March 26, 2009

Tough Times



Over at hypebeast right now there is a very interesting article on the state of the industry called streetwear.

Here's an excerpt from Frank Liew of Qubic/Quarters


"I think everybody needs to stop and breathe for a second. Consumers, support your independents. Retailers, stop blaming everything on “the recession”. Don’t be lazy. It doesn’t explain why you should ignore customers who walk in your front door. You know how it works. People moan to me about how it’s all media hype – but I don’t entirely believe that. I think there is a general paradigm shift at the moment kick-started by the economic situation in where people are now waking up and evaluating the way they’ve been spending, regardless of whether or not they’ve been hit in the pocket by the housing crunch or lost an entire stock portfolio. For our industry, I strongly believe the spending is still out there. I see it every day when I view our reports. People who were into it before the crunch are still into it now, I don’t think I’ve met a single person who’s completely given up on buying clothes & footwear just because the GDP has shrunken for the last two consecutive quarters. People still appreciate good product, and good service. It’s still a relatively young crowd, they’re flexible. Remember why you got into this in the first place. The need, the addiction, the want. That’s what your customers still feel, despite what you may think. If you can capture that then you’re set. "

The article gives some inspiration as well as sending a real message that now is the time to step up, be creative, differentiate your brand from the herd, and most importantly be true to your style ignore all the commercial mess, and build your brand to fit you first.

Check the article here

Play well
Clovis

No comments: