-daughter duo Yolande Ellis and Elle Pugh discovered.“Seven years ago, you couldn’t find a good selection of cashmere garments anywhere in New Zealand or Australia, and certainly not year-round,” recalls Pugh, who had previously worked for global luxury brands in London.“We realised that with our changing climate and more people travelling to cooler climates throughout the year, there was a need for cashmere more regularly than just peak winter.”That was 2016, and, having spotted a gap in the market, the pair decided to make the leap and launch <a href="https://www.elleandriley.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elle + Riley</a> from their garage.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At first Ellis, who had previously worked as a stylist and make-up artist, and Pugh assumed that the business would be purely direct-to-consumer e-commerce. But they quickly realised that as a luxurious, tactile product, cashmere was better suited to a bricks-and-mortar experience. “People needed to feel it and try it to fall in love with it, so we tried a pop-up store,” says Pugh.That store was so successful that the pair signed a lease on a permanent location just a few months later – and haven’t looked back.Six years later, Elle + Riley sells cashmere garments in six (soon to be seven) stores around NZ. They have 22 employees, a seven-figure turnover and 10,000 loyal customers, many of whom return to buy the same piece every season, in multiple colours.

Ellis and Pugh source their cashmere from Mongolia and garments are manufactured across Italy, Nepal and China.&nbsp;Pugh describes the typical Elle + Riley customer as someone who is more focused on quality classics rather than trend-driven silhouettes.“They’re discerning, travel a lot, are slightly more mature and can afford to invest in quality, given our basic sweaters start at $500. They’ll come in and buy their cashmere wardrobe set for their trip to Aspen or New York,” says Pugh.<h2>Bricks over clicks</h2>When Pugh and Ellis realised their business needed to have bricks-and-mortar stores in order to win over new customers, they didn’t hesitate.“We’ve been quite brave in terms of how fast we’ve expanded – six stores in six years.&nbsp;“That’s been an expensive and risky move and we’ve had to close some stores along the way, but it’s definitely helped us grow a lot faster and reach customers we otherwise might not have been able to,” says Pugh. “We haven’t been shy about being aggressive with our growth strategy.”

“We’ve been quite brave in terms of how fast we’ve expanded – six stores in six years."&nbsp;

<h2>Listen, rather than tell</h2>For the first four years, Pugh and Ellis spent most of their time on the shop floor, which helped them better understand their customers.“We’d work with the customers and listen – to what colours they wanted, what styles, what wasn’t fitting right… This allowed us to adapt and change things for them, making sure we were giving them what they wanted.”Pugh says that it quickly became apparent that Elle + Riley’s customers were more interested in classics than directional pieces. “What they really want is high-quality, classic garments in timeless shades like oatmeal and grey marle that they will get a lot of wear out of, so that has always remained our focus.

“Delivering what our customers want has actually given us freedom in that we don’t have to follow the seasonal fashion calendar or keep up with trends or go on sale the same time as everyone else.”<h2>Stick to your knitting</h2>Never has this saying been so apt… Pugh says that sticking to selling only cashmere garments means that their business proposition is crystal clear for customers.“We really stand by having one product and doing it well. We started with coffee table books and homeware in-store as well, but we ended up selling so much cashmere that we realised we needed to move those other items out,” she says.“It just comes back to us remembering to stick to our niche of what’s missing in the market, and for us that’s quality cashmere clothing.”&nbsp;<h2>Partner with the right suppliers</h2>When Shanghai went into lockdown for four weeks, so did Elle + Riley’s stock. Thankfully they could lean on another of their suppliers in Nepal to fill those gaps, but it reminded them of an important lesson: partnering with the right suppliers – and having more than one – is vital.“We’ve worked with some of our suppliers right from day one, however, we never want to put all our eggs in one basket,” she explains. “Having a few different suppliers, and ideally in different countries, has been important to us to mitigate risk.”

