George Sullivan, CEO and founder of The Sole Supplier, explains why a human connection and selling in an authentic way is key to competing with the likes of Shein and Temu.
High-end footwear and street fashion marketplace The Sole Supplier had eight years of consecutive growth since its inception in 2013. However, the cost-of-living crisis hit its customer base, with many young shoppers turning to budget marketplaces and fast fashion etailers.
“Can we do anything about that?” muses Sullivan, “I think it’s a wider macroeconomic problem.
“All we can do is keep taking them on that journey of how good the quality UK independent brands, like About Blank, YMC, Duke and Dexter, Klintz, Cortez, are.
“These are all UK brands, and these are what young consumers really love – if they’ve got the disposable income, that’s the caveat.”
While Sullivan believes most young consumers would rather buy from trusted brands, if they can’t afford the price tag they could be driven to “look alike pieces” and fast fashion. However, if brands put their founders front and centre, or harness the right spokesperson, they can keep their loyal customers.
“Something independent brands do well is the founder is usually at the front of it. That founder usually represents the audience that they are selling to, so the audience can relate in a true authentic way,” explains Sullivan.
“The founders are usually very open about their story and their journey, how they manufacture and what they do for their consumers And along with that is the heart – that’s the heart of a brand and that’s what consumers connect to.”
He adds that brands have moved away from a “faceless era”, using Nike as an example. The sports giant has “built their business on partnering with athletes who speak about their brand. So by identifying with Michael Jordan or Kobe or Ronaldo, you like Nike by accident.”
This step away from faceless brands is one that is only likely to continue in an increasingly digital and tech-driven landscape, according to Sullivan.
“ Even when robots are running our homes, human beings will still want authentic human connection. In fact, human connection is going to be bigger than ever in the AI era.
“It’s like the counterculture to the AI era. Some people are concerned that AI will lead to us all being lonely and locked in, with many young people more zoned into technology. But at the same time it’s still connecting people. I think that human connection will never die, it will just transform” he concludes.
Sullivan’s presentation: £100m Content Deals – 5 Secrets To The Best Content Partnerships will take place at 11.40 on 02 April at the Retail Technology Show. Find out more here.
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