Ground Breaking…

In the culmination of plenty of planning & hard-work, Friday 5th August saw Specialty Fashion Group & Toll Group announce the start of their partnership in constructing a new state-of-the-art distribution centre in Sydney’s South-West.

LEFT TO RIGHT: John Sidoti MP, Member for Drummoyne, Parliamentary Secretary for Roads, Transport, Industry, Resources and Energy; Brian Kruger, Managing Director, Toll Group; Gary Perlstein, CEO, Speciality Fashion Group; John Marsh, Managing Director, Logos; Ned Mannoun, Mayor of the City of Liverpool.

A core part of the SFG Logistics five-year plan, the new 32,000 square meter facility will be at the cutting edge of logistical solutions for Omni-channel retail in Australia.

Moving from a largely manual facility in Homebush to one with advanced automation and an additional 14,000 sqm space will capitalise on speed of pick & pack, improved inventory, throughput volume and other enhanced capability to meet the change in customer demands as digitalisation moves to the forefront of retail business strategy.

SFG currently handles over 300,000 units per week of replenishment and online units which are sent out to the stores network or individual customers. The new warehouse will double that capacity, with the further potential to increase to over 1 million units per week. We have worked closely with Toll, over the design phase to create a facility that focuses on efficiencies such as store product sequencing, auto e-commerce bagging, and automatic carton optimisation.

To celebrate the partnership of this innovative new distribution centre and start of the build a soil turning ceremony took place on site, in Prestons last Friday, attended by key Toll executives and our own CEO, Gary Perlstein along with members of the SFG Logistics team.

Tolls’ Managing Director, Brian Kruger said; "Our aim at Toll, is to connect people and products, and we look forward to working with Specialty Fashion Group to enable a fast, efficient and cost effective supply chain for its customers."

Gary Perlstein also spoke of the collaboration saying; "We have worked with Toll to create a supply chain solution that enables our Omni-channel strategy across all brands, for a streamlined and memorable customer experience."

The facility will employ over 100 warehouse operators when the final phase of the construction, by the LOGOS Group Australia, is completed in October 2017.

“I am extremely proud of what the SFG Logistics team, in partnership with Toll, have been able to plan and achieve to date on this project.” Said Alex Linton, GM of Logistics. “The next 12 months of construction & transition will be both exciting & challenging times but the end result, of being at the forefront of logistic solutions, to aid business growth, will be extremely rewarding for everyone on the project. Ultimately, the customer is at the centre of all our business decisions at SFG and the impact on the overall customer experience will be huge. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank all those involved, as it is a tremendous achievement.”

The commemorative spade!

So what’s next on the horizon for the Logistics function at SFG? A focus on the expanding international operations, in particular a consolidation of the warehousing in the US, optimisation of the bonded shipping hub in China as well as importing directly to Australian domestic regional ports are all on the cards!

Well done to all those involved on this huge endeavor. A massive step forward to put SFG ahead of the game in retail and into the same arena as the big, international players.

Credit to Big Rigs 

Meet Penny........

It’s not really a revelation to hear that the role of a receptionist is crucial to many a business. They create the first impression and reflect the business values & culture.

Here at SFG HQ we are very aware of having the best person/people in the role and are lucky to have two wonderful ladies who job share the role at SFG Reception. Penny & Nina are true superstars, hard-working and ever smiling. They are approachable, engaging and always happy to help!

The other day our Editor was in the buzzing reception hub at SFG, chatting to Penny and she had some wonderful things to say about her role & time so far at SFG, so we thought we’d share her thoughts. Meet Penny………

Ahhh, Penny, you are looking lovely yet again today – wearing any of our brands?

I am! City Chic top and earrings today!

Such an ambassador! Love it! Right, so tell us a bit about you?

I’m married with two beautiful boys aged five & three. I love travelling, especially to Greece and exploring the beautiful islands & villages where I can indulge my passion for food and cooking. I also love spending time with friends and family.

I Joined SFG almost one year ago in a part-time Reception role that I share with my lovely colleague Nina. I work 5 days a week either a morning or afternoon shift and handover with Nina at lunch-time. This has been the perfect arrangement to allow me to balance my child-care arrangements, secure fulfilling work and ensuring work/life balance.

What attracted you to the role at SFG?

Being a mum, I was attracted to the hours but more importantly I loved the SFG brands. I grew up with Katies and Millers as my Mum and Grandmother would frequently shop there. I also love fashion so when I saw the role advertised, I thought why not work within the fashion industry!

Penny @ SFG reception in Sydney

As a receptionist, what does your role entail?