<a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-NZ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay</a> has been a key commercial partner, says Pugh, who recognised its value early on. “I thought it was an awesome opportunity, especially for our price point. I like the fact that the customer doesn’t need to come into store to pay it off and that they can take their purchase straightaway, which is exciting for them, and we don’t have to store it.”Pugh adds that <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-NZ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay</a> has introduced younger customers to Elle + Riley, by allowing them to spread their payments in instalments. Afterpay events, such as Support Small, have also delivered new customers and sales. This year, the brand saw an 1890 per cent uplift in Afterpay sales thanks to Support Small.“Results like that are obviously brilliant for us, so off the back of that we’re doing Afterpay Day. I think it’s good to provide your customers with another way to be able to purchase from your business, and the tech behind Afterpay is really, really good.”Photos by Holly Burgess

Their secret? Keeping their offering simple, classic and customer-focused 

Discover the secrets to Elle + Riley's success from prioritising brick and mortar to listening to customers. 

Elle + Riley's Elle Pugh on opening seven stores in seven years

How Elle + Riley opened seven stores in seven years

Elle + Riley NZ

The Undone’s Sara Crampton talks customer centricity, Instagram and diversity.

Numerical Highlight List

Although <a href="https://www.theundone.com/collections/new?gclid=Cj0KCQjw-daUBhCIARIsALbkjSbPV5QR3mqy3jtcuv7D3E9sPX-fzmJDPru1DjG7JIgaOOkBa8IKDLUaAlQnEALw_wcB" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">The Undone</a> is Sara Crampton’s first e-commerce business, it’s hardly her first foray into fashion. Since 2008, she has been blogging under the moniker Harper and Harley, where she posts photos of herself wearing neutral, classic pieces, and today has 533,000 followers on Instagram.The Undone was born out of Crampton’s frustration at having to scour multiple websites to find neutral garments she loved. “I thought, ‘There needs to be a store that just has my style. Why isn’t someone just talking to this individual style?’”&nbsp;And then it dawned on her: with a degree in business and a background in e-commerce, she was perfectly positioned to do it herself. “It was a no-brainer.”

Right from the beginning, Crampton had a clear vision for The Undone: a website that would reflect her personal style, and offer stylish, classic clothing and accessories in a black, white and neutral colour palette.Six years on and you still won’t find any pink or blue garments on The Undone - although Crampton admits there is one rogue, moss-green dress (“That’s a neutral, right?” she laughs).&nbsp;If anything, the social media influencer-turned-entrepreneur has doubled down on her original vision, and tailored her edit even more closely to her customers’ tastes and preferences. In the past six years, Crampton has tweaked the size ranges, adjusted the social media strategy and introduced sub-categories — all in a bid to serve a very specific (neutral-loving) customer.

It’s a customer-centric approach that’s paid off. The Undone now employs five staff, turns over seven figures and saw 30 per cent year-on-year growth in 2021. And Crampton isn’t finished yet, with plans to launch a brick-and-mortar store and one day, hopefully, her own fashion line. “We’re here for the long-term. I really love it,” she says.<h2>Smart social media strategy</h2>One of the keys to The Undone’s success has undoubtedly been the website’s social media strategy, not to mention Crampton’s pre-existing social media audience.“That was instrumental,” admits Crampton. “I had a very targeted audience to talk to…but there’s still opportunity there. And, actually, I didn’t utilise [my following] as much as I could have – or should have – in the beginning.

"Every brand needs a face to have that connection with customers."

“I wanted the brand to speak for itself without me speaking for it, but I learned that every brand needs a face as well to have that connection [with customers].”Crampton’s other social media tips for small business owners include:Post regularly“It’s all about consistency. You need to post at least three times a day on Instagram… and Instagram stories as well. You need to create a lot of content.” The Undone also sends four newsletters a week to cater to subscribers who hunger for “newness”.

Be flexibleCrampton pre-plans as much content as possible, but adds, “You need to be aware when things change and the needs of the business change. If it’s raining, you can’t talk about dresses. You need to think about what the customer is doing that day and speak to that.”Be useful“Don’t just product-push. People see a lot of content. So, be helpful or share something personal,” says Crampton, who cites posts like “one piece, five ways” or “outfit inspiration” as useful content that performs well for The Undone. A personalised edit or editor’s letter is another successful tactic, she adds.

