Appendix 1 ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
Appendix 2 (Interview 1 with Trine Hass (I1) ) .................................................................................................. 3
Appendix 3 (Interview 2 with Trine Hass (I2) ) .................................................................................................. 6
Appendix 4 - Corrie McDougall, Applied Methodology Lesson 1 ...................................................................... 9
Appendix 5 - Corrie McDougall, Applied Methodology Lesson 1 .................................................................... 10
Appendix 6 - Linking Research Questions & Methods .................................................................................... 11
Appendix 7 – Interview Guide for Interview 1 with Trine Hass ....................................................................... 12
Appendix 8 - Interview Guide for Interview 2 with Trine Hass ....................................................................... 13
Appendix 9 – Biography ................................................................................................................................... 14
Appendix 10 ..................................................................................................................................................... 15
Appendix 11 - Interview Guide for Interviews with English Females .............................................................. 19
Appendix 12 - Competitors – Ethics in their branding campaigns .................................................................. 20
Appendix 13 – Interviews with English 25-35 year-old Females ..................................................................... 21
R1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 22
R2 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 25
R3 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 29
R4 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 32
R5 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 38
1

2

[…] = umuligt at høre hvad der præcist bliver sagt eller urelevante ord/sætninger
Har jeres målgruppe ingen alder? […] når man er 30 så er man så gammel og når man er 50 uhh så er man virkelig gammel. Altså, det er meget forskel på i forhold til typer. […] så det er mere typer vi arbejder med, altså forskellige piger – end at sige at det er en pige fra 25 til 50 […] Men hvis jeg skulle sætte alder på ville det være et eller andet sted derimellem men det kunne også godt være pigen som er 19 som vil have noget, det kan også være […] en ældre person.
Har I statistikker over hvem der mest køber jeres tøj? altså, vi har ikke statistikker over dem som, altså om det er en pige på 27 der køber mest tøj ved os, det har vi ikke. Men de ligger da helt sikkert i det der leje, 30 fra og i England ville det måske være lidt yngre men jeg vil sige et eller andet sted fra 25 til 35.
Ja okay, så har jeg noget jeg kan gå ud fra for efter min mening er det […] altså jeg er selv 25 og har
veninder der er yngre end mig, som køber meget Vero Moda.. det vil helt sikkert også være billedet når du træder ind i en engelsk butik, der er både unge, altså som er måske 19 eller lige 20 til 35 og du vil også finde nogen der er 50, altså det er simpelthen så svært at sætte alder på.
Det er rigtigt […] men nu har du sagt at det ca. vil være 25-35, at det i hvert fald er der den største
målgruppe ligger?Ja, det vil jeg umiddelbart mene, det vil være der hvor der vil være flest hvis man begyndte og spørge kunderne om deres alder [støj]
1.59 – 3.28 […] om min plan i England + info fra Trine om deres branding-bog
Hvad er jeres intention på det engelske marked? Jeg ved at I er i 9 forskellige byer i England, kan det
passe? Ja, det kan det. Jamen altså det er jo helt sikkert et marked vi rigtig gerne vil ekspandere på. […]
Øhh, man kan sige at nu er det sådan en lidt anderledes situation i og med at der lige er kommet noget ind fra højre der hedder finanskrise men det er dybest set egentlig til vores fordel fordi England er et land som, hvis/når man skal skrive en lejekontrakt eller […] få et nyt lokale så koster det kassen og du har næsten uendelige lejekontrakter. Du kan ikke opsige. […] Og de er virkelig virkelig dyre så det er nogle gange et spørgsmål om hvor dyr er den her placering i forhold til måske at få en anden placering eller lige at vente og man kan sige nu ventede vi et stykke tid nogle af stederne og det er så […] og nu er der så nogle lejemål som vi før i tiden slet ikke kunne komme i nærheden af, som lige pludselig er til at betale og det er selvfølgelig en positiv ting for os, så vi vil helt klart ekspandere. Det er et marked vi skal have mange flere butikker på.
Jeg har venner som bor udenfor London og der var nogen der slet ikke vidste hvad Vero Moda var.. ja og det er selvfølgelig en anderledes fornemmelse i et land, altså når vi kommer fra Danmark hvor vi har 86
Vero Moda-butikker sammenlignet med et så stort land som England, hvor vi er forholdsvist ukendte, der er heller ikke nogen der kender Bestseller i England. […] og det er jo fordi vi er en dansk koncern og ikke er så særlig synlige derovre endnu. Hvis vi havde 100 butikker i England, så vidste folk også godt hvem vi var.
[…] så man kan sige at det er et spørgsmål om at kendskabsgraden til os er ikke speciel høj og det er også fordi at England er jo bare, altså de har jo nogle super skarpe retailers i forvejen. De har NEXT og Primark og
Top Shop og H&M og alle de der interne og Selfridges.
3

Ja og altså det jeg godt kunne tænke mig er at se hvordan jeres største konkurrent gør og hvorfor det er,
at de her interviewees […] bliver tiltrukket af deres brand. Ja
Men det ved jeg ikke om du vil snakke om […] jeg kan garantere dig at jeg vil gøre det her for på en eller
anden måde at hjælpe jer […] jamen jeg tror virkelig på at kendskabsgraden betyder rigtig meget, jeg tror på at […] i alle vores andre lande, som er store magter som Norge, Sverige, Tyskland, Danmark, Holland der har vi bare så mange butikker, der ligger der en Vero Moda i hver by, så lige gyldigt hvor man kommer til, så ved man, nå der er en Vero Moda. Det giver bare en eller anden bevidsthed i forbrugerens hoved – når man har set det tilpas mange gange så finder man ud af, nå ja det er det her det står for. Man er man kun i
Liverpool og Sheffield og de steder hvor vi er og ikke har særlig mange butikker, jamen så er det lidt en anden måde, for så er det kun dem […] der besøger os. Og når vi i forvejen er et forholdsvist nyt mærke i
England, så bliver det derved at man skal kende os, man bliver nødt til at komme ind i vores butikker ofte for at finde ud af hvad det er der er i en Vero Moda butik.
L: Ja, men ville du mene det ville være urelevant at kigge på nogle konkurrenter? nej, slet ikke, slet ikke
Fordi nu snakkede jeg med Rikke om konkurrenter, hvor hun mente at H&M og Top Shop ville være nogen
af de største? Ja, altså H&M er selvfølgelig altid og så kan man sige Primark synes jeg faktisk også i og med at de er så skarpe på basics, det kan vi selvfølgelig bare tage ud af vores butikker, men det er også bare rigtig rigtig mange fine rugbrødsvarer der ligger sådan et sted og mange gode penge. […] Og så er der selvfølgelig altid sådan nogle som Next og Miss Selfridges – alle de der er jo bare virkelig virkelig skarpe i retail, så der er rigtig rigtig rigtig mange dygtige retail-konkurrenter i England, faktisk flere end vi er oppe imod nogen andre steder.
Ja nemlig, men jeg tænker at Primark er, altså hvor Vero Moda er lidt mere stilet? Ja helt sikkert men vi har også en stor, vi ligger selvfølgelig også vægt på at have bascis i vores butikker og det er dybest set, nu siger jeg no go i England, fordi det kan vi slet ikke konkurrere med. Primark kan sælge 4 basic T-shirts for 5 pund. Så konkurrent ser vi dem ikke som, men vi ser dem som noget vi bliver nødt til at forholde os til for at skabe vores butik [støj] og så driftsorienteret som muligt. Fordi skal vi tage basics ud af vores butikker så skal vi jo tage noget andet ind og hvad skal det så være? […] og så kan man selvfølgelig sige at det er et let valg for det er bare at sætte noget mere fashion ind og det gør vi også gerne. Men der har vi også bare rigtig mange som er rigtig rigtig dygtige.
Ja, altså jeg tænker også sådan noget som Dorothy Perkins om det er et brand som I ser som jeres
konkurrent? Jamen man kan sige at alle high-street mærker, altså gå ned af Oxford Street og alt hvad der ligger af high-street shops der er jo dybest set en konkurrent til os. […] man kan sige herhjemme er der ikke så mange retail-kæder, som os, altså vi har jo Zara er de er ikke specielt repræsentative i Danmark og H&M og så er der nogle speciale butikker, men ellers herhjemme er det altid H&M vi sammenligner os med og som man har som sit pejlemærke og tager sikkert også os på Danmark men i UK der er situationen bare en helt anden for der er der 15 [konkurrenter].
Hvis du lige nu skulle sige hvem af jeres konkurrenter jeg skulle kigge på, hvem ville du så synes? Altså jeg ville helt sikkert synes H&M, jeg ville synes Miss Selfridges […] der er selvfølgelig også Mango, men de er selvfølgelig ikke så repræsenteret derovre, men de er der. Og der er Zara.
4