The reception area at SFG is super busy, so my hours flyby! My day to day tasks include meeting and greeting clients, customers & suppliers, answering incoming calls and receiving and sorting deliveries. We have anywhere from 50 - 200 parcels delivered each day! I’m also responsible for sending out all international samples and managing the couriers as well as responding to email enquiries and requests from SFG team members.

What’s your favourite part of the role?

People! My day centres around interacting with people all day from all different walks of life, whether that’s my colleagues, suppliers, customers or our couriers. This gives the busy role a lot of variety.

What are the perks to working here?

There are so many perks working at SFG! One the best ones being our generous staff discount (40%) which means there is an even bigger excuse to shop and I have a happier husband! We are also able to attend samples sales, again receiving a significant discount as well as getting to see the latest fashion trends, first, before it hits the stores. I was recently asked by one of our suppliers if I would mind wearing a few bits of their jewellery, which are currently stocked in our stores, and the best bit is I get to keep it! However, by far my favourite part of working at SFG is the team culture we have, everyone is so friendly and approachable it means coming to work is always fun!

What would your top tip be to someone considering a role at SFG?

Don’t be intimated by the stereotypes that the Fashion Industry has. At SFG that couldn’t be further from the truth – the people here are down-to-earth, friendly and welcoming and the culture is great! If you want a great role, in a buzzing environment all you need to do is demonstrate the SFG values and work hard and I’m sure you would be a success!

Now Penny, I don’t want to cause any ruffling of feathers internally but who is your favourite SFG brand & why?

Hahaha – I love them all! But if I was pressured to pick I would say that I have two favourite brands, City Chic and Katies; I love what City Chic represents in terms of giving confidence and sass to plus-size women to wear whatever they want and to look & feel fantastic! And with Katies it’s about accessing latest trends and fashions whilst also being affordable and keeping some classic pieces.

Favourite fashion trend of the moment?

I’m obsessed with leather look coated jeans at the moment they are so versatile, you can dress them up or down, are comfortable but with a bit on an edge!

Who’s your style icon?

Penny's dream destination

My current style icon is Sally Obermeder! I love her sophisticated & classic style, she always looks so well put together without trying too hard.

Now, obviously you want to be at SFG forever (!) however if you weren’t working at SFG what would you be doing?

I would be living on an island somewhere in Greece, sunning myself with a cocktail, sampling delicious food!  

One Woman – Many Stories

The Retail Concept:

If you have been out and about in Western Sydney, in particular, Wetherill Park in recent weeks you might have seen that a new store concept will be opening soon at the Stockland Centre. Would you like a sneak peak?

Here at SFG HQ we have been busy creating an exciting new ‘department store’ concept that will showcase fantastic product ranges from across all of our six fashion brands! This awesome new venture will enhance the customer experience by providing a sanctuary for her to shop in making her choices simpler. Our customer values fit and is looking for a little guidance to transform fashion ideas into her own style.

One Woman marks a new beginning; for retail, for fashion, for you!

The 28^th April 2016 is fast approaching and will see us opening the first One Woman store in Wetherill Park, an impressive 750sqm space and home to over 50,000 units of stock.

The new store in Wetherill Park, NSW, Australia

The store will feel personalised and will offer guidance and inspiration to the customer during her shopping experience. Designed around a theme of water, the store will provide a sanctuary of calmness and transformation. Our aim is to curate an environment that is elegant, feminine, soft and warm; with an abundance of natural light provided through an amazing central skylight paired, with 5,000 origami birds, hanging from the ceiling to entice our woman through the door!

The sneak peek!

We want to help our woman find and select great clothes that suit her SHAPE irrespective of SIZE. We are going to help her determine her style personality.

The store will also be home to a ‘Denim Zone’ where all six brands will feature 100% of their denim collections; overall, across the store, the size offering will range from a size 8 through to a size 26. The customer will flow naturally from one brand to the next, allowing them to view and explore different items from the variety on offer.

We look forward to welcoming our customers through the door in 59 days!

The Charitable Foundation:  

A number of years ago SFG founded a registered charity under the name 1Woman with the aim of raising funds for a selection of female focused charities in Australia. To date, this Foundation has primarily had an internal focus and has allowed our team members to raise money and/or donate their time to some fantastic causes. During 2016 we will continue to build upon this great endeavor, to re-launch this Foundation and increase its impact. To support this, there will be a 1Woman Foundation Area in the One Woman store– All for one, one for all. Customers will be invited to contribute to the Foundation by purchasing a gift with a proportion of the proceeds going to the charity.  

We have already partnered with Thread Together a charity that coordinates the distribution of clothing donations to help disadvantaged people from all walks of life. In January they collected 25 boxes from our Alexandria Support Office and the recipients were very grateful of the opportunity to receive clothes to assist them financially and from a self-esteem perspective. 

SFG Team Members supporting 1Woman!

