When you think of significant Scottish exports, whisky, salmon and Grand Theft Auto all spring to mind. However, award winning Scottish fashion label, Bebaroque, is also firmly making its mark in overseas markets, establishing itself as a front runner in the ever-increasing competitive fashion world.
Launched in July 2007, Bebaroque, who specialise in innovative decoration for the body, has managed to secure strong international market connections within a short space of time, as well as garner a vast amount of credible media coverage, with the brand featured in top titles such as Vogue, Elle, Harpers Bazaar and Grazia.
Bebaroque products are currently stocked in some of the most prestigious and desirable department stores and boutiques across the globe. Designer Mhairi McNicol, one half of the Bebaroque duo, talks about the company’s international trade journey so far.
“We were very ambitious with where we envisaged selling our products overseas. We identified the top five stores in a market, which were usually the top five most luxurious retailers. We did this by completing research on each market to establish the most appropriate ‘potential’ retailers of Bebaroque products.
“Once we had our target list we would personally contact each buyer, invite them to our showroom and try to arrange an appointment and if this was not possible, we would send samples of our work. Essentially, Bebaroque products are very niche so each season we knew we had to target a number of markets to ensure the brand’s success.
Success at London and Paris Fashion Weeks
“Each season we would show at London Fashion Week where we started to attract some international attention but it was when we started exhibiting during Paris Fashion Week that it really took off and we gained the majority of our international stockists, particularly from the US, China and Japan.
Paris Fashion Week is attended by so many different international buyers and is pretty much a one-stop-shop to see what designers and brands have to offer.
"On the domestic front, one of our first major stockists was Harrods and we were fortunate that other buyers had seen our products stocked there and quickly followed suit.
How do you find buyers?
“Probably one of the biggest challenges of international business is maintaining relationships with buyers across the globe. You can meet a buyer at a trade show and then the following season you might not see them again.
"Wherever possible, it’s best to arrange appointments with buyers on their terms and at their convenience, usually at their offices and sometimes out with the timings and dates of the trade show.
“Once you meet in person, you can spend time listening to their needs and requirements. Buyers get to meet the people behind the brand and you can really start to build a relationship. It’s also always been a priority of our brand to support our retailers as much as we possibly can, providing marketing material to assist with selling and also a full range of samples for display.
How easy is it to do business in international markets?
“Sometimes language barriers can be tricky to overcome, although in our office we’ve benefited from speaking French and German. We’ve also had support from Scottish Development International (SDI) when contacting potential stockists. Their network of international offices really helped to make the initial process of making contact a lot easier.
“Indeed, we also received great one on one support from SDI colleagues in the Glasgow and French offices. Their assistance meant we were able to secure an appointment with a major French luxury retailer which we had initially identified as part of our research.
"SDI introduced our brand to the retailer in the first instance and an appointment was secured. They then went on to place an order and feature Bebaroque as guest brand of the season.
Support in the Asian market
“We also received a huge amount of information from SDI, particularly in China, helping us to better understand how the retailing industry works in different markets.
"Further support has also come in the form of the graduate scheme which allowed us to employ a graduate to focus on our international development. Having a dedicated full time member of staff focusing solely on this has been of huge benefit to our small business.
Advice for companies new to exporting
“In terms of advice for companies thinking about exporting, I would say be selective and patient when targeting key international outlets and don’t assume straight away that they’re not interested. Although we regularly sent information on our brand, we were sometimes unsuccessful in securing an appointment but just remember that doesn’t mean that retailers aren’t watching you.
Using ecommerce to reach international customers
“Ecommerce has allowed us to sell our products globally, however we’re mindful that in some markets consumers prefer purchasing our products locally at their convenience, so it’s vital that we continue to identify, partner and support our retailers.
“We‘ve just launched Bebaroque in Le Bon Marche Rive Gauche Paris and Lane Crawford, a luxury store in Shanghai, for Autumn Winter 2013 where we have featured as their guest brand of the season.
"At the same time we’re working on making our website more international and accessible, providing more information about our brand processes and beliefs and launching short video clips for new products which give our customers as much information as possible about each product and reassuring the quality of design.”
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