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Setting Up Shop Transatlantic

By FashionUnited

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It is not easy for retailers to make the trans-Atlantic leap. British designers setting up shop in the US face different barriers than their European counterparts. Similarly, for Americans to bring their brands to this side of the Atlantic requires more than a few chief executives and disposable marketing budgets.

It is easy to mistake a great retail space as the backbone for a successful business. In America especially, a country where 'bigger is better' continues to define the national trophy of success, every square inch needs to be a profitable space. H&M learned this lesson quickly, when real-estate complexities led to losses and opening too many shops too quickly meant they couldn't keep up with their own 'fast fashion.' So too are the different requirements for city stores and their out-of-town counterparts. They are, at best, two different consumers.

For foreign brands to start up business in the UK, the retail market is not easily penetrable as our complicated regulations and labour laws can overwhelm foreign investors. Consumer products, it seems, is a regional game, and is subject to local influences. From Marks & Spencer in the UK, to Gap Inc. in the US, retailers have at one point or another run into trouble attempting Transatlantic crossings.

Still, the need to deliver growth outside home markets keeps pushing retailers across the ocean. An adaptable approach will be key in the lessons learned early on. Signing a lease for a 44,000sq-ft space on Oxford Street does not guarantee sales. Thankfully, some brands seem to fare well on both sides of the Atlantic. Take Earl Jean for example. Their newly opened shop in Notting Hill has kept the brand cool, casual, and Californian. In other words, American roots selling on UK soil. For some, crossing the Atlantic means an ocean of opportunities. (By: Don-Alvin Adegeest)

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