Invest in contentThe Undone recently took its content production in-house, and now has a photographer on staff, which has been a cost-saver, says Crampton. Sometimes, she adds, the photos that are shot for The Undone will then be offered to brands that stock on the site as part of the negotiation process, she adds.<h2>Diversity matters</h2>One of the most visible changes to The Undone over the past year has been its models, who now range in age, ethnicity and size.“I think the Black Lives Matter movement was a big awakening for a lot of people, myself included,” says Crampton, who has made it a priority to ensure that customers see themselves reflected in the models on the website.

"I wasn’t aware that I could say to agencies, ‘Can I get more options?’”

She has also become more assertive about requesting curvier models. “I think, early on, I wasn’t aware that I could [say to agencies], ‘Can I get more options?’”&nbsp;When asked whether the new approach has helped grow revenue, Crampton is emphatic. “Massively,” she replies. “We had 30 per cent year-on-year growth… and that is definitely one thing that has helped us.”If anything, she says, she wishes more Australian brands would extend their sizing beyond 14. “Not enough of the ‘cool’ fashion brands – the ones we see at fashion week – are doing bigger sizes. There’s only a handful that do a [size] 16… and there’s just so much opportunity there. If they want to grow their brand, to be interesting, just do it… even if you’re just offering it to wholesale [customers].”<h2>Go niche, or go home</h2>While The Undone is in many ways a niche offering — selling only clothes and accessories in a neutral colour palette — Crampton has found success by niching down even further, with maternity, breastfeeding or petite edits, for example.

&nbsp;She has also refined her selection of brands. “We’ve really learned what sells,” says Crampton, who made the mistake, early on, of stocking ‘it’ fashion brands for the sense of prestige, only to find they were too expensive for her customers or too readily available elsewhere. Today, she says, the brands that work best are those — like Marle and Matteau — without physical touchpoints or shops in every major mall.<h2>Offering payment options</h2>Crampton enabled Afterpay soon after launching, and today says that 20 per cent of customers use it at checkout and that “without a doubt” it increases conversion.“For us it was a no-brainer… I had learnt early on in my career that offering additional payment options in the checkout that make the payment process more streamlined, such as the customer not having to pull out a physical card, will result in a higher conversion rate and less drop off during checkout.

"Customers expect this option at checkout.”

“Afterpay is the leader in the ‘buy now, pay later’ space and customers expect this option at checkout.”Interestingly, Crampton adds that Afterpay also has one of the lowest return rates compared to other payment options.<h2>Future fashion plans</h2>Crampton says it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Early mistakes included signing a two-year lease on an office space that was, in retrospect, far too big, and also buying too much stock too soon. But Crampton, who only began paying herself a salary in the past few years, is proud of simply “sticking it out” during the challenging times. “Just having the grit and the in-built self-belief to keep going when things aren’t working," she explains.

In the next two years she hopes to open a physical store - “I absolutely want to have a store so that customers can come and try things on. They’re asking for it” – and down the track, launch a fashion line of her own.“There’s more to do, there’s lots of scope. But I really believe we’re helping people. We’re just trying to save them time, and make them feel like the most comfortable, confident versions of themselves.”

Insider tips on acing your social media strategy. 

Sara Crampton, the Harper and Harley fashion influencer-turned-entrepreneur shares her business tips

Sara Crampton of The Undone on social strategy and diversity

A fashion influencer-turned-founder shares her social media secrets

For Brava Lingerie’s Lin and Maxine Windram, empathy and technology, including Afterpay, have proved the perfect fit.

It was a chance conversation on a beach that convinced mother and daughter duo Lin and Maxine Windram to go into business together.&nbsp;Both were fed up with shopping for bras. Neither woman felt that their bodies were particularly unusual – they are both only around a size 8 or 10 - but their experience buying D+ cup bras in department stores and lingerie chains had been humiliating. “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could walk into a lingerie store and not be treated as a problem?” Maxine recalls saying.Despite having no retail experience – ever having fitted a bra before – the two women took the plunge and opened<a href="https://www.bravalingerie.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> Brava Lingerie.</a> Today, the brand has a thriving e-commerce business and six stores around the country, all offering “D-cup-and-up” bras.

"We just wanted to create an amazing experience for women."