Ja, men jeg tror også, at hvis du mener at H&M og Selfridges er jeres største konkurrenter, så er det
selvfølgelig dem jeg skal Altså H&M helt sikkert.
Ja og umiddelbart det jeg selv ville vurdere ville være TopShop, men det ved jeg ikke, hvad I tænker? Det er det også, det er jeg enig med dig i, det er jeg enig med dig i.
Ja, så dem kunne jeg måske også prøve at kigge på, hvordan de gør og igen spørge dem jeg skal
interviewe hvad de mener og hvad det er, som de gør.. Man kan sige i England ligger vi også rigtig mange steder med multibrand [støj] Jack&Jones, dvs. at der både er en Vero Moda og en Jack&Jones i samme […], så de steder hvor de også gør det og de mærker der også har det, skulle man helt sikkert også lige lure på hvad de gør. […] i både har pige og herre-tøj.
Ja for det er jo ikke noget I gør i Danmark så vidt jeg ved, der har I jo delt det op i Vero Moda og Only-
butikker og så er der Vila-butikker og Jack&Jones Jo altså derover ligger de samlet så når du går ind i en butik.
Optagelse 2
Nu spørger jeg lige igen til det der med jeres intentioner og det jeg tænker helt specifikt er, hvordan I
ønsker at folk skal se jer, altså se jeres brand? Jamen det skulle de jo gerne se som værende et modebrand hvor de kan komme ind og få modetøj til billige penge. As being a
[…] altså vores mission er ’Make Vero Moda the best place to shop’
Ja og det er vel også det I vil bruge som jeres overordnede mål i England eller hvad? Ja, det er jo målet for alle vores butikker i alle lande
Ja, og nu du siger mode tænker jeg om du kan sige noget mere om hvilken mode, mode for hvem? nej fordi moden er jo omskiftelig, altså den skifter jo hele tiden så det er jo med at følge med i de trends der er og være på med dem
Jeg tænker bare at der jo er mode for hiphoppere og mode for.. […] ting som man kan sige, er det vi snakkede om før i forhold til målgruppen, altså det vil jo være at det er til piger, så moden er jo når alle skal have jumpsuits på, så skal vi selvfølgelig have jumpsuits.
Ja, jeg tænker om man kan karakterisere det som det mere poppede altså i forhold til hippie-stil eller
rock-stil eller hvad skal man sige? Jamen du er stadigvæk, altså det er jeg ikke enig i at man deler det op, fordi det kan jo godt være at du skal gå i hængerøvsbukser den ene dag og næste dag skal du gå i jeans.
Altså selvfølgelig kan man også godt sige at folk der ikke går i super feminint tøj kunne selvfølgelig
stadigvæk godt gå ind til jer og købe en top og de der basic-ting, ik? ja og jeans
Ja nemlig […] hvordan markedsfører I jer nu, men det gør I vel egentlig ikke så meget derovre nu? nej, altså vi vil jo rigtig rigtig gerne markedsføre os igennem vores butikker.
Det med at have Vero Moda og Jack&Jones i en butik, og om de så har indflydelse på hinanden, hvad
havde du af kommentarer til det? I og med at man kan tage nogle store lokaler og dermed få nogle andre lejekontrakter
Ja og jeg tænker det at man brander Jack&Jones anderledes fra Vero Moda, hvor stor indflydelse det har
og om det egentlig bare er et plus? Ja, lige præcis, det er sådan noget der er spændende at undersøge.
5

[…] = umuligt at høre hvad der præcist bliver sagt eller urelevante ord/sætninger
Vero Moda’s intention er den samme på alle markeder eller? Altså Vero Moda brandet, vi vil det samme på alle markeder. Det er Vero Moda og vi er i England, Danmark eller Tyskland.
Ja, det er mere det der med, I har det der med at I vil være ’the best place to shop, ikk?’ Jo, det er vores vision.
Ja det er jeres vision, men ønsker I at I skal komme over på det engelske marked og være top of mind awareness brand, altså det brand som simpelthen skal være det de engelske forbrugere kommer først i
tanke om når de tænker vi skal ud at shoppe? Det tror jeg er rigtig, rigtig svært, fordi at vi er et dansk brand. Det tror jeg på altid vil være noget der kommer fra England. Altså TopShop og de ting som vi kender og har kendt altid og som har en rigtig lang forhistorie og som folk har kendt i mange år, og ved hvad står for, de vil altid, tror jeg på, ligge før i tankegangen, fordi folk kender dem bedre end et nyt brand. Og sådan tror jeg også modsat de har det, når de kommer ind på det danske marked. De vil jo på den side, der kender alle danske piger kender Vero Moda, og vil på den måde også tit tænke Vero Moda og så efterfølgende måske et nyt mærke man ikke har kendt i så lang tid. Så jeg tror virkelig det har noget at gøre med, hvor man kommer fra og hvor lang tid man har været repræsenteret på markedet. Også hvor mange butikker man har, som vi snakkede om sidst, vi er selvfølgelig interesseret i at få så mange butikker som overhovedet muligt, der er plads til derovre, men jeg tror på at det vil altid, selvfølgelig vil vi altid sørge for at have gode nye varer, lige som alle mulige andre, og være først, altså ikke være først med moden, men vi skal komme lige der hvor de fleste folk begynder at få øjnene op for, hvad der er moden, der skal vi selvfølgelig være der lige som TopShop og H&M og alle dem der.
I believe [a TOMA brand] will always come from England, […] Top Shop and similar brands which we know and have always known and which have a very long and well-established previous history and which people have known for many years, I believe that [those brands] will always come to mind initially because people know them better than any other new brand.[…] I believe it has to do with where the brand is from and how
long the brand has been represented on a market
Ønsker I at blive tæt på at være lige så store i England, som I er i Danmark for eksempel? Det vil vi da gerne.
Og det er så det, som I vil gøre igennem jeres butikker og ved at butikkerne ligger de rigtige steder? Ja
Hvordan vil du beskrive de behov som Vero Moda opfylder, og måske hvordan de er anderledes end
andre mærker for eksempel H&M og TopShop? Jamen jeg tror på at vi egentlig opfylder samme behov.
Vores behov må gerne blive dækket af, at pigen kommer ind og føler at hun kan få lige de smarteste par bukser, som er på mode nu til en god pris. Og på det rigtige tidspunkt. Altså the right product, at the right time and at the right price. Og sådan lever alle brands. Alle der har et nyt brand er jo mere eller mindre tvunget til, eller det er det vi alle ”aimer” for og gerne vil gøre bedst. Altså både at vi er der hurtigst og til den bedste pris. The right product, at the right time and at the right price. That’s how all brands live. Every new brand is compelled to, or that is what we all aim to do best, that is both being prompt and at the right price. Hvis du kommer ind til os er der bare bukserne til en god pris […]og de ligger der bare […] og man
6

kommer i tanke om, hold kæft mand nu skal vi bare have harmesbukser, så kommer du ind i Vero Moda og så ligger der haremsbukser og så ligger de der til 199,95 [….]
Det vil sige at det I satser på når I nu skal udvide i England, det er simpelthen at slå hovedsageligt på
prisen? Altså vi tager jo altid value for money, vi vil jo altid gerne have at vores butikker, at vi har de dyre butikker i forhold til rigtig mange andre så er vores butikker nogen, hvor vi bruger rigtig mange penge på vores inventar, så vi vil gerne signalere, at det er dyrt sted at være, men at det er et sted hvor vi har brugt nogle penge men hvor vi samtidig når du vender prismærket på tøjet så ser du GUD MAND, kan jeg få et par bukser til 300 kr. ’Value for money’ er kodeordet, som vi prøver at arbejde os hen mod.
We want to signal that [the stores] are [..] a place we have spend a lot of money on but where the customer at the same time can turn the price tag and say WOW, I can get a pair of jeans for 300 kr.
Så altså en super god og behagelig oplevelse inde i butikken som måske også kan trække folk ind ude fra,
altså med nogle smarte vinduer og nogle smarte udstillingsting? Selvfølgelig og det er også derfor at beliggenhed, altså ligger man lige det sted du kommer op med metroen og man lige går 5 meter og så går man lige ind i en Vero Moda-butik, så derfor er beliggenhed bare overvejende er noget af det vigtigste.
So a nice and comfortable shopping experience which might also draw people in from the outside by e.g.
alluring window displays and? Of course, and location is very important, you know, if a VM is placed right where you get off the metro and you walk 5 meters and then you’re in a VM store. Location is unquestionably one of the most important features.
Hvad med kvalitet, er det noget I mener I vil slå på? Nej det ville ikke være et parameter.
Hvad så med service niveau? Altså vi vil selvfølgelig gerne yde rigtig rigtig god service til alle vores kunder, men service er jo mange forskellige ting, service er jo også en kæmpe stor del af merchandising , hænger varerne så du kan få fat i dem eller det tøj vi har på mannequinerne, kan du se det når du kommer ind, så service er virkelig bredt og selvfølgelig også om der kommer en sød pige og siger hej til dig […] og det vil vi selvfølgelig rigtig gerne. Der må vi også sige at England er et lidt andet marked som fx Danmark […]Pigerne er mere opsøgende i Danmark og er vant til at gå til kunderne hvor i England er det mere […] stik-i-rend dreng for dig som kunde, der er det ikke lige pigerne der kommer hen til dig og siger du er nødt til at lige at købe den her bluse fra Only, det burde de gøre men sådan er deres mentalitet ikke og sådan driver de ikke, altså sådan er der ikke nogen butikker i England der er og det vil vi selvfølgelig gerne skille os ud fra, men det er selvfølgelig en rigtig lang proces og det er også noget der involverer en masse mennesker og alt sådan noget så først og fremmest må vi jo slå på at vi ligger det rigtige sted og har de rigtige varer på det rigtige tidspunkt til den rigtige pris.
Their mentality is not like that and that is not how they run, I mean no stores in England are like this and of course we want to stand out regarding this but it is a really prolonged process which involves many people etc. so initially we need to focus on the right location, the right products at the right price.
Hvad med sådan noget som kundeloyalitet, ønsker I at folk skal blive ved med at komme tilbage? Altså det er jo altid en god ting og man kan sige at de kundeklubber som vi har i Danmark og som helt sikkert også skal lanceres på nogle andre markeder og som muligvis også kunne være interessant i England.
[brand loyalty] is always a positive thing and the member clubs launched in Denmark should definitely be launched in other countries and this could possibly be interesting in England as well
Men igen må vi sige at har vi det rigtige tøj på det rigtige tidspunkt, så kommer kunderne også af sig selv. Så altså kommer du til at tænke på at du skal have en printet t-shirt med et eller andet på, jamen hænger den i
Vero Moda, så går du derind.
7

