Miss Etam writes a new chapter. Melanie Barneveld and Thomas Zonneveld continue the Dutch brand. The brand will go online again, as customers are used to. “We haven’t changed our positioning because we want to serve the fans well,” the pair explained in a video call to FashionUnited.
Barneveld and Zonneveld have extensive retail and e-commerce experience and are no strangers to Miss Etam. Barneveld has worked for the brand for ten years and Zonneveld for seven years. Two years ago, following the brand’s bankruptcy under the FNG Group and its relaunch, the pair remained involved in e-commerce through the consultancy they founded of their own. A few months ago they were asked by the new owner of the brand, the Elzas textile family, to continue Miss Etam. “We thought it would be a shame if Miss Etam was lost,” says Barneveld. Barneveld and Zonneveld act as the faces of the brand and are the driving force behind the relaunch.
Miss Etam: Operators can rely on “the strength of Miss Etam”
Barneveld and Zonneveld are experts in retail and e-commerce and have assembled a small team that brings together all disciplines. The collection that Miss Etam will continue with focuses on customer favourites. “We have now brought back some of the favourites,” says Barneveld. Over time, the two would like to expand this further so that all the classics that customers are familiar with can be found in the brand again. “You often see when a brand is continued or taken over that the brand will come back slightly different. We didn’t do that on purpose.” However, there is still room for the modernization of the articles.
The first focus is to reach the loyal fans. Of course, this also includes the women who know Miss Etam mainly from the shopping street. To reach these customers, Barneveld and Zonneveld want to work with Dutch media platforms, where Miss Etam’s target group can also be found. “We want everyone to know we’re here,” Barneveld said. That’s the focus for the years to come.
The duo does not yet have their own retail business or other wholesale plans apart from the cooperation with Wehkamp. But there is also no pressure to grow fast and strong. “That is the advantage that the brand is no longer in the hands of a large corporation. We have the luxury of being able to focus on the core,” says Zonneveld. “We can rely on the strength of Miss Etam.”
Under the name “Miss E”, the Dutch brand celebrated its market entry in Germany in September 2019 with its own online shop. However, the company seems to have stopped this market with the restructuring. FashionUnited is not aware of any current plans to return to the German market.
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.nl.