A spirit of optimism, optimization and summary of the one-year anniversary
Berlin, – Exactly one year ago in April 2021, sales expert Jens Herzig founded the new womenswear label lovely sisters. His more than 20 years of expertise with various market leaders and the many years of practical experience of his team give the brand a strong foundation. Expert knowledge, agility, creativity and self-criticism are part of the DNA of the group from Greven and Berlin. Just like moments of surprise and creative solutions. A look back and a look ahead:
In a time of demographic change, Jens Herzig and his team are committed to adult women – a target group that will empirically grow from size 36 to size 48 throughout Europe in the coming years. While competitors and retailers often still focus on younger customers, lovely sisters focuses on women with rough edges and curves. Because interest in fashion is not a privilege of young people. Women who studied or did their training in the 1980s and 90s also want to be seen and are looking for collections that suit them.
- That’s why Jens Herzig founded the new womenswear brand “lovely sisters” in April 2021.
- In October 2021, Herzig and his team started in retail and with their own e-shop.
Since it was founded a year ago, lovely sisters has been shaking up the retail landscape and consumers alike. lovely sisters can hardly be compared to the competition and does not aim to copy other originals. Because the brand picks up its target group with the dynamic lifestyle and not with the obligations in everyday life. lovely sisters makes surfaces colorful – both in retail and on the product. lovely sisters is a good and a necessary disruptor in the business. lovely sisters is not afraid to talk. lovely sisters is listening. And: lovely sisters learned from last year.
future plans
For 2022 and 2023, the start-up aims to expand its business in the DACH market and internationalise. The lovely sisters media agency c/o MASALI GmbH, Heinrich-Roller-Straße 16b, D-10405 Berlin hopes to develop and expand a sales representative network in DACH, BeNeLux, UK/Ireland, Scandinavia and the Baltic States Contact: Stephanie Speckmann, [email protected], +49-30-23 25 794 11 Team important impulses from the international markets, which will ultimately and last but not least be good for the core market of Germany.
- Cooperation with the commercial agency Cees des Best in Amsterdam for the Netherlands – since January 2022
- Cooperation with the agency Bueter Consulting for the area of England, Ireland, Belgium, Scandinavia and the Baltic States – since January 2022
- Cooperation with the agency Morawitz in Salzburg for Austria – from April 2022
- Considerations of giving preference to trade fairs such as the CIFF in Copenhagen and/or the Modefabrik in Amsterdam over local trade fairs in Berlin
community love
The target group commitment of the progressive womenswear brand is also being strengthened and communicated even more clearly across all sales and brand channels: The focus is on women with experience, age-independent girl power, curiosity and lightness. The target group of the “lovely sisters” is united by an eventful past between peace demonstrations, environmental protection, festivals and building up their families. lovely sisters sees itself as part of a female community and shows women that they have always been cool, committed and self-confident. The goal: to empower women in their natural self-understanding.
Call for exchange & anti-cyclical action
On the occasion of the one-year anniversary in April 2022, Jens Herzig, co-managing director Stephan Adam and head of sales Niels Koischwitz call on you not to let yourself be guided by fear of crisis. Courage, curiosity, authenticity and anti-cyclical action are proven success factors for setting the course for the future in ambitious phases.
“We started anti-cyclically with full awareness in the midst of a pandemic and have been experiencing for a year that fair play, lived partnerships, disciplined work and the will to change are important success factors, especially in times of crisis. We would like to share what we have learned from the past year with our competitors and retailers. We encourage everyone to shake off the dust of the last few years and take a close look at what is still relevant and what needs to change. Nowadays, of course, this does not necessarily mean expanding the portfolio of offers, but it can certainly go hand in hand with an optimization that results in the reduction of historically unprofitable limits. In this way, something new can be tried out at the same time,” sums up Jens Herzig, Managing Director of HABitu GmbH & Co.KG.
Challenges & Responses
#1 Fall/Winter 2021
Global logistics challenges with the associated price increases by air & ship
- Relocation of production to Europe
- Conversion from ship & plane to rail & truck
The autumn/winter collection 2021 was reflected by the German specialist trade as too conservative and without a “red thread”.
- Push of the fashion grade, especially in the strengths knitwear, warp-knitted fabric, sweater, blouse, dress, shirt
- Use of color connectors via print & complementary colors between two consecutive color themes
Some of the outdoor and ready-to-wear qualities were perceived as scratchy
- Change of suppliers: China becomes Turkey
#2 Fall/Winter 2021 & Spring/Summer 2022
The sales period for the last seasonal themes (December 2021/June 2022) is judged to be too short
- High/low offers for the May/Jun and Nov/Dec delivery dates with a calculation of 200% up to 237% in the surcharge
- Offer of an alternative delivery date at the beginning of November 2021, also for the month of December 2022
- Postponement of the delivery rhythm: originally Mar-Jun and Sep-Dec is now Feb-May and Aug-Nov
Sales expansion requires more “sales power” for maintaining contacts and customer care
- Establishment and expansion of a sales representative network in DACH, BeNeLux, UK/IRL, SCANDI, BALTICS
#3 Fall/Winter 2022
Timid German purchasing in the order vs. very positive order feedback
- Additional orientation in the direction of export through the development of a network of contacts via agents and sales representatives
- Consideration of giving preference to trade fairs such as the CIFF in Copenhagen and the Modefabriek in Amsterdam over trade fairs in Berlin
Prints are judged to be too light
- Reducing the amount of white in the prints using the stencil for delivery
The collection is seen as “too fashionable” in parts. The basics of retail are missing.
- Introduction of small core items in the blazer, trousers and dress segments for reassurance
- Implementation of the rule that center items come in neutral colors: green becomes melange gray and orange becomes navy
- Introduction of a seasonal Flash-NOS offer from January 2023, consisting of knitwear, sweatshirt and shirt. Approximately 4 items in 3 color options in starting price ranges as “table items” with permanent replenishment are intended to additionally commercialize the collection and strengthen the economic success of all themes of a season at the POS through increased calculation and attractive starting price ranges