Kan du kommentere på ’make Vero Moda the best place to shop’? har du en endelige kommentar som du synes er vigtig at få med i forhold til at skal udtænke en måde hvorpå I skal komme ind på det engelske
marked? Nej, det er det som jeg også har sagt før altså hvor synlig er man i markedet og hvor god varer har vi på det rigtige tidspunkt til den rigtige pris. Jeg synes de ting er så key faktor og så vigtige at det er sådan noget som også gør, at det er det best place to shop. Men i og med at vi ikke er så store i England endnu, så synes jeg at beliggenhed og varer er de ting som man skal have fokus på først og så kommer der en masse ting efterfølgende men det vil være når vi har nogle flere butikker.
Men som jeg ser det bliver I nødt til at differentiere jer lidt i forhold til andre for at folk skal få lyst til at gå ind, men der siger du så at I måske vil gøre det lidt mere servce-minded, hvilket det så ikke er andre
steder i England og så igen slå på prisen? Der er mange der slår på prisen, Primark kan vi fx ikke konkurrere med, altså et eller andet sted er det en kæmpe […] om kunder med samme penge. Men det er altid, når man har med mode at gøre, et spørgsmål om at have de rigtige varer på det rigtige tidspunkt, så når det er cool med slidte jeans, skal vi have slidte jeans. Vi skal selvfølgelig ikke have det som de første, vi skal se dem på en catwalk eller se dem i Prada eller Diesel og folk skal begynde at tænke okay, slidte jeans det er noget, og så skal det være i vores butik og det tror jeg er der man kan, fordi der er masser i England, det er det bedste retailmarked, der er jo masser af mærker af rigtig rigtig gode spillere på banen så det vil altid være. Sådan et sted er der ikke så meget at skille sig ud fra, fordi vi vil egentlig det samme alle os som man kalder highstreet brands, River Island, Top Shop, Next og alle dem der, det er de samme kunder vi henvender os til.
In a place like England, not much can be done to stand out because we all [high-street brands] want the same […] we approach the same customers
Kan du forklare hvorfor Vero Moda er det største damemærke som Bestseller har? Jamen jo det er det og der er Only, som haler os rigtig meget ind i knæhaserne på os, men antal butiksmæssigt set, så er Vero
Moda det største men generelt ligger vi meget tæt på Only.
Men Vero Moda var det første dametøjsmærke? Og har vel siden begyndelsen været det største mærke?
Ja, fordi det var det der startede først.
8

http://ccg.aau.dk/f-2009/kursusbesk/methods_corrie.htm
9

http://ccg.aau.dk/f-2009/kursusbesk/methods_corrie.htm
 Approaches to social research: Realist or Constructivist




Positivism - Realist social reality is independent of observer uniformities can be observed & explained social action is product of external forces
 Interpretivism - Constructivist
 social reality is produced & reproduced by social actors
 pre-interpreted, inter-subjective world of cultural objects, meanings
& social institutions
10

11

12

Hvad er jeres intentioner i England ifm:
1.
Brand-awareness? a.
Ønsker VM at være TOMA-mærke?
2.
Hvilke behov opfylder VM hos målgruppen?
3.
Hvordan er VM anderledes end konkurrenternes mærker?
4.
Kommentarer til VM’s kvalitet?
5.
Kommentarer til VM’s service niveau?
6.
Ønsker I høj loyalitet fra jeres engelske kunder?
7.
‘Make VM the best place to shop’ Hvad menes der med det?
What are your intentions on the English market related to:
1.
Brand-awareness? a.
Do you want VM to be a brand of TOMA (top of mind awareness)?
2.
What needs do VM fulfill?
3.
What differentiates VM from the competitors’ brands?
4.
Comments on the quality of VM clothes?
5.
Comments on the service empathy of VM employees?
6.
Do you want a high level of brand loyalty from your English consumers?
7.
‘Make VM the best place to shop’ – comments on this?
13

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Oversættelse af første del af artiklen ”Wie Dänen Mode machen” af journalist Silke Emig offentliggjort i
TextilWirtschaft Nr. 16 af 21.04.2005.
Vero Moda designteamet realiserer mere end 1600 styles om året – imellem langsigtet planlægning og hurtig reaktion. Kristine Iversen, koordinator i designteamet, fortæller, hvordan de kreative processer forløber.
TW: Vero Moda udvikler 8 kollektioner om året med hver 4 leveringsterminer. Hver kollektion indeholder omkring
300 styles. Hvordan kan man forestille sig den kreative proces forbundet hermed?
Kristine Iversen: Vi starter arbejdet med en kollektion med et designseminar, hvor alle designerne mødes for at afholde den første brainstorming. Inden seminaret rejser vi naturligvis meget for at lade os inspirere.
Hvor vigtige er disse rejser?
Meget vigtige. Vi rejser rigtig meget. Til New York, Hong Kong. For strikdesignerne er f.eks. New York og Italien utroligt interessante. For jersey-designerne er London vigtig.
Hvilke byer leverer for tiden de stærkeste modeimpulser?
London, uden tvivl. Hvis vi mangler mere feminin inspiration rejser vi til Italien. Og vi rejser frem for alt til Paris for at samle inspiration til prints og farver. Men København er også vigtig for os for at få dansk inspiration.
Hvilken indflydelse har de internationale designershows på dit arbejde?
Stor indflydelse. Vi følger med på Internettet, og de internationale designere viser mere ekstreme trends. Det lader vi os inspirere af og bruger en stor del heraf mere kommercielt.
Hvilke designere har stor virkning i øjeblikket?
Miuccia Prada, Miu Miu og Alexander McQueen. Til efteråret var også Sportmax en god inspirationskilde. Sidste år orienterede vi os stærkt efter Marc Jacobs.
Hvilke andre inspirationskilder har indflydelse på dit arbejde?
Vi arbejder meget med Internettet – med WGSN eller andre modehjemmesider. Vi benytter os ligeledes af trendbøger og magasiner. Naturligvis øver mange andre kilder også en vis indflydelse, f.eks. musik, film og video. Men det er ikke sådan, at man går ind og ser en film og bagefter laver en kollektion. Udviklingen i dag er alt for mangesidet til den slags. Man skal være meget præcis og fokuseret når man laver udkast til en kollektion.
Hvad mener du helt nøjagtigt med det?
Det betyder simpelthen, at vi ikke kan tage alle de trends ind, vi ser. For hver kollektion koncentrerer vi os om 2-5 trendtemaer – iøjnefaldende trends med en stærk virkning.
Og sådanne trendtemaer bliver efterfølgende fastlagt på de før omtalte designseminarer?
Netop. Alle har ekstremt mange ideer, temaer, stofprøver og accessories med på et sådant seminar. Vi får også prøver og ideer fra vores leverandører. Vi diskuterer alle mulige trends og smelter det hele sammen. Vi skal være meget præcise, for allerede på det tidspunkt fastlægges kollektionerne på månedstemaer. På den måde beslutter vi allerede på dette stadie, hvilket tema, der kommer i butikkerne den pågældende måned. Det er også nu, vi taler meget om farver, for farver er et vigtigt udgangspunkt, når man skal lave en kollektion. Herefter opstår de såkaldte Mood
Boards.
Hvor ufravigeligt er et sådant farvekoncept?
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Det er aldrig helt fastlagt. Selvfølgelig kommer der mere inspiration efterhånden som sæsonen nærmer sig. De første farver er sjældent de farver, som efterfølgende kommer i forretningerne.
Hvordan fortsætter udarbejdelsen af kollektionen når skelettet er fastlagt?
Så begynder arbejdet i produktgrupperne.
Hvordan er disse produktgrupper organiseret?
Der er 6 produktgrupper – en for jersey, strik, konfektion, bukser, Outdoor og Basic-jersey. I hver gruppe er der en eller to designere samt en printdesigner. For tiden er vi kun kvinder i alderen 23-33 år. I det hele taget er alle ret unge hos Bestseller. Desuden er der 2-6 indkøbere i et team og en produktmanager, der arbejder særligt tæt sammen med designerne. Disse grupper udvikler deres produkter separat, som selvfølgelig skal passe ind i trendtemaerne.
Betyder det, at de enkelte grupper udvikler deres egen kollektion helt selvstændigt?
Måske i det daglige arbejde. Men vi udveksler synspunkter med hinanden i stor stil. Jersey- og strikgruppen holder f.eks. til lige ved siden af hinanden. Vi taler permanent med hinanden, også spontant når vi mødes i gangen. Men jeg kan ikke sige, at vi i strikteamet nøjagtigt ved, hvilke bukser, konfektionsgruppen udvikler. Vi kender ikke de enkelte kollektioner i detaljer, men har en grundlæggende ide. Vi ved også, hvilke detaljer, de andre grupper arbejder med og bytter skitser med hinanden. Jo tættere vi arbejder sammen, desto bedre bliver kollektionen.
Hvorfor er der så denne opdeling i enkelte produktdesignteams?
For at vi har så megen kompetence som muligt på de enkelte produkter. Vi vil opnå det bedste resultat for jersey, konfektion og så videre. Og de enkelte grupper arbejder også sammen med de bedste leverandører for deres vedkommende.
Men der findes ingen Head Designer, som har overblikket over alle grupperne?
Der findes som sådan ikke en Head Designer, men derimod to koordinatorer. De er ansvarlige for, at kollektionen har et ensartet billede.
Hvem har den største indflydelse på denne designproces? Designerne, indkøberne eller produktmanageren?
Produktmanageren må af og til køle designernes ideer lidt ned. Det drejer sig ikke blot om trends, vi har et ping-pongsamarbejde med indkøberne. Hvis indkøberne synes, at en bestemt blå farve er helt forkert, ændrer vi den naturligvis.
Men hvis vi designere så på den anden side siger, at en bestemt farve er en meget vigtig trendfarve for os, kan det alligevel forekomme, at vi omsætter den lidt mere kommercielt og lidt mindre ekstremt. Det gælder om at holde balancen mellem hvad der er kommercielt og hvad der er trend.
Hvor stor en procentdel af dit arbejde udgør hensyntagen til Point-of-Sale?
Det kan man næppe udtrykke i procent. I starten af processen drejer det sig for os altid om, hvad der er det nyeste,
Men så snart vi er begynder at tegne kollektionen orienterer vi os meget stærkt efter salgstallene fra sidste år.
Er der store forskelle på de enkelte lande?
I hvert fald. De enkelte lande vil ofte have meget forskellige ting. Spanien vil f.eks. have langt flere miniskørter og små toppe end Danmark. Danmark er på den anden side meget mere feminin. Disse forskellige behov skal flyde ind i kollektionen. Vi skal være trendy, Bestseller-typiske og salgbare, for vi laver kun en kollektion, og den skal ramme plet i alle lande.
Hvad kan man sammenfattende sige er designteamets hovedopgave?
Det vigtigste for os er at være kommercielle. Vores hotsellere er nu engang Basic-artiklerne, men vi skal naturligvis altid være meget langt fremme. Vi kan ikke komme med en trend tre måneder efter vores konkurrenter. Vi skal komme før, eller i det mindste samtidig med, vores konkurrenter.
Hvem vil du betegne som Bestsellers hovedkonkurrent? H & M?
Helt klart.
Hvor stor er en kollektion?
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En kollektion omfatter 200-300 styles. Men vi arbejder på at gøre kollektionerne mindre for dermed at blive bedre i hver style. Det er nu en gang sådan, at der for hvert land kun resterer en kollektion på 100-200 artikler når først indkøberne for det respektive land har truffet deres valg. På den måde kan en Vero Moda butik i København se helt anderledes ud end en butik i Tyskland.
Dermed er distributionens indflydelse på kollektionens udseende jo utroligt stor.
Helt bestemt. Straks efter designseminaret bliver et par distributionsfolk involveret i vores arbejde. Vi diskuterer, hvad de har brug for og hvordan de vurderer de forskellige trends. Kontakten til distributionen bliver stadigt tættere.
Orienterer designteamet sig også direkte efter listerne over salgstallene?
Vi har alle adgang til disse lister. Jeg kan dagligt checke, hvad der sælger godt. Hver dag modtager vi en mail med top ti fra Point-of-Sale. Ydermere kan vi nøjagtigt se, hvad der er sket i det forgangne år. Det drejer sig helt enkelt om at sammensmelte alle indflydelser. Derefter begynder designerne at tegne kollektionen i produktgrupperne. En stor del af vores arbejde består i at overveje, hvilken overdel, der passer til hvilken underdel. Vi tænker ikke ubetinget i komplette outfits, men er selvfølgelig opmærksomme på, at der kommer toppe, der passer til bukserne.
Hvor ofte mødes produktgrupperne indbyrdes i den henseende?
2-3 gange i løbet af hele designprocessen.
Hvor længe varer designprocessen?
Det rent kreative, det at tegne de forskellige styles, strækker sig over 2-3 uger. Efter tegningen giver vores indkøbere skitserne til vores leverandører. Indkøberne ved nøjagtigt, hvilken leverandør, der er specielt egnet til hvilke ting. Vi har f.eks. et produktionssted i Peking, hvor de er rigtig gode til at lave perlebroderier. Eller vi har producenter i Tyrkiet, som vi arbejder tæt sammen med omkring vaskeeffekter. Herefter modtager vi de første prøver. Vi korrigerer og
ændrer detaljer for derefter at sende prøven tilbage til leverandøren sammen med vores kommentarer. Leverandøren foretager ændringerne og allerede i næste skridt modtager vi salgsprøver. Med disse prøver i hånden arrangerer vi et internt salgsmøde med de salgsansvarlige for hvert enkelt land. Hver produktgruppe gennemgår sin del med salgsfolkene med henblik på modeller, priser og kvaliteter.
Det interne møde er dermed det punkt, hvor kollektionen føres sammen?
Ja, salget starter umiddelbart efter mødet.
Hvor lang tid går der fra det første designseminar til en kollektion kommer i butikkerne?
Vi kan levere inden for 4 uger, hvis det skal gå hurtigt. Men vi begynder at arbejde med en regulær kollektion ca. 6 måneder, før den kommer i butikkerne. Selvfølgelig foretager vi permanent updates inden for trends og farver. Men der forløber kun 7 uger fra præsentationen af kollektionen frem til den første levering. Hver kollektion har 4 leveringsterminer. Vi arbejder dog aldrig udelukkende med én kollektion, men derimod parallelt med 2-3 kollektioner, alt imens vi samtidig samler inspiration til den næste. Det betyder, at vi starter med at samle informationer næsten et
år i forvejen.
Det lyder som langsigtet planlægning. Vero Moda er imidlertid kendt for at reagere hurtigt på trends. Hvor fleksible
er I bortset fra dette tidsskema?
Vi realiserer permanent ting imellem kollektionerne. Hvis vi har forpasset en trend, eller hvis der dukker et tema op med kort varsel, er det noget, vi hurtigt tager op. Vi reagerer så snart vi bemærker noget eller hvis der opstår forstærket efterspørgsel efter en bestemt artikel.
Hvor hurtige kan I være i bedste fald?
Det afhænger af, hvad det drejer sig om. Hvis det er en farve til en kendt style kan vi levere inden for 4 uger. Hvis det drejer sig om en strikartikel med megen dekoration, varer det naturligvis lidt længere. Det afhænger altid af, hvor meget detaljearbejde, der er forbundet med en model. Sådanne artikler sælger vi for det meste kun via skitser. Det er den hurtigste mulighed.
Hvor vigtig er denne Quick-Response-forretning sammenlignet med langsigtet kollektionsarbejde?
Mange Basic-styles falder under langsigtet arbejde. De kortsigtede programmer er meget, meget vigtige for os for at kunne fremstille trends, vise de nyeste ting og virkelig have alle temaer indeholdt i programmet.
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Er det vigtigere at være hurtig end at afdække enhver trend?
Det er meget vigtigt at være hurtig. Jeg er dog af den opfattelse, at det hører sammen at være trendy og hurtig. Vi er måske ikke de første, der viser en ny farve eller trend, men vi vil være de første, som præsenterer denne trend på kommercielt plan. it is very important to be prompt [with fashion] but I believe that being prompt and being trendy is interdependent. We might not be the first to present a new color or new trend but we want to be the first to present this trend on a commercial level
Hvordan vægtes der mellem Basic-artikler og trendartikler?
Det er svært at sige. Vi har brug for begge dele. Et rigtigt Basic-program har vi dog kun inden for jersey, strik og denim, hvor vi bruger gode styles igen i andre farver eller vaske.
Hvilken betydning har prisen i dit arbejde?
Vi er nødt til at være meget opmærksomme på prisen. Tidligere forsøgte vi at være ekstremt billige, hvorimod vi i dag har nogle artikler i kollektionen i højere kvaliteter, som så er tilsvarende dyre.
Hvordan vil du karakterisere Vero Moda-målgruppen i forhold til den anden Bestseller-linje, Only?
Vores målgruppe er ældre og mere voksen end Onlys målgruppe. Aldersmæssigt ligger Vero Modas målgruppe mellem
18-35 år. Vi prøver at dække de forskellige stemninger, kvinderne i vores målgruppe har, og opdeler derfor tankemæssigt kollektionen i tre segmenter: Urban Feminine, Urban Jeans og Urban Leisure. Det vil altså sige den meget feminine del, den mere coole denim-del og den afslappede, sportslige Casual Style, for den måde, vi klæder os på, afhænger jo meget af situation og stemning.
Our target market is older and more adult than that of Only’s. We try to cover the different moods and feelings which the women in our target market have and consequently divide our collection into three segments: Urban Feminine, Urban Jeans and Urban
Leisure. In other words, a very feminine style, a cool denim-style and the more relaxed and sporty Casual Style because the way we dress is very dependent on the situation and mood we are in
Og hvordan ser du trendstemningen i efteråret?
For jeans-delen er folklore og 70-er inspiration vigtige. Der er mange træ- og læderknapper, fløjl, blomstertryk og grov strik. Der findes også en feminin Mary-Poppins-Office-Girl-linje, hvor chiffon er meget vigtig. Men også tunge uldkvaliteter og flonel spiller en stor rolle. Og selvfølgelig denim.
Kan man egentlig tale om en bestemt Vero Moda-stil?
Det er et svært spørgsmål. Men jeg vil sige, at begrebet feminin er et nøgleord for kollektionen. Hvis det feminine slet ikke er på mode, følger vi naturligvis trenden. For vi er trendfølgere.
If the feminine look isn’t in, we follow the trend because we’re trend followers
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What do you do?
1) What brands comes to mind when you think of clothing brands?
2) What makes you think of a brand? Slogan, logo, spokes people?
3) Does this affect your desire to buy the brand?
4) What do you find most important?
 Service empathy (nice trusting employees)

