Market Context
With the womenswear outerwear & footwear market valued at just
over £13.4 billion (a growth of 3% year-on-year) and menswear
estimated at £8.2 billion (static year-on-year), River Island operates in
a highly competitive and fragmented environment (Source:TNS
Fashion Trak 52 w/e July 24th 2005). Consumers are becoming more
and more demanding for faster fashion at better value, which is
reflected in response times on the high street with products being
turned around faster than ever at even lower prices.The high street
multiples such as Topshop/Topman, New Look, Next, Dorothy Perkins
and Burtons all compete aggressively for market share with product
being key to entice consumers in store – the faster they can turn the
latest trends around, and deliver it with the best value, the better.
More recently supermarkets and discounters entered the market
place and are stealing share away from middle market retailers.This has
led to the market becoming more polarised with the value-discount
retailers at one end of the scale and added value retailers at the other.
The web marketplace is a fast moving market, with many key
‘bricks and mortar’ retailers having transactional websites to compete with
pure online retailers. Key players competing with www.riverisland.com
are the likes of ASOS,Topshop/Topman, Miss Selfridge and Warehouse,
with other retailers such as H&M, Oasis
and New Look having pure brand and
information based sites.
The UK market and the consumer River
Island targets is becoming increasingly web
savvy with 63% of households having used
the internet (86% of 15-19 year olds and
79% of 20-24 year olds) and 39% actually
shopping online (44% of 15-24 years olds –
14% spending on clothing) – (Source:TGI
Jan-Dec 2004).
Achievements
Over the past two years, River Island has
been increasing market share steadily
showing a 48% increase in share within
the women’s target audience and a 26%
increase in the men’s (Source:TNS Fashion
Track w/e April 3rd 2005 (Target audience
16-39 yrs) merged with River Island
sales figures).
HISTORY
www.riverisland.com boasts well over
to see change.The team has developed
THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW...
100,000 visitors per week, with a peak of
processes to allow new product to arrive
over 150,000 (June 2005), which places it
online every day, just as product comes
It has a design team of 60 British trained
in the top 10 of online fashion retailers
off display as soon as it starts to break
designers who work from its head office
(based on market share).
down. Basically it’s like a flagship online.
in London; designing all clothing that is
Recent industry and customer
River Island womenswear is
in stores.
recognition awards include the Drapers
committed to selling individual clothes
River Island trades in eight countries; it has
Record Multiple Retailer or the Year 2004,
for individual people.They are youthful,
200 stores across the UK and Ireland with 20
Retail Week 7th Annual Retail Interior
confident, stylish and fun. Menswear on
franchise stores.
Awards; Fashion Interior of the Year,
the other hand is about providing cool
More Fashion Awards 2004; Retailer
clothes for men who want to look
River Island is the title sponsor of Graduate
of the Year, More Fashion Awards 2004;
good and feel great without trying
Fashion Week – a charity set up to enable
Most Aspirational Mail Order Catalogue,
too hard.
graduating students the chance to showcase
Company High Street Awards 2004;
River Island offers a complete
their final year work to the press and fashion
Most improved shop on the High Street,
wardrobe solution enabling it to
industry.
Company High Street Awards 2005;
continue to grow its share of wallet
Best bags, as well as the FHM 100 Doors
across the market place through
2004 – finalist.
several types of market extension,
With the brand in such a strong
from shoes to jewels.
position, River Island recently developed
Personality and Goals
an awareness campaign to announce
those strengths to the target audience.
River Island has two personalities.
The advertising campaign is about to
For the River Island girl, it’s Successful,
enter its second year and comprises
Classy, Sexy, Fun and Funky whilst
single and double page spreads shot
confident and fashionable. River Island
using models the River Island customer is
menswear is Confident, Contemporary,
able to associate with. By working closely
Authentic, Relaxed, Independent and
with its customers, River Island knows that
Light hearted.
the campaign is delivering the standard of
River Island has undergone an
material that they have come to expect from the River Island
aggressive re-fit roll out strategy over the past year to support its
brand, relating directly to them and their own individual lifestyles.
strategy of being the ‘best’ on every high street; another example of
Early indications of spontaneous brand awareness are already showing
constant refreshment and improvement. Regional flagship stores that
signs of improvement.
represent this look include Manchester Trafford,Thurrock, Cardiff and
Dublin Grafton Street as well as smaller stores such as Windsor.The
Products and Services
Oxford Circus store has been open less than two years and has
already had two ‘updates’.
The internet is the ideal medium for a brand like River Island in that
it is constantly changing and evolving; instantly. Just as in River Island’s
stores nationwide where customers come back regularly and expect
www.riverisland.com
Mid 1950s
Late 1960s – The brand
Mid 1970s – The brand
Late 1980s – The name
Late 1990s
2001
Present day – The design led ethos of the business enables River Island to offer an
– River Island begins
trading under the
name Lewis Separates.
goes through several name
changes, most recognisably
becoming Chelsea Girl in 1967.
sets up its first in-house design
team creating its own bespoke
style and look.
River Island is first used. The original
wooden floored, East Coast inspired
shop design is unveiled.
– River Island launches a
website holding information
about the brand.
– RiverIsland.com
launches as a fully
transactional site.
innovative shopping experience in 200 outlets across eight countries, including its most
recent in Dubai. A team of 60 designers are now employed to keep the collection at the
forefront of fashion.
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