CWB speaks to independent childrenswear retailers about their plans for the upcoming a/w 23 buying season.
CLARE CUMMINS, Bella Diosa
“With consumer behaviours continually evolving since the global pandemic, for Bella Diosa and others in retail, we saw consumer caution due to inflation, the cost of living crisis and political uncertainty towards the latter part of 2022. Subsequently, we foresee our a/w 23 buying will differ from previous seasons. At Bella Diosa we have always chosen longevity and valued craftsmanship over passing trends. Each piece in our collections is thoughtfully picked out to provide authenticity and versatility. For a/w 23, we will be curating a capsule collection creating a limited selection of interchangeable pieces that complement one another. Central to this will be classic, sustainable, timeless pieces that the consumer will buy with intention, having a positive effect on their finances as well as the environment. So, our primary focus for a/w 23 is to source more sustainable and ethical brands. We want the collection to be made up of natural fabrics, premium quality garments, and footwear that has been carefully made by artisans who work in a safe and positive atmosphere and are paid fairly. Our vision is for a plethora of playful, high-quality, precious clothing that is versatile, transeasonal and made with our environment in mind. I am continually looking to source new brands, whether that be at trade shows or via digital marketplaces. Nothing beats the excitement of putting together a collection of brands from different countries and cultures. This allows Bella Diosa to stay ahead of the curve, maintain our exclusivity, and make international brands accessible in the UK. We will be attending several international trade shows across January and early February. For our brands that don’t exhibit at trade shows, we will be partaking in social shopping sessions.”
SAMANTHA PRITCHARD, It’s Feet First
“With the ongoing economic and cost of living crisis, we will be more conscious about buying this season. However, we will potentially look at taking on new brands as we had to drop a few of our current ones due to a high increase in RRPs. Some brands have also placed in minimum orders that make it impossible for us little independents to stock them. There’s still a large number of brands experiencing ongoing shipping issues too, so stock arrives late in the season. As a result, we don’t get the sell-through rate, which forces us to buy less as stock levels remain high in-store. We looked at potentially moving into other categories last year but struggled to find anything suitable, but we’re still open to finding the right products and moving the business forward.”
SIMON LARGE, Kathryns
“In terms of new brands, Missoni is relaunching its kids’ collection , so we’re excited to work with them. We’re also in talks with a couple of high-end luxury brands that we have experienced high demand for. Due to the amount of trade we’re currently doing with international customers, we’re considering introducing gifts to our offer, and we’re always looking to try and buy as many sustainable products from our brands as possible. We plan to attend Pitti Bimbo and potentially a few other trade shows, but overall, we don’t see the spend being as high due to the current climate and the way customers are spending.”
ANNETTE EVANS, Doodlebug
“This season I will be buying my key pieces from organic or UK companies that offer in-season orders to enable flexibility of stock volumes. I prefer to support smaller independent UK companies or artisan makers to offer something different for our customers. We started stocking toys and gifts this year and will continue to do so alongside the clothing. We like to stock sustainable brands in clothing and toys, so while we are always searching for new brands, we do look at this when considering taking on a new supplier. I still think more needs to be done from a packaging perspective. For instance, plastic bags on individual clothing when other companies can fulfil in biodegradable packing or one packet per product line rather than each item. The same applies to toys, there must be a different option for plastic packaging. Postage costs seem to vary wildly across different companies too, and this can make a real difference to small independent companies that may order smaller volumes on a regular basis.”
GEMMA SIMPSON, Other Kids
“We will definitely be focusing more on babywear and new baby gifting for a/w 23 alongside sustainable brands, which are always at the core of the business. We do plan to reduce the quantity of stock and offer a much smaller selection in certain areas. We will stick to the core of the business, which is sustainably made, properly fitted children’s shoes, and will cut back on other areas like outerwear. We will also offer a smaller size run in clothing moving forward. With more and more people now buying second-hand clothing for children, we want to focus on shoes and baby gifts as our staples for a/w 23. We are open to taking on new collections if we feel they are offering something that we are currently missing in our range, but during this more difficult climate, our main focus for the season will be on our current trusted brands that work well for us.”
