After the opening of its first inpatient business in New York, the Spanish brand Alohas is strengthening its Omnichannel strategy with the opening of its first shop in the Netherlands. This new opening marks an important step in the European expansion of the brand, which already has sales outlets in Spain, Italy and France. An expansion to Germany, especially to the key town of Berlin, is planned.
With an already established customer: Interior base in the country, thanks to its online and wholesale channels, the brand initially decided on a branch in the heart of Amsterdam to further strengthen its connection to the local consumers. The new, 115 square meter store is located in Runstraat, one of the well -known streets of the shopping area “Negen Straatjes” in the center of the capital.
Alohas was founded in 2015 by Alejandro Porras Martorell and, after a stay in Hawaii, was created as a shoe concept, inspired by the traditional menorcan “Avarcas” sandals. Since then, the company has developed into a global fashion brand, with shoe and clothing collections designed in Barcelona and mainly produced in Spain and Portugal. Her business model, originally defined as “sustainable Fast fashion”, has developed into a concept of “timeless fashion”, which is based on an on-demand production system that prioritizes efficiency and a sense of responsibility.
On the occasion of this opening, Fashionunited spoke with Alejandro Porras Martorell about the role of the Netherlands in the international strategy of the brand, the balance between expansion and customer: internal tie in key cities such as London, Los Angeles and Berlin and how inpatient trade becomes a natural expansion of their digital offer.
What prompted you to enter the Dutch market and how do you rate its potential compared to other European markets?
We decided on the Dutch market because it belongs to the countries in which we already recorded considerable online sales volume, which clearly pointed out to us to a strong demand for our products.
We believe that the Netherlands have great potential because of their demanding consumers: inside that love modern design and are open to new concepts such as our on-demand model.
Compared to other European markets, we consider it a key market to strengthen our physical presence and continue to grow in northern Europe.
What other markets do you currently have in mind?
New York – Last week we opened our first store in the city in Elizabeth Street 260 in the Nolita district, near Soho; A step that meant the first crossing of the ocean – and we mainly have our sights on London, Los Angeles and Berlin. Some secondary cities in the USA are also checked by us.
What does the brand’s expansion strategy look like?
We rely on a combined strategy: On the one hand, we strive for width by expanding into new regions, especially into the most important international fashion cities such as New York, London, Los Angeles and Berlin, where we want to position ourselves with stationary shops and a relevant presence.
At the same time, we continue to rely on deep growth by increasing the customer: internal binding and strengthening our presence in the metropolises, in which we already see strong traction and consolidated potential.
What does the stationary trade contribute to your strategy, which the online trade does not do, especially in view of your on-demand model?
Inpatient trade enables us to offer a more comprehensive and tangible brand experience. Business strengthens trust, improve the emotional connection to customers and enable us to convey the on-demand model more direct and personal. In addition, they act as important places to win new ones: to gain inside and complement the digital experience, which strengthens the Omnichannel customer: internal bond.
What goals do you set yourself for your inpatient shops?
Our main goal is that inpatient shops become central contact points for the brand: places that not only generate sales, but also the extraction of new customers: promote inside, increase the customer: Interior tie and strengthen our local presence.
We strive for every business to be profitable, but above all that it acts as a motor for omnichannel growth in strategic cities. Therefore, the customer is very important: internal experience in business; In addition to the pure reputation of our products, it is an opportunity for us to explain the on-demand system and to convey the origin, values and goals of the brand.
How do you design a shopping experience that justifies the waiting time?
The most important thing is that we offer unique products, experiences and stories that address customers from the first moment. We design each piece carefully and pay attention to every detail so that the customer: inside you have the feeling that it is worth waiting. The on-demand model becomes part of the added value: it is not just a purchase, but a conscious decision for something special and durable.
How does such a business model work with your delivery companies?
Our model requires a very close relationship with the delivery companies based on agility, constant communication and flexible planning. We work with smaller and more frequent productions, which means that we can quickly react to actual demand. This requires a high degree of coordination, but also leads to less surplus, more efficiency and a supply chain, which is much more tailored to the actual wishes of the customers.
How do you deal with the risk of excess stocks or not sold products in terms of stocks and the like?
We constantly perfect our on-demand model to minimize mistakes from the outset and only to produce what we know about is being asked. If we are still wrong – because this is part of the process – we manage this surplus via traditional channels such as outlets. The aim is to maintain healthy rotation and avoid unnecessary accumulations without affecting the quality of the brand experience.
Have you implemented new tools or systems for inventory management?
Yes, we have invested in technological tools that enable us almost real-time transparency about the inventory and product rotation both online and in retail. These solutions help us to make precise decisions about reordering, allocations and production that are tailored to our agile on-demand model. Technology is the key to maintaining efficiency and risk control at every point in the chain.
To what extent are the creative decisions of data influenced?
Data is an important tool that helps us understand what our community moves, but they do not replace the creative intuition. We constantly analyze the behavior of the customers: inside to recognize patterns and opportunities, but always leave room for experiments and the vision of the design team. The balance between intuition and data enables us to be innovative without losing commercial relevance.
Are you planning to expand the product lines to other accessories?
Yes, we are examining new product categories and bags are a natural development within our brand universe. Whenever we expand the collection, we do this carefully: we want to offer something special in design, quality and functionality and ensure that it fits the values of our community. We are working on it, but prioritize the right time, the right talent and the right implementation.
How do you rate internally when the right time for diversification of the portfolio came?
We validate this through the combination of data, brand instinct and market signals. Before we introduce a new category, we analyze the existing demand, test with limited editions and evaluate whether we can really offer something special. We also take into account our operational capacity and the effects that this can be on the focus of the brand. We only diversify if we feel that the product offers real added value and has the potential to become a fixed pillar in our portfolio.
They have left the term “sustainable Fast fashion” behind and rely on the concept of “timeless fashion, on-demand”. What was the reason for this change and what would you like to convey with this new definition?
Our priority is to design special and timeless products that really appeal to people, so they are ready to wait. The on-demand model is a tool to achieve this, not the purpose. Sustainability is a natural consequence of doing things right: to design, to produce sensibly and to avoid abundance. We prefer to speak of value, durability and desire than labels.
This article previously appeared on fashionunited.es and was used with the help of digital tools translated.
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