Quality

Style, design
 Price
5) Do you generally prefer expensive or inexpensive clothes?
6) Are you very individualistic in terms of style or do you wear what is in/ what others wear?
7) How would you describe your style?
 daring
 up-to-date
 reliable
 successful
 upper-class
 charming
 out-doorsy
8) Where do you prefer to shop for clothes?

Department stores
 Specialty stores
 Online shops
9) Do you like brands that make clothes you can use in various situations?
10) What kind of personality would you like a clothing brand to indicate?
 Sincerity (down to earth, cheerful)
 Excitement (daring, spirited, imaginative, up-to-date)

Competence (reliable, intelligent, successful)

Sophistication
 Ruggedness (outdoorsy and tough)
11) How do you feel about Denmark or things made in Denmark?
12) Is it important to you that the brand cares about your opinions?
And engage you by e.g. events?
13) How do you feel about memberships of clothing brands?
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How do you feel about brands that care about your opinions? Yeah, I suppose, one thing I’m moving towards a bit more is how ethical a shop is. I think that’s gonna be the next big thing to be honest and so
I’ve noticed shops now, like I bought an organic t-shirt the other day and buying something like that you sort of feel better about the [ xx ] because it’s organic so you think it’s a good thing so I think for me ethics are the way and I’ve even started to think about how I’m more aware of things like that and I think that’s gonna be the next big thing. […] People are much more aware about where it’s coming from and how it’s organic or, I think people are gonna start moving that way. I’m just more conscious about that thing and knowing that you bought something that haven’t been made in some sort of horrible factory with, my brother and my sister are both working in retail so I hear things from them.
1
2
3
th
1 http://www.dorothyperkins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=12552&catalogId=20552
[last accessed 27 th May]
2 http://www.next.co.uk/ [last accessed 27 th May]
3 http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=12556&catalogId=19551 [last accessed 27 th May]
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21

From: London
Age: 25
Name: anonymous
Occupation: Starbucks employee
What brands comes to mind when you think of clothing brands? Jane Norman, Zara, Next, Primark,
Debenhams, John Lewis
Why is that, why those brands? Jane Norman is mainly where I shop to get my clothes, Primark is on
Oxford street and working in Oxford street you get to know a lot of those store around.
Is it also because of the price? Next and Primark are discount brands isn’t it? I mean it’s not expensive
brands? No, not at all, I mean my mother always said to me what you pay is what you get.
Would Jane Norman be the first brand to come to mind if you thought about going shopping? pretty much yeah
So why Jane Norman? Is there something particular about Jane Norman or is it just their clothes? The design for the clothes fits my body shape and they’re comfortable, I find them good value for money. If I buy a top it will last for more than a year and because I’m not a shopping kind of girl. I don’t like going shopping every six months and find my clothes falling apart so I like to go once in a while and buy a few things that will last.
So slogan, spokes people or something like that is not important to you when you think of clothing
brands? No
What do you find most important concerning a brand? Would that be service empathy (nice trusting
employees), quality, style/design or price? See for me it’s a combination of all those things because if it is good quality but the price is completely out of my budget there is no way I’d buy it no matter how great it is. If it’s the right price but the clothes don’t fit, or the style doesn’t quite suit my personality again I wouldn’t buy it and if the employees are not helpful, then I’d be inclined to just leave the store and go somewhere else.
Do you generally prefer expensive or inexpensive brands? Inexpensive
Are you very individualistic in terms of style or do you wear what is in/ what others wear?
I always find that fashions come in and they go out but if you have style that will always look good.
So not really individualistic but to some degree or what? I dress to suit my personality, I have a very smart, casual kind of look and that goes across my entire wardrobe. And then sometimes if something on the catwalk comes in to the public masses that looks pretty good I might adapt my wardrobe slightly but I’m not gonna reinvent my entire wardrobe for one look because styles come and go.
Okay so you are quite stylish […] but how would you describe your own style? Smart casual
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Where do you prefer to shop for clothes? Would it be department stores or online shops or just in the shops?
I like going into shops because I find that department stores have, because they are so huge the small sections have a limited range, if you actually go to the store they have a wider range of clothing. I don’t like online shopping because a lot of times something will look good on the hanger but may not look good on you.
Okay so you prefer the shops of the brand? Yes
Do you like brands that make clothes you can use in various situations? Yes
What kind of personality would you like a clothing brand to indicate?

