What if retail isn’t dying, but mediocre brands are?
In the same month that legacy retailers are closing stores, digital-first luggage brand July is opening a 250-square-metre Melbourne flagship that looks more like a gallery than somewhere you’d go to buy a suitcase. So, I invited marketing consultant Andrea Andric back to the podcast to talk about it.
We get into why heritage isn’t a strategy, why being known doesn’t guarantee you’ll stay relevant, and why brands that have spent years harvesting familiarity without investing back into their brand are now being exposed.
We also tackle what Andrea calls the disappearing middle. People haven’t necessarily stopped spending, but they’re becoming much more particular about where their money goes. A $300 suitcase or $600 dress can still sell when customers see enough value in it.
Mediocre is the bit that’s getting harder to justify. You’ll hear us talk about the difference between value and value for money, why brands need to know exactly who they’re for, and why trying to hold onto every customer can be a terrible strategy.
And then there’s the big measurement question. If someone visits July’s beautiful store, fondles a suitcase, leaves and buys it online three weeks later, who gets the credit?
Andrea and I talk about our obsession with attribution, the ROI of brand experiences that don’t fit neatly into a spreadsheet, and why experiential retail doesn’t require hand-poured terrazzo and a DJ. Sometimes it’s simply staff who know the product and give a sh!t.
Ultimately, this episode is about doing fewer things better and building a brand people have a reason to choose.
Come say hi
If you’ve ever wondered whether customers have stopped spending or they’ve simply stopped spending with brands that give them no compelling reason to care, I want to hear about it.
Find me on Instagram → @campaign_del_mar
Extras
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References mentioned in this episode
This episode was produced by Laura McRae from Podcast Support Services