As the One Woman journey continues we will keep you up to date with all the exciting developments. Good luck team for the grand opening – awesome work so far!

An insight into the Buying function at Katies

We recently sat down with James Matthews-Newman, Head of Product for Katies to see if we could garner an insight in to the world of Apparel Buying within our iconic Katies brand. Take a read to discover what the Buying function looks like and get a sneak peek into up-coming trends for AW16.

Can you tell us what your role as Head of Product does within Katies?

"In short, I manage the best buying team in Australia! I’ve been with Katies for a year now & am still impressed about the high performing nature of the team! Essentially, I manage the process of getting product to market; working closely with our suppliers to building relationships; setting the strategic direction of the categories & implementing sales initiatives.

I’m also the conduit between our Design and Merchandise Planning functions, as well as working closely with Visual Merchandise, Marketing & Store Operations."

James looking very dapper in a tux! 

What have you loved about your role so far?

"12 months has absolutely flown by! The teams moral, work ethic & ability for all the departments to pull together is truly inspiring. I love the huge design focus that we have within the Katies brand. Very few ‘high-street’ brands, at our price point, invest like we do in the design element of our product. Whilst, I have a career that spans 15years in the fashion & retail industry I’ve found the last year has been packed full of learning for me & I truly feel like I am surrounded by some of the best in the industry & we all come from a very diverse background. We all want the brand to be successful & will do whatever it takes to get the product looking its’ best to meet & exceed our customers’ expectations!"

What does a ‘typical’ week involve for a Buyer in your team?

"Haha, I wish I could answer that but as anyone who has worked in buying knows, there’s no such thing! The only two certainties are the Monday morning trade meetings, to review the previous weeks performance, & that it will be crazy busy! But we wouldn’t have it any other way."

Everyone says a role in Buying is “fast paced” what does this mean at Katies?

"It is fast paced and therefore not for the faint-hearted. You need to be on top of your game, be highly organised and able to multi-task & prioritise. The teams focus is on getting the most up to date products for our customer; it’s not about giving her “youth” trends, it’s about interpreting the trends and colours so she can buy into them, feel relevant & be trend appropriate.

We work 6 months ahead and have a new ‘story’ dropping in each week. We are a volume fashion environment & with volume comes the need to be fast. Our Buyers have multi-category responsibility & deal with a broad supplier base. Some people thrive in fast paced & others struggle – for us we need Buyers who love being in the thick of it with a broad variety of work to be involved in & who can make good decisions quickly based on their skills, experience & knowledge."

How often do Buyers get to travel & where do they get to go?

"There’s a lot of travel involved in most buying roles & for us the trips typically include; London, Los Angeles, New York, Europe, China & Bangladesh."

How would you describe the Katies brand environment & team culture?

"Katies is very much a team focused environment; everyone works well together & truly wants to see the brand achieve success & provide great product to our fabulous customer – she deserves it! I am a great believer that you are only as good as your team."

The Katies team having fun on Melbourne cup! 

What exciting things can we expect from Katies in 2016?

"I can’t give too much away as don’t want the competition getting wind of this, but we have some exciting new “capsules” launching……………………………………"

What’s the most challenging part of a Buying role for a new person joining the business?

"As when joining any business, it’s the first few weeks where you just feel like you don’t know anything; new systems, you’ve inherited someone else’s range, different business language etc. We’ve all been there & my advice is that you have to manage those frustrations safe in the knowledge that it will all fall into place. We encourage out new starters to ask loads of questions, don’t be afraid to get stuck in & have a voice & opinion, make notes and smile!"

What’s your top career tip for a Buyer looking to progress their career?

"Remember why we are in this industry; it’s about providing amazing clothes for our customers, never lose sight of why we do this & never under estimate your customer, learn to love her. If you are passionate about fashion & love what you do that will show in the results!"

What’s the best thing about working in the Katies brand?

"We operate like a high-end designer with great attention to detail, amazing prints & artworks that are designed in London & Europe. This strong design focus coupled with offering this to our customers at great price is what stands us apart!

It is amazing the amount of work & effort that goes into every single product that we produce and the fact that we can offer such a great price never fails to impress me."

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

"Usually it’s my two dogs waiting to get into the bedroom & jump on the bed! But on a serious note, my team & my passion for what I do." 

Any sneaky insight into the top trends we should be looking out for in AW16?

1. "It’s going to be a great colour season with some gorgeous rich tones of rust, camel & ochres.
2. Knitwear is going to huge with the key shapes being the cape & poncho.
3. Another colour story that will be really strong this year is midnight blues; think Indigo and denim leading the way!  
4. My top tip would be to invest in a beautiful, quality winter coat, camel is the hottest colour this season!"

Thanks James! 

Editor 

Sneak peak to Katies AW16 collection