Sincerity (down to earth, cheerful)

Excitement (daring, spirited, imaginative, up-to-date)
 Competence (reliable, intelligent, successful)
 Sophistication
 Ruggedness (outdoorsy and tough)
I’d go for the more sophisticated look and down to earth. Sophisticated and down to earth? yes
Why? Because that’s who I am, I’m very down to earth, I tend to wear kind of earthy colors and clothes that fit my body shape, things like that, I’m not very daring, I won’t go down the streets with bright pink hair, it’s just not who I am
So you like to fit in and not stand out? Yeah
How is your general impression of other English people, I mean what clothes do people wear, are English
people normally daring, sophisticated? Well, you really can’t generalize because everybody is different.
Like I have a cousin who is very very very daring. You know, she is platinum blond, dyed her hair, she stretch her ear wholes out and wears very bright and daring kind of clothes but I have another cousin who is actually working in fashion who is a lot edgier. She is not so hey-look-at-me-here-I-am but she is that kind of subtle sophistication and she looks very edgy. And they are both British born and they’re complete opposite […]
How do you feel about Denmark or things made in Denmark? As long as the style is good and the quality is good and it’s good value for money it doesn’t matter where it’s made or how […]
Okay, well do you have any relations to Denmark? not really
Is it important to you that the brand cares about your opinions?
And engage you in their designs by e.g.
writing them emails with suggestions? I think maybe that could be an option but to be honest I think, I mean I it’s my job to advise them how to style their clothes, if they haven’t got the employees or the advisors or the PR or the designers to do that for them the company is not gonna hit it off great.
But do you find it important that a company has an email address so that you can get in contact with
them and either complaint or stuff like that? Yeah absolutely, every company can improve and every company needs to know if what they’re doing is good but like I said it’s not really my job to advise them on what style they should bring out and every store has a different style. That’s why some girls shop mainly at
Zara, I shop mainly at Jane Norman because of their specific style, I cannot find in any other stores.
Do you ever shop at H&M? no. Why not? The price is reasonable but not for the quality of the clothes, not for me. I don’t think the quality of the clothing matches the prices that they sell their clothes for.
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How do you feel about memberships of clothing brands? If you could get a discount for being a member
or if you had a membership card or being invited to events, is that important for you? It’s not important but it’s nice and it is a great marketing tool for getting customers to come back and come back again because like I have a card for the body shop and so if I was to go and buy that kind of thing I’d be more inclined to go to the body shop because I already have this card I know I’m gonna get a discount or it’s gonna count towards a future discount.
So that does attract you somehow? yeah
24

From: London
Age: 34
Name: Donna
Occupation: Working for Ecco as a manager
What brands comes to mind when you think of clothing brands? For me, probably because of the size I am it’s more Next, Dorothy Perkins.
What about Primark and H&M? No not really because they don’t do my sizes, so I tend to not even bother going into those shops.
OK, so it’s mostly about the sizes? Yeah nothing to do with the price because I sometimes used to wear designer or I wear street names as well, it’s mainly Dorothy Perkins, Next sometimes Marks and Spencers, whatever is really convenient more on the high street
Ok, so you mainly shop in the high street? Yes
So why Dorothy Perkins and not anywhere else with? I suppose it’s because Dorothy Perkins is in every town I go shopping in, so it’s a quite it’s a worldwide brand in the UK because they do my size because I’m a size 18 to 20 ehm and good value for money. It’s more not a trend, it’s more a fashion brand.
Ok so a mixture of convenience and value for money? Definitely, they do a lot of work uniforms and also I can also get like a weekend outfit. You can go in and you can get anything you want really.
Is a slogan, logo, spokesper [caught off]? No, I don’t particularly like logos
No, not for clothing brands or? Generally but I like to have logo brands when it comes to accessorizing, my handbags, my glasses I usually go for designer brands because I used to work for designer company as well but when it comes to clothing I don’t really
Oh so you don’t want a brand name to be printed all over, no? But if there was a slogan or something would it be easier for you to recall that brand and make you buy that more often if it had a slogan or
something? If it had a small logo or like an advert on TV for an example and it kept popping up in magazines or on TV then that would tell me that is a good brand and they’ve got money for the advertisement for it then I’m more likely to be more nosy and shop and if I like something I’ll pick it up.
So it is quite important to you? Yes
What do you find most important?

Service empathy (nice trusting employees)
 Quality
 Design
 Price
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I would say probably all of them in a manner of speak, because I work in retail myself. Service is very very important and to have someone who is gonna be knowledgeable about their own brand and be able to advise you when you want their advise. Because I’be worked for retail myself for 16 years and I find that really very important but then also I believe in quality because if you buy cheap you buy twice and that’s always the way that I always think.
But then again Dorothy Perkins isn’t… Yeah Dorothy Perkins, I mean the reason why you can get a blouse for 20 pounds, for me I want it for work for one season I’m gonna throw it in the bin anyway but I would want at least to wear it ten times
So you like to shop every once in a while? Yeah I shop every month, I budget myself in the lines of knowing that I can spend 100-200 pounds if I want to or I might want to say I can get something more expensive the next month.
Do you generally prefer inexpensive or expensive clothes? I would probably say in the middle of the road,
I mean I would prefer to, when I buy a pair of jeans I spend 50-60 pounds, I wouldn’t spend 150 because you won’t get my size in those as well because I know that they would last a lot longer.
So it also has to do with what kind of clothes you buy? yeah
How would you describe your style? Are you an individualist? I’m very much of an individual, when it comes to work I’m classic, I’d wear the trousers with a blouse for work but outside work I would say I’m between trend and fashion because it’s harder when you are a bigger size because you can’t wear all the really trendy lovely stuff and I tend to wear a lot of linen or casual but really sort of trend it up with accessorizing.
So generally fashion is important to you? Fashion has got to be important to me because of the company I work for, I need to know what’s out in the market, I read magazines and I’m always looking at fashion shows.
Do you think that is the general opinion of English people, do they care about fashion? Yeah I think that fashion is important especially when you work in retail because you need to know what the key colors are and what the trends are. I have always just been that way but I am also very individually. If I like someone and I like it I’m more likely to purchase it, you know as long as the fitting is right and it suits me.
So are you leaning towards being an individual? I am an individual I am very individual in the lines of what
I wear.
So you don’t really care about other’s opinions or? No, not really, unless some of the opinions are that makes you look big.
So you are very independent but you do want to fit in? yeah
Would you describe your style as being successful, how do you want people to perceive you? When it comes to work, I am the manager, you see there is a difference between me and the rest of the staff. When
I’m on my days off and when I’m casual I want people to see that I am very smart looking, I dress nicely, I dress to what my size is and that I look just generally quite smart. You can look casual but you can look smart as well.
Do you like a clothing brand to have different styles and clothes that you can use in various situations?
Definitely 100 percent. I haven’t really got a lot of patience going shopping. I’ve worked in Oxford Street for
26

16 years and I can’t go out in my lunch hour and go in and out of shops, I like to go in one shop and be able to buy what I’m looking for.
Where do you prefer to shop for clothes?

