INTERNATIONAL fashion retailer Daniel Hechter has suited up to take advantage of a strong menswear market in Western Australia - with Perth due to get one of the two first Australian stores early next year.
The Paris-based fashion house, which specialises in a high-end ‘lifestyle’ clothing for men and women, joins the push by global fashion labels into the Perth market.
The store, which will sell only men’s clothing, will be in the retail precinct of the newly opened Brookfield Place building on St Georges Terrace.
Despite gloomy sales results reported this year by large fashion retailers David Jones and Myer, Daniel Hechter’s international licence director Tanguy Mulliez said the market for menswear globally remained strong.
“I think it’s positive at the moment, we have 63 stores in different countries, and they’re doing well,” Mr Mulliez said.
“Perth is special to us and we think there’s strong demand in the market.”
Daniel Hechter is a sponsor of the Fremantle Dockers, and Mi' Mulliez said one of the brand’s biggest customers lived in Perth.
Daniel Hechter, which retails its clothing through various fashion outlets in Australia with partner Expedition Apparel, also plans to open a Melbourne store in March next year.
Retail turnover of clothing in WA has dipped from its peak of $115.6 million in October 2007 but has held on to levels of about $90 million a year over the past two years, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Perth menswear retailers told WA Business News they were benefiting from strong demand for high-end menswear.
Claremont boutique Father sells a broad range of high-end casual menswear and joint-owner Joel Sofi is positive about the direction of the market.
Mr Sofi said online shopping was the most significant challenge for his business and that clothing retailers needed to generate an emotional response from shoppers to keep them coming back.
“Part of being a local boutique store is being able to service loyal clientele better than an online retailer or big department store can,” he said.
“You know your customers really well, you have loyal customers coming back and you’re able to give them what they want.”
Mr Mulliez said there were some things an online store would never be able to provide, especially at the higher end of the market.
“When you want a suit, you need good advice about the way it fits your body, and how to ensure everything goes together, and that’s something you can only get in a store,” he said.
Mr Mulliez said a key difference between men’s and women’s retailing was the consumer habits of each group.
“Women shop for pleasure, while men shop for need,” he said.
“Women will often shop more often but purchase less, while men will shop infrequently but they’ 11 buy eveiything in one go.”
In the menswear market, Mr Mulliez said this meant the in-store experience had to be a memorable and positive for customers every time.
