Yorkshire-based menswear cataloguer Joseph Turner is launching
its first-ever womenswear catalogue. The outfitter, which was
founded in 1997 by Chris Legard, appointed Leeds-based design
agency Pure Creative Marketing, photographer Craig Fordham and
Scarborough-based printer Pindar to help produce the new
catalogue.
Chris Legard says the idea for a new women’s catalogue came as a
result of consumer demand, “We get a lot of ladies calling
us to order clothes for their loved ones and over the years we
have been asked countless times if we were ever going to sell
ladieswear.” After a while, he says, “the penny
dropped and it got me thinking”.
To ready the business for the launch of a womenswear collection,
Joseph Turner appointed a womenswear buying manager. Rachael
Joyce joined from Dutch lingerie firm Etam 18 months ago, and
since then has spent time researching and developing the new
range.
Following the research period, Joseph Turner mailed out
“several hundred thousand” copies of the full
catalogue to two main groups: the female customers who buy
menswear from Joseph Turner and the wives or partners of its
existing male customers. These two segments form the backbone of
the company’s marketing plans for the coming season, along with
support from some cold lists and a digital marketing campaign.
Newspaper inserts are also likely to follow from next
season.
Staying power
Despite the volatile state of the retail environment, Legard
believes the time is right to launch the new offering,
“Sure the economic climate is tough, but I still believe
that it is possible to succeed in any market as long as you
provide your customers with the right blend of quality, service,
price and choice. And this is what we intend to do.” He
says the launch of a ladies range makes “perfect
sense” for the business and for its loyal customers,
“whether or not the economy is booming or just bumping
along.”
In keeping with Joseph Turner’s Yorkshire heritage, the new
womenswear catalogue-which includes casual and formal wear,
outdoor apparel and accessories-highlights the importance of
Britishness to the brand. Legard says, “We have managed to
source a very significant amount of the range from British
factories, be it the fabrics or the finished article. I am really
encouraged by this and I hope it is a sign of a resurgence in UK
clothing manufacturing.”
Looking ahead Legard is hoping to develop the ladieswear range
further and open it up to a US audience, where Joseph Turner
already sells its menswear. The company is also looking to expand
its offering into Germany, Scandinavia and the Netherlands in the
next few years, with the possibility of “the odd
outlet” being opened in the UK.
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