Department stores

Specialty stores
 Online shops
I do tend to shop online as well, it really depends on time. If there is a specific thing that I’m looking for and really can’t bother to go out shopping or I know they don’t have it in my size in the store, then I will shop online. I’ve done it quite often but if not I like to go to department stores that it gonna stock exactly all I’m looking for.
But sometimes the selection in department stores is not as big? Yeah in department stores you’ve got to be careful because a lot of them are concessions. I used to work in department stores, in Harrods and
Selfridges and you will find that the concessions will be a lot smaller so you may not get what you want but
I do know, especially with big department stores, what stock they will stock will be the best stock […] will keep a minimum of range.
So department stores and online shops would be what you prefer? [agreeing mumbling]
What kind of personality would you like a clothing brand to indicate? Like sophistication, competence,
excitement or sincerity, down to earth or something? I would say more down to earth as in everyday. I wouldn’t wear suits , I’m not […]
How do you feel about Denmark and things made in Denmark? I’m quite proud of Denmark because my company is Danish and I’ve been to Denmark and when you think of the Ecco brand which is from Denmark
I’m quite proud and I’ve worn things before from Denmark and I’ve had some china from Denmark as well so for me no issues at all
Do you care about origin of a brand? Not really, over the years, I used to work for a company called Curt
Geiger and I used to sell several different designer brands within that, it could be that the factories are in
China but the made of the product is no different because it’s ought to do with who works in that factory and we use those factories in China as well but we have our own people and they’re treated exactly the same.
Is it important to you that the brand cares about your opinions? Would you want to be able to influence
how they brand themselves or design their clothes? Yeah I think it’s good to get individuals that are your real customers and really take on their input because not all customers are six-foot models and they use those models to make pictures look great in magazines and on posters but real customers are us people that shop on a regular basis.
Do you think it would be good for a clothing brand to say in a branding campaign ‘We want your
opinion’? I think it’s very very good to get the public’s opinion because for me personally there’s been a couple of seasons when I’ve gone into a shop and I’ve wanted to buy something and they don’t have it and we do the same thing within our store here. When someone wants something but we don’t stock it as a company I will take their opinion on board and I will (send) it when I do my product issues every week.
Because you never know next season they may, if they get so many comments they might bring it to the doors.
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What do you feel about clothing brands doing events? Would that affect your interest? I would be interested if it worked around my time and it wasn’t inconvenient.
This probably relates to the fact that you want good advertisement and that is important to you? yeah
How do you feel about memberships? I’m part of some memberships already obviously like Dorothy
Perkins [..] online. I like to get offers sent to me by email and if there’s a voucher where you can get 20 percent off, I’m more likely to go into a shop and look. But I would only do a membership of brand that I was interested in.
But it would be important to you to be a member? Yeah but I would never get store cards […]
You find discounts alluring? Alluring if it means that I can just use my own money but not alluring if you only get discount if you open up a card with them. I don’t believe in the percentage they charge of credit and so.
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From: London
Age: 25
Name: Georgie
Occupation: Student
What brands comes to mind when you think of clothing brands? Probably the high street shops like Top
Shop, Selfridges, it’s more like the areas that I’m shopping in
But you said Miss Selfridges and Top Shop? No not Miss Selfridges, but Selfridges, the apartment store.
Where do you shop mostly? Is that Top Shop or? Yeah, probably Top Shop, H&M, French Connection because it’s what I can afford and it is where I find the things I like.
So a combination of the style in the shop and also the price? Yes
Has it got anything to do with e.g. spokes people or something like that, that you feel attracted to those
brands specifically, would that have an influence on the brands you like? Probably if it was someone that I didn’t like it might put me off, like if Paris Hilton started wearing Top Shop I might be put off but I haven’t really thought to deliberately shop at Top Shop because there is Kate Moss there. I think it can have a more negative effect than a positive effect.
I’m trying to figure out if you would be more attracted to a brand if it had a cool slogan or a cool logo or
something like that? Maybe subconsciously but not consciously I don’t think […] it’s quite cool that the places I do shop have those things, urban outfitters is another place I shop.
So when you think about it, is it just because of the style or can you think of anything else that makes you
go into those shops? No it’s just style and affordability. If I want something new I’d pop by Oxford Circus and go to top shop and urban outfitters because I know I can always find something that I like and that I can afford.
What do you find most important?
 Service empathy (nice trusting employees)
 Quality

Design

Price
Design and price
So you do mostly prefer inexpensive clothes? Yeah because I can’t afford anything high-end designer
Do you consider yourself being individualistic in terms of what you wear or do you wear what others
wear? I wouldn’t say I’m terribly individual but I don’t go along with everybody else either, yeah I’m not terribly individual.
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So you are like in between being individual and still fitting in? Yeah, no I don’t really go with the core trends […] I won’t get what everybody has to have for this season.
But do you feel inspired to some degree by what the fashion magazines are showing? Yeah definitely
How would you describe your style? Oh God I don’t know where to start.
Well would you want to present yourself as being successful, charming, daring, up-to-date or? That is a tough question. I don’t know but I’m not really really fashion conscious but I always make sure that I’m wearing something I like. […] It’s a bit open-ended. It depends on what I’m doing.
Yeah, I guess that’s how it is, if you’re at formal events you dress in some kind of way and if you are
relaxed, is that how it is? Yeah, you could find me wearing jeans or you could find me wearing a cocktail dress. I couldn’t really describe myself.
Where do you prefer to shop for clothes?
 Department stores

