Alison Lancaster has held senior roles with retail brands such as Charles Tyrwhitt, Debenhams, John Lewis and Harrods Direct.
Now consulting for White Stuff, Alison talks to The Online Fashion Agency about tracking multi-channel activity, the launch of Selfridges and working at John Lewis.
You were a significant part of the development of John Lewis Direct. Would you ever go back as a consultant?
Yes, of course, if I was asked! The Partnership’s unique principles made working there a pleasure.
John Lewis brand values are the best and I am delighted that the John Lewis Direct business has been such a success.
I’m looking forward to them breaking the £1bn sales barrier now they have fashion online.
What is it about the White Stuff retail proposition that made it an attractive project for you?
White Stuff is a very strong business with huge UK and international potential, an inspirational leadership team that oozes passion for their products and people, with clear brand values and a continuous drive to innovate and differentiate.
They place their customer at the heart of everything they do. Truly a lovely brand and lovely people.
Could your position at White Stuff become permanent?
I’m thoroughly enjoying my Interim consulting role and am busy assisting the Board and in-house team review and develop their home shopping strategy.
I’m contracted to White Stuff until the end of April, and have other clients to look after too, but I’m always on hand to help such lovely people, anytime in the future.
Do you think the impending launch of Selfridges online is a threat to Harrods, where you were previously Marketing Director?
There are reasons, I think mainly outside the retailers’ control, why the premium-luxury sector is still years behind the rest of online and multi-channel retailing.
The coming decade will see the luxury department stores develop their own multi-channel retail and marketing strategies and experiences. Online competition in this sector can only be a good thing for the customer.
Do you think we will see more multi-channel retailers offering loyalty cards to track cross channel activity? Or should retailers track credit/debit card use?
One of the greatest ‘direct’ benefits is the ability to track, measure and analyse customer response. Rewarding customers for data capture is important when wishing to track offline and multi channel response successfully.
I would not rely on this being via third party bank cards – I would aim for more imaginative and original branded ways of doing this.
Michael Ross recently told The Online Fashion Agency the industry is short of “traders” with P&L experience. Do you agree, and if so, how can the issue be tackled?
There are a few of us who have been trading in this space for almost two decades now! We came from different backgrounds but are the original online pioneers and instinctively know how to trade direct.
I am Chair of The Catalogue Exchange and work with colleagues in the industry (e.g. Internet Retailing, Econsultancy, ECMOD) to help develop practical, multi-channel trading and best practice workshops and events for the next generation.
And finally, who would you like to see interviewed on The Online Fashion Agency, and why?
Peter Ruis, Fashion Director at John Lewis – they are the ones to watch in the online fashion space over the next few years, and will be the first to really integrate and scale the multi-channel experience in that sector. See an interview with Peter Ruis here.
Natalie Massenet, founder of NET-A-PORTER – she virtually single handedly managed to launch luxury online 10 years ago where other retailers failed. Great respect!
Ian Jindal, editor of Internet Retailing – always a valuable source of what’s new, and hugely entertaining.
Nick Robertson, CEO of ASOS - a real pioneer in this space who’s achieved remarkable results!
I have a lot of respect for how White Stuff have developed their brand, and presumably Alison has also helped them to develop their proposition.