The success of the business comes back to their mission to improve customer service for women with fuller breasts, and an approach that combines empathy and technology. “We just wanted to create an amazing experience for women,” says Maxine simply.<h2>Out with the old</h2>One of the first lessons Lin and Maxine learned was that tape measures had no place in their store. “We did all this training with our suppliers about how to fit a bra, but that training didn’t work,” Lin says. Tape measures, they discovered, weren’t helpful for measuring bust volume, and they felt the women in their store were much more than just a number. “So,” says Lin, “we threw the tape measures away. And now our fitters fit by eye.”<h2>Trial and error</h2>Another steep learning curve was managing inventory. “At first, we’d just choose stock that was pretty, and we liked,” Maxine says. “And we ended up with so many sizes left over that weren’t selling – mostly Ds and double Ds. We found that when women entered our store, they end up being an F or a G cup and often in a smaller back size once they were properly fitted. We just didn’t understand our customer.”

Eventually they implemented Inventory Planner, software that enabled them to better predict and manage stock levels.&nbsp;Another early mistake was focusing on the popular brands that were common in big-name department stores. Lin explains they needed a different approach. “We needed to find brands that were much, much better for our customers in that they had been created for women who needed extra support – not just made in bigger sizes.”&nbsp;<h2>Hiring empathy, not skills</h2>Lin and Maxine have never wavered from their business’s core mission: to make the women who come into their store feel supported and cared for when they’re buying bras. With that in mind, hiring and recruiting the right staff to work in store was critical. But it wasn’t bra-fitting skills that they looked for. It was personality. “The interesting thing about our recruitment is that nearly everyone who has come to work for us has been a customer. I’ve had letters saying, ‘I want to be that person helping other women’,” says Lin.

"Nearly everyone who has come to work for us has been a customer."

Those are the women that Lin and Maxine want interacting with their customers, not necessarily someone who’s had years of training working in another lingerie store. “Mum does most of the recruiting, and we usually recruit on empathy,” says Maxine. “We want to know how [each employee] works with other women, cares for people and interacts with their peers. You can teach bra fitting, but I don’t think you can teach all those values.”&nbsp;<h2>Don’t let digital be an afterthought</h2>Brava Lingerie had a web presence from the very beginning, something that wasn’t universal back in 2006. But translating the personal care of their in-store bra fitting service to the online space took innovation.During one of Melbourne’s COVID lockdowns, Brava Lingerie developed “ZoomFit”, a service where customers can have their size and fit assessed by a fitter via Zoom. “Obviously we can’t touch and play around with straps but because our fitters fit by eye, they can still look at a woman on screen in her bra, ask her to do a few movements, and assess her size,” says Maxine. “It’s especially good for women who can’t get in store because they may have small children, or a disability or anxiety. Zoom was a natural progression for us.”

Brava also offers a 'Virtual Fitter', which invites customers to upload a photo and answer a series of questions so that a trained fitter to respond with recommendations. Alternatively, if they prefer no human contact the Bra Fit Finder uses a very specific algorithm and within three minutes provides size and fit recommendations.Additionally, the fitters at Brava Lingerie add their own personalised and experienced comments to the company’s product pages. “It might be ‘this brand is smaller than the equivalent in this other brand’ or things like that,” says Lin. “They’re comments that help women make the best buying decisions.”

"Our personalised comments help women make the best buying decisions.”

<h2>Form a two-way relationship with suppliers</h2>The brands who supply Brava Lingerie do their best to give Lin and Maxine as much information about their products as possible, so the women can make the best buying decisions for their customers. But the flow of information goes the other way, too. “We give feedback to our suppliers to try and improve their bras after we’ve fitted them,” says Maxine. Because the suppliers trust the fitters’ expertise they often listen. “It’s a great relationship.”<h2>How Afterpay helped Brava Lingerie to higher sales and more access for customers</h2>“You’re not in a competitive place if you don’t offer Afterpay,” says Lin. “It’s really important to give people options. If we have a student [who] doesn’t have a high income but really needs a sports bra for netball, then she can still get it. In fact, she can get the sports bra and her runners!” adds Maxine. According to Brava Lingerie’s data, orders made using Afterpay are on average 27 per cent higher than those using credit card or cash instore, and represent 18 per cent of online sales.

For Brava Lingerie’s Lin and Maxine Windram, empathy and technology, including Afterpay, have proved the perfect fit.