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| Chairman's Message |
2010 has now begun and, if you are like me, you will be glad to see the back of 2009.
Having said that, one man’s bad year is another’s good year and I am told that some of you saw a reasonable amount of prosperity last year. For others, survival was an achievement. As you are
reading this, you should be very happy, you have survived one of the worst periods of global economic malaise that anyone has seen in a long time. In our industry, numerous manufacturers have ceased to exist and many retailers have closed. However, I would hope that you would agree with me that now is the time to be positive, to look forward and plan your continued success at
whatever level that may be. Moreover, it is certain that all of us have learnt valuable lessons from the recent past. I know I have!
Reacting to the wishes of retailers, the members of the IFF have upped their game and I am certain
that you will be impressed with the spread of collections in this Autumn/Winter 2010 Directory.
Some new brands, some revamped collections and some tried and tested lines; all in all, something
for everyone. This is why I suggest to you that, as retailers, you take the time to visit the showrooms
of as many of the members as possible. Brands that didn’t work with your retail mix in the past may
have moved forward and could now be a perfect fit. With brands that are new to the territory, only
by seeing that collection first-hand will you be able to make a judgement.
However, as all good retailers know, selecting brands is only a part of the fashion business. Credit
and creditworthiness has become just as important as collection selection. Many retailers that
would have expected to receive the usual credit terms from suppliers are finding that that this is
no longer the case. My experience is that, often, this is due to communication problems, namely,
the retailer failing to provide complete, accurate and up-to-date credit information to the supplier
and, by consequence, the supplier’s credit insurer or factoring company. Equally, as credit insurers
and factoring companies keep records covering many seasons, the reason why credit insurance
or a factoring limit is not granted may be due to an event, such as garments returned to a
manufacturer and, therefore, not paid for, that occurred some time ago. In such situations, the way
forward is for the retailers to communicate with the manufacturer through the member of the IFF
that represents that brand. Often, a solution can be found that benefits everyone. The
members of the IFF are there to help retailers as, frankly, with no credit insurance and
no orders there can be no income!
Finally, all the members of the IFF wish you a successful Spring/Summer 2010 retail
season and a productive and fulfilling Autumn/Winter 2010 buying season, as well as
good luck, good health and every happiness in all your endeavours.
Glynn Alwyn-Jones Chairman |
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