Shops in the high street

Online shops
Yeah I do kind of a mix of both but mainly I like to go into the shops and have a look because I find it […] getting it and you don’t like it and sending it back but more and more I am using the internet. But if I had to choose I’d go into the shop.
So you don’t shop in department store a lot or? Yeah I do because a lot of the department stores here have, like Selfridges have Top Shop and that kind of thing, you know have the shop within the shop. It’s not like a shopping mall but you’ve got a few areas with Top Shop and stuff like that and that’s why I like to go to Selfridges and that kind of place. Quite often I go to department stores for shoe shopping because they’ve got all the shoes there that I want.
I get the sense that you like a clothing brand to have different styles so that you can go into the shop and get a cocktail dress and also casual clothes. Do you like a clothing brand that has the different styles that
you like? I see what you’re saying but I wouldn’t go to Top Shop and expect to get a cocktail dress, I’d probably go somewhere like French Connection for a cocktail dress but Top Shop for a day time dress or something cheap that I like.
So you don’t think it’s important for one brand to have all kinds of clothes? Yeah but I don’t always think that works. I don’t want everything there but if the shop manages to do that then it’s amazing.
What kind of personality would you like a clothing brand to indicate?
 Sincerity (down to earth, cheerful)
 Excitement (daring, spirited, imaginative, up-to-date)
More exciting probably, not really like serious. Nothing too serious.
How do you feel about Denmark or things made in Denmark? If I like the clothes, it really wouldn’t matter.
It wouldn’t really affect whether I liked it or not. I mean it wouldn’t affect my opinion of it and I don’t have any special ties to it either.
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Would you be able to describe English women as one type of women in regards to clothes? No, there’s so many, there is plenty that get all their clothes in charity shops but then I’ve got friends who will occasionally go to high end fashion designers but there is a huge […] mix them up.
But do you find that many girls go and buy discount brands like Dorothy Perkins, Top Shop, Miss
Selfridges and also Primark and H&M, do you find that that is what most girls do in England? Yes, they all get all their staples in there but, I mean we’ll all go down to Portobello or Camden Lock and go and get stuff from there […] getting the main wardrobe from the certain places.
How do you feel about brands that care about your opinions, is that important to you? That you could
e.g. write them an email with suggestions for designs or, would that be important to you? I probably wouldn’t use that, only because I’d love to write all the shops and be like oh if you could make a jacket that looks a bit like this or this that would be amazing but I don’t how they’d actually take on board […] so I wouldn’t use that.
What about brands that occasionally do event and stuff like that, how do you feel about that? Probably wouldn’t interest me. I’m not massively into my fashion. It wouldn’t be something that particularly interest me.
What do you feel about memberships of clothing brands in the sense that you could get discounts? Lots of the shops have these cards where you have an account with them and everybody knows that that is a rip off so I would probably be quite worried of getting a membership card.
So that wouldn’t interest you at all? No because there are so many shops with these account cards where they […] they get [...] and then you have to pay […] it’s called a store card, I wouldn’t really be […] offering me membership […]
What about discounts? Yeah these store cards offer discounts but there is always a catch with them
What if you could go into a shop and not be a member and instead get a mark whenever you buy
something? Yeah I know what you’re getting at, what I’m saying is that but my attitude to shops […] that have store cards I’d be wary of anything like that. […] I would be quite wary of getting any sort of card in a store, because I know that […] dodgy. In that sense […] I still think I’d be really wary of getting some sort of store card because they are known to be a bit of a rip off.
Well maybe you’re right, hopefully not because No I’m sure […] when you go and get coffee […] you’d get something for free but anything that a store offers like that I’d be wary of and I know my friends would be wary of.
To sum up, what you are basically saying is that when you feel attracted to a clothing brand, you mostly look for price and also style but then again you’re not that fashion conscious so you are more
individualistic? Yeah, well I’m not massively into my fashion but I know what I like and I know what I do not like, I know what fits me and I know what doesn’t fit me. And I just kind of stick to the shops I know, because I know I’ve got nice stuff before and that I can afford.
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From: Caversham
Age: 29
Name: Sarah Blacklock
Occupation: employed
What brands comes to mind when you think of clothing brands? I don’t really buy any particular brands but I go to the particular shop so they would be the brands that the shops are. Shops I tend to go to, they do vary, do you want me to list the different shops?
Yeah So like Top Shop and Next and H&M and House of Fraser but then in House of Fraser you’ve got lots of different brands
What was the name of that store? House of Fraser, it’s a department store, quite a big one so that houses lots of different brands, so you’ll get Miss sixty, Diesel and all those sorts of things that’s what I’ll say. So to be honest it’s quite vary, I don’t tend to stick to certain ones, I’ll shop around.
You did mention stores like Dorothy Perkins and H&M and can you think of any reason why you go into
those shops and not others? Yeah I think the sort of shops I tend to choose to go in, I feel they kind of reflect the age that I am so they will tend to have clothes that I feel suit my age and price range mainly.
Ok, price? Yeah
So your age and price? Yeah, price definitely because I think otherwise I would probably go to more expensive shops because I don’t have enough money I will shop, I can still get these things on a better budget.
So when you think of going shopping, the first shops coming to mind is that H&M and the stores that you
just mentioned or would you consider any other brands? Ehm, Oasis, River Island as well […] it’s all kind of similar.
So you said the price and your age, I guess that means that the style fits your age? yeah
But is there anything else you can think of which makes you feel attracted to these shops? Well also the other thing is it’s partly down to the way they’re laid out a lot of the time and I think you get used to knowing what you’re gonna get in these sort of shops but also I think like the music so you sort of work in and you feel your hear certain types of music and that reflects the age you feel you are and the way you feel about who, it’s about your identity I think a lot of the time so those sort of things and again often it might be down to a window display, they might have something in the window that you think ‘oh it looks really good’, I’ll go in and have a look if I can find that belt or that top or whatever.
What about the employees, are they important to you? If they are nice and helpful? Yeah definitely, I think once you’ve gone into a shop and although I still shop in places where I wouldn’t say the employees are that great, it’s always a much better experience if you go into a shop and they’re helpful and cheery and
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welcoming but not overly so, and also that they know their products and that they can sort of suggest things if you can’t find something or they seem to know a lot about their products and what they’ve got on offer and things like that, that’s quite nice because I would feel like they care.
Yeah, I see what you mean but would you prefer for the employees to come up and ask you right away
like when you step into the shop do you like them to come up and ask you? No I think they just need to make themselves available so I don’t like necessarily someone coming up, you know if someone says ‘can I help you’ that’s fine and you say ‘no I’m just looking or whatever’ but not so much right in your face, think it’s nice to know that there’s someone there if you want to go and ask them, so that they’re accessible.
They don’t necessarily have to come over, I mean if you go into the city and went for something and it’s not there and you can go and ask them to get something for you, so that’s fine but I think for me it’s about them being accessible rather than them coming to you and sort of in your face.
Are you inspired to use a brand if it uses spokespeople or a certain logo or a slogan or something like
that, would that make you feel attracted to a brand? Not necessarily, for me it’s very much about the way something will look. So a certain brand might be using a certain logo or something and I’ll like the look of it so I’ll buy an item of clothing based on that just because I think it looks good. Not actually because of the brand itself, it’s probably a bit different, you know some people will […] on brand won’t they, they’ll go out and they’ll want that because it’s a certain brand whereas for me it just like if I think the logo or things of that brand is cool then I might buy it.
So the style and the price, those are basically the most important things to you? For me yeah
But then also to a certain degree you said that nice employees and accessible employees would be? Yeah, the environment you’re shopping in and I mean people there who know their products.
What about quality? Yeah I think, again obviously it depends on what you’re willing to pay, again that’s down to the item of clothing I might be buying so if I’m just buying something sort of more fashionable or and I just want a nice top for an evening out or whatever and I know I’m not gonna be wearing it a lot then I won’t be so fussed about the quality but if it’s something that I wanted to last so a decent pair of jeans or a decent pair of boots then I’ll spend a bit more money and go for more quality. So it depends really on what the item of clothing is and what I’ll be using it for and then that all links to how much I’m gonna splash out and what quality I’m looking for but yeah ideally I’d like to have better quality clothes but again that links to the price and how I’m feeling about the price.
So generally do you prefer expensive or inexpensive clothes? I’d say mid-range probably or mid belower
And then again like you said it’s dependent on what clothes you are buying? Yeah, I don’t mind splashing out for something if I feel that it’s gonna last and I want to wear it a lot and that sort of thing.
In terms of your own style, would you say that you’re an individual or do you wear what others wear or
what the magazines tell you to wear or what they inspire you to wear, how do you feel about that? I’d say I’m fairly, I wouldn’t say I’m completely individual. I would probably wear a lot of what other people would wear so nothing outrageous or anything like that and I don’t know how to describe my style really.
When I’m at work it’s very kind of classic kind of work wear so a bit boring but when I’m outside of work I suppose I like wearing casual stuff really so I’m a casual-type kind of so very much jeans and t-shirts, jeans and shirts, jeans with anything pretty much. In terms of where I get ideas from I think either the shops will give me ideas, how they dress their mannequins and all that sort of thing or how magazines, how they put things together in magazines or from seeing people actually, when you’re just out and about.
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So you feel inspired but you do still develop your own style inspired by others and the stores and? Yeah, I might take, say a style that they’re putting in a magazine but I’d tone it down so I wouldn’t necessarily have something that says wacky and then I mix up the style and turn it towards how I’d want to wear it. I might just take a piece from what they’ve put into magazines or something.
I get the feeling that you normally shop in specialty stores or go into the shops but do you also shop in
department stores or even online shops? Yeah, online I hardly ever do actually, I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything online. But clearly because I’m sort of In between a size ten and a twelve so I always find that I need to try on both to know if it’s gonna fit, it’s all about the fact that I need to try things on so I never buy things online. And yeah I do go to department stores but again I tend to get drawn to the same sort of collection within the department stores which will usually reflect especially the shops that I’m going in anyway, probably Top Shop, Wearhouse or Oasis and those sort of places. Things like Levi or anything like that, I don’t tend to, I’m not fussed about it, I’d rather, I’m not drawn necessarily to a certain brand I don’t think.
But of a new brand were to expand on the English market and open more shops, what would make you
want to go into a new shop? I think to pull me into a new shop, it’s funny because I think a lot of it is down to knowing what you are gonna get so obviously a lot of the times I go certain shops is because I got to know them and I’ve got to know that they have the sort of stuff, to initially draw you into a shop I think it’s got a lot to do with the way it’s set out, the window display looking attractive, not looking like just some sort of I don’t know, some shops I definitely ignore are the ones that look cheapy and sort of part type clothes so much more trendy and then once you’re in then it’s sort out to the fit of the clothes and the way, how they make you feel […] fashionable but still having some classic items as well and then obviously them finding things that are fitting you and you’re comfortable, then you’ll keep going back there. It’s a combination of things but I think the things first to get you in have got to be down to the way it looks so the way the window displays are, the name and all that sort of things and the way it looks for me outside and that will then draw you in to then explore the other things.
So is it also about conveniency, about the store being available and being in different towns? Yeah I think it is down to being on the high street. I think again if I need a store, you know they quite kill you with their sizing, so if I went shopping somewhere and it was a certain brand and I thought [XX] their clothes and they are accessible because they’re on the high street so I’d manage to go to them wherever I tend to go but then if I need and I’m confident in that they tended to do things in the right sizes then I probably would shop online and it wouldn’t be such an issue but I always find, even if I go to Top Shop a lot, there are five of every all the time so I never feel like I can get a standard size and which is why I want to try things but I like the experience of going in, it’s part of the fun.
Would you like a clothing brand to have clothes for different occasions, if you could go in and get casual
clothes, formal clothes and cocktail dresses for instance? Yeah I think, if you go in somewhere and it’s sort of set out so that you know oh that’s the area for more casual clothes but then if you’ve got an occasion to go and get a nice dress or something, so yeah I think it’s quite nice to have a bit of a mix of outfits to suit different occasions.
What kind of personality would you like a brand to indicate? Yeah I know what you mean, sometimes they even use celebrity persons and things like that, aren’t they? Again I don’t think that is so much a factor for me but as long as it’s, you know if they would use any kind of personality you would want it to reflect how you think you are so for me being 29 nearly 30 then you wouldn’t be drawn to somebody who was really young and wearing outrageous clothes. It would have to reflect the age that I feel I am and the style that I feel I am which I find hard to explain what that is. But I don’t know, if it’s a woman or someone who is slightly sophisticated and who’s got a bit of a brain you know, it’s kind of difficult.
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Yeah I know but sophistication is basically what you are saying and not too crazy or daring? yeah someone you feel like you can relate so you can feel older and that looks good on them and I like the personality so that shop would suit me.
But do you ever wear clothes to make people see you in a certain way? Yeah, I do occasionally. I think I dress quite safely so I tend to wear what I think people expect me to wear if that makes sense. If I want to be in a certain mood, you know even a different scene wearing a dress and then wearing a pair of trousers you feel quite different I think. But sometimes I will put on a certain thing to make it look different or feel better about myself.
So in a sense self-approval is important right? Yeah
This brand being a Danish brand, I’m interested in finding out your relation to Denmark, do you have any
specific feelings about Denmark or things made in Denmark? I know hardly anything about Denmark so I can’t even think of something to say about Denmark. I’ve never been and I don’t know much about
Denmark. I don’t know what to think about Denmark to be honest.
So it wouldn’t be important to you if a brand said ‘made in Denmark’ that wouldn’t attract you at all? No
