Elle Roseby, general manager of Supré, talks to Inside Retail about connecting with your core demographic.
Inside Retail: How has Supré realigned its company values with teen values?
Elle Roseby: The first step was always about modernising Supré for the next generation of girls. With the help of a new design team and input from retail staff, we’ve created a product range that is more on-trend, better quality but remaining at an accessible price point. Our new stores are also less cluttered with bigger dressing rooms and innovative features, to encourage shoppers to try on clothes with their besties and make it a fun experience.
We have also worked hard to get to know our customer. We recognise that our core demographic is teenage girls who value friendship and want to feel supported.
As a brand, our purpose is to empower this generation of young girls. One way we have done this is by re-launching our e-commerce platform, supre.com.au and introducing inspiring digital content which talks to our customer in a meaningful and relevant way beyond shopping.
Not only can our customers now shop the latest trends with ease, the site also houses profiles on inspiring young women, pop culture content, fashion trends, blogger content and more as part of our digital bi-monthly magazine called gURL.
IR: How important is localised community engagement?
ER: As a fast fashion destination for teens, we have a great opportunity to talk openly with our young shoppers.
Bullying is an issue that affects our girl and it’s an important issue to us. Our team is passionate about supporting this cause so we have partnered with headspace, the national youth mental health organisation, to launch the Supré Foundation and take a stand against bullying.
One way we do this is by selling Foundation products in store, including a limited edition friendship bracelet, water bottles, nail files and candy pink mints. All proceeds raised go directly to the Supré Foundation.
We also recognise that our audience is digitally engaged so we have spent time in building a mobilised site and engaging with customers on social media such as Instagram where followers have risen from 32,000 to nearly 250,000, which is phenomenal.
Together with the launch of gURL magazine, our work with headspace and the interaction we have with our customer base on social media, I am confident that we are creating a world where girls are celebrated and encouraged to do anything they put their mind to.
IR: The brand does considerable work around fostering a positive cultural change – how does this come to life across all stakeholders?
ER: With support from headspace, Supré staff across the country are the leaders of the Supré Foundation, championing a no-tolerance attitude and empowering girls to say no to bullying behaviour. At our head office we also support multiple localised and international charities including Geelong Animal Welfare Society, 88 Bikes and the Kirabo Foundation in Mannya as part of the Cotton On Foundation. Supporting philanthropic projects ensures our goals as a brand go well beyond our day-to-day business activities.
IR: What are some of the ways you get to know your customers?
ER: Our greatest customer knowledge comes from spending time on the ground with them in stores. Experiencing our brand with our customers, in person, provides us valuable understanding and direction for future growth.
We conduct regular online surveys, asking our customers everything from their shopping habits, to their weekend activities and the issues and hot topics that matter most in their world.
Our social channels also provide us a daily snapshot of our customers activities, likes and dislikes and even their evolving language from “besties” to “baes”. We are a brand that proactively engages on our social channels ensuring our customers can chat with us rather than talk at us.
Elle will speak about about the importance of people in the transformation of Supré at Inside Retail Academy’s Leadership Seminar: Inspiring People and Brands in Melbourne and Sydney.