I don’t think it would bother me, I mean I think it would interest me to know where something is coming from. So with certain things, if you go to certain shops you know they might come from the continent so if you go into like Zara and I think that sometimes European brands are quite good, especially in this country I think we often associate Europeans with being more fashionable so I think that’s great. I think you’ll find some people that would give it market and be something for them, it wouldn’t that much of a big issue for me but I still find European brands attractive.
Is that the general opinion of English people that European brands are popular? Yeah I think so, I kind of get that feel. I wouldn’t say it, it’s just a feeling.
Would you be able to even describe English women’s opinions about clothes? God no, I think everyone will have something slightly different, I couldn’t put it into words.
But do you find that the majority of English women do go into like Dorothy Perkins and the shops that have sort of discount brands, do you think that the general public find that attractive? The price, do you
think that’s mostly what the women feel attracted to, price and maybe good value for money? I think that’s the thing, the fact that they can get something that is vaguely fashionable that would be within their price range. For the majority of women, I suppose that’s my age group as well, when I think about what all my friends do and they all the same place as me. They tend to want decent clothes for a decent price but not, I’ll tell you one thing. If you think of Primark which is really really cheapy, I’ve got friends that shop in there and you can get you know, but I kind of avoid that because I find it a complete headache. I quite like the experience of going shopping and for it to be a nice experience and so unless you’re completely out of cash I wouldn’t go there so I think when you get to my age you tend to avoid certain shops and you start to think, oh I’m a bit older now, I’ve got a little bit more money and I’m actually gonne spend a bit more money so I think it’s completely down to your age a lot of the times. So a lot of younger kids might find, as much as they would like to go into more expensive shops they just don’t have the money and they’ll shop in there. I think it depends on the money you’ve got.
How do you feel about brands that care about your opinions? Yeah, I suppose, one thing I’m moving towards a bit more is how ethical a shop is. I think that’s gonna be the next big thing to be honest and so
I’ve noticed shops now, like I bought an organic t-shirt the other day and buying something like that you
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sort of feel better about the [ xx ] because it’s organic so you think it’s a good thing so I think for me ethics are the way and I’ve even started to think about how I’m more aware of things like that and I think that’s gonna be the next big thing. […] People are much more aware about where it’s coming from and how it’s organic or, I think people are gonna start moving that way. I’m just more conscious about that thing and knowing that you bought something that haven’t been made in some sort of horrible factory with, my brother and my sister are both working in retail so I hear things from them.
But what if a brand were to emphasize that they’d care about your opinion and you could give them feed-
back and stuff like that, would that make you feel attracted to a brand? Not necessarily, I think if they if any kind of brand showed that they cared about what you think, I suppose that is attractive because you sort of think they value your opinion but I probably wouldn’t do anything about it. Knowing if they offered that kind of thing, I think it’s sort of subconscious, it’s just like if you walk in somewhere and they kind of value you as a customer so I think that makes you feel a bit more like oh okay so they care and that is interesting.
So maybe subconsciously you would care? Yeah I think but that’s the thing, the subconscious [..] you wouldn’t know anything about it.
Also do you find it interesting if a brand throws events and stuff like that, would that make you want to
go into a shop more often? Like if they sponsored something or? Yes not necessarily, I think if they, I can’t think of any […] where they’ve done things like that, so no probably not really
If a stop were to open and they were open until late and serving champagne or something like that, if they did that occasionally or every once in a while? Would that make you feel more attracted to a brand
or more related to it or? Probably not really, if they did throw events occasionally, I suppose you’d have to really be connected to a brand and shop there quite often to be bothered to go at it because you can go to so many different places so no probably not.
What about memberships or loyalty cards? I know what you mean, so if you buy and spend so much in one place and they’d give you. I don’t know if it would work for clothes, I think it works for food and things […] like for example a lot of people in this country, you know Marks and Spencer’s is meant to be renown for good underwear so people go there quite a lot and then they might want a loyalty thing on that but I don’t think I’d bother with it. A lot of people have like store credit cards and that kind of stuff and they get discounts and all of that doesn’t bother me whatsoever, I just think […]
Well the thing is that here in Denmark, I mean I have an H&M membership card and at the end of the year I get a 15% discount on whatever I bought? Would that, I mean sometimes I think I might as well go
to H&M because I know I’m gonna get some money back. Actually I think you’re right because I’ve got a boots card like that [..] and every time I shop for any kind of [ XX ] I’m always drawn to go there because I know I’m gonna get points on the card and then you’ll get money off so yeah I do think, I’m surprised more clothing shops, Yeah it could work, I suppose it would just be a card that they swipe and then you’ll get the money off or a discount.
Yeah, I get the sense that people have quite negative feelings about store credit cards because they feel
it’s a rip off most of the times? Yeah I think it’s because you get so hooked into, I never go to them because you just don’t need that many credit cards. For me it’s too much of a commitment where I think it’s more a loyalty card or something or a swipe card that gave you points or whatever and that would definitely get me to go there more because if I have a choice to buy a pair of trousers and I could go to 5 different shops
I’d go there first knowing that I could get points on my card. But it would have to be done in quite a nice
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way so it wouldn’t seem as cheap and you know, I don’t know how they would do it but it would have to be branded in a way that would make it feel kind of sophisticated […]
Do you have anything else you would like to share with me in terms of what a new store or a new brand
should do? Gosh no, you’ve covered most things but generally if you’re gonna open high street shops then it’s got to be very much about making the experience pleasurable and that’s probably just the nature of where I like to shop but I’m definitely drawn to those shops that aren’t cluttered and that have nice friendly staff and that have nice music and easy to find things and all that sort of stuff, that is what draws me into a shop. For me it’s definitely things like if the music is good then you enjoy the experience while you’re in there so if you open a high street shop it’s very much around making it a nice experience and not too expensive.
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From: High Wycombe
Age: 25
Name: Della
Occupation: student
What brands comes to mind when you think of clothing brands? Well I think Top Shop, Dorothy Perkins,
River Island, Primark, well I’m a student so obviously student discount.
The reason you think of those brands, is that because of the price or what? Yeah well price at the moment is quite important to me, because obviously, you know, we do get money as a student, but you know, you do get other things, that are more important things than buying clothes and because I was used to spending more when I was working full time. You know it’s hard, it’s harder for me to sort of give up buying clothes, so the price has to be right [...]
So when you were making money, did you buy designer labels or did you still go to Dorothy Perkins? Not necessarily designer labels, but I would probably go out and spend a bit more than what I do now. I’m a bit less concerned with, you know how much, if it was a dress for a specific outfit, if I liked it or if it was a dress for a specific event or party that I was going to I wouldn’t be too worried about the price as long as it looked good on me whereas now it’s sort of the price as well.
So currently you’re interested in the price and also in the styles? Yeah
Besides from the styles and price, is there anything else about for instance Top Shop and Dorothy Perkins
that make you feel attracted to those specific brands? Because they’re quite young and they’re quite fashionable and they seem to follow the trends, if there is [...] female then they will do it. I used to go to
New Look but I think now New Look can’t really, I don’t think what they have to offer, I think Top Shop and
Dorothy Perkins seem to be much better than New Look now and I just think the quality is not that great.
So now you mentioned quality, is that important or not as important as style and price? It is important,
[...] I used to buy a lot from Primark but it would fall apart and not wash up as well so then I stopped buying so much from Primark also when that big scandal came out that they were employing young people abroad to make their clothes [..], you know in poor conditions and I stopped choosing them for that and went back to Dorothy Perkins and Top Shop but I think mainly because the price is down I feel but you do sort of get better quality. I think it does come into it as well.
Yeah it has to be good value for money right? Yeah that’s what I would say, good value for money.
What about the employees, do you find their attitude and their being helpful important? Yeah, when I come to think of it, yeah I mean I [...] people to come up to you and ask how are you doing and then I would like to be left alone but I like good service at the counter mainly.
So you want them to be nice when you confront them? Yeah exactly, it’s more me approaching them than them approaching me.
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How would you describe yourself and your style? Well I’m 25 so I do quite like to keep up with the young trends and young fashion so what the celebrities are wearing really. I don’t follow everything obviously because it probably wouldn’t fit me but what suits me and I look and feel good then I would go buy it.
Now you mentioned celebrities, do you find it important if brands use celebrities in their branding
campaign? Not necessarily in their ad campaign but if they are wearing it yes I would, you know, if I see a particular celebrity wearing something that looks good on them and I think that it could look good on me, I kind of get ideas from them. I know that Top Shop uses Kate Moss and her clothing range is quite expensive, I have got a few of her things but I bought them when they were on sale. They are really nice.
Yeah, that’s the way to do it, go for the sales and the discounts yeah
Would you be more interested in a brand that uses like Kate Moss and other super models? No it doesn’t bother me, I wouldn’t be any less interested if they were but it gives it a profile doesn’t it? Yeah it does bring up, it raises the profile when you do use celebrities to enhance it but it wouldn’t necessarily make me go out and buy it, it has to look good on me.
And so how do you feel about slogans and logos and stuff like that? I don’t know, I mean I don’t like to see the logo on things, for me that looks really unattractive but the big sports fans I think they sometimes go a bit over the top but definitely if [...] wearing it and it’s got a little logo on it then I think that looks quite nice, I do like getting things that you know, to make people know that they are from Top Shop especially if they are [...] it’s nice to say Top Shop rather than Primark. I don’t know Top Shop is very widely accepted in student and university [..] we haven’t got any money so you know
You said being accepted, how do you think a brand actually manages to do that? Can you think of any
ways? I just think if it’s good quality following a trend and style, you know if it’s got to be what everyone
[...] but then sometimes it’s quite nice to be different, isn’t it, I find it quite hard to get, I don’t know why but I like to follow fashion but I don’t really mind where it comes from, it’s quite nice when you get something from a shop that no one really knows about. There is this boutique that I went shopping in
Bristol and it’s quite nice to actually pick up a few items from a small store and then when I got back OH where is that from, oh it’s from Bristol and it’s quite nice to say that.
How would you describe your own style? Quite young, funky. I used to be more colourful but now I’ve kind of dealt it down a bit. Not so much colour, sort of more black and cream, brown and green, I like green and that kind of [...] colours. A lot of places are pulling on that neon theme at the moment and I really don’t like it. It’s alright for a fancy dress party.
What would you prefer, department stores, specialty stores like Top Shop and you know what I mean?
Yeah [...] and Debinems. Yeah exactly I don’t really go in there to be honest. I don’t really go to department stores unless there’s a sale on. It’s because I find them a bit more expensive.
What about online shops then? I’ve purchased a couple of things from Boohoo’s but they came back and they didn’t really fit me properly so I don’t like they charge you for posting and delivering charging and sending packages that doesn’t fit and I just got really fed up with all of that. I buy like electronics and things like that online and [...] but I wouldn’t buy clothes. I’d probably buy shoes because a size 5 is a size 5 isn’t it, so I’ve bought shoes online but I wouldn’t really buy any more clothes online.
So you do prefer the specialty stores? Yes
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Do you like a brand to have clothes for various occasions, for instance casual clothes, formal clothes and
dressy clothes? Do you like it to have it all? I like it to have it all really, usually the shops, I mean Top Shop and Dorothy Perkins definitely have all kinds of things. Sometimes I’ll be walking around because I don’t really feel the need to buy anything and I’ll have a look and see what they’ve got.
What kind of personality would you like a clothing brand to indicate? I’d say kind of cool and young and funky. That attracts me more than conservative and I think that’s a bit boring.
Do you wear clothes that make you appear as something specific? No, I guess I wear clothes, obviously you need to wear clothes. Usually I wear jeans, nice fitting jeans and I like a t-shirt with a cardigan, that’s the most kind of things that I’m wearing at the moment [...] boots or flip flops. That’s my sort of style, it’s sort of casual but it’s sort of smart [...] comfortable. I don’t like corsets or anything like that, it’s the tight fitting, I don’t like that I feel a bit self-conscious [...] I like cotton and sort of comfortable clothes.
Do you ever wear a certain outfit to make other people see you as something like as being fashionable,
like bought got something from Bristol which nobody knew about? Yeah, I definitely wear stuff to get noticed, I definitely want people to think I’m fine you know I’ve got a bit of a perky personality, I’m not boring and that kind of thing. Yeah definitely I would probably say that I would.
How do you feel about Denmark or things made in Denmark? I don’t know I haven’t been there. I don’t think I would mind at all and I don’t think I’d go WOW that’s from Denmark I wouldn’t go and say that. If it looks good then you know.
So the origin doesn’t really matter that much? No it doesn’t matter, I don’t know, where is H&M from?
Sweden Yeah Sweden so, yeah no I don’t mind at all.
How do you feel about brand that cares about your opinions? Is that important to you? I don’t know if they really need to know my opinion. Like in giving them feed-back or? Exactly Yeah it’s a quite nice thing to do, I don’t know how many people would do it but as long as they kind of got most things that I need then.
So how about events and stuff like that? Would that make you more interested in a brand if they were to
through events every once in a while? Events? Yeah let’s say they were open until late and they gave
champagne and stuff like that? Yeah I definitely think that would get me in […]
But if a brand were to do that occasionally, would that give you an impression of the brand in a positive
or negative way? More positive than negative, I don’t think it’s necessary all the time you know every so often […]
How do you feel about memberships of clothing brands? Would you like a clothing brand to give you a
member’s card which could give you credit at the end of the year or something? Yeah that sounds good, you mean loyalty cards and stuff like that. That’s a good thing because obviously if it’s a shop that I like and
I’m gonna use it would be nice to get something like that.
Do you think you would be more likely to shop in a store which had the loyalty cards? Yeah probably, if I liked the clothing, then yes. I think I would, I’d probably check there first because I’d get yeah the discount? yeah.
Do you think that your opinions might be representative of the regular English girl? Yeah, I would probably be pretty much the same as 25-year-old women out there.
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Do a lot of your friends share your opinions? Yeah, well a lot of my friends use the same shops as I do. We wear kind of similar things.
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