Are the days of coffee meetings and phone orders about to disappear forever…? We talk to Cameron Campbell about Marque of Brands’ sophisticated new online trade store, Herself & Co.
Herself & Co. Trade Superstore has just launched, how is it going so far?
“Herself & Co. is quickly becoming one of our most exciting spaces of innovation,” says Cameron Campbell, manager of Marque of Brands. “Since a soft launch just before Christmas, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing with brands and distributors wanting to get involved.”
What was the thinking behind it?
“The idea of Herself & Co. really stemmed from working closely with the professionals in the industry and watching the change in the pace of business and how they look to seek opportunities and save time,” says Campbell. “It became obvious the industry really needed a new marketplace, a place where all the brands and all the professionals can come together and trade.”
So it’s a time saver…
“Gone are the days of catalogues and coffees with sales reps – who has time for that?” says Campbell. “Herself & Co. is a one stop marketplace that streamlines the experience and allows brands and distributors to go direct to their market. It also allows professionals to access all the brands, competitive prices, great deals and industry insights all in the one place. Everybody wins.”
It looks as good as a consumer store… What has been the feedback from your stockists?
“The concept of going direct to their market online at such a low cost is completely new, they are really excited and the results are reflected,” says Campbell. “It gives our stockists control and exposes them to a wider market at a fraction of traditional costs while requiring little management.”
Is a user-friendly wholesale site such as this one the key to boosting sales?
“Definitely, this is a 24/7 marketplace designed purely to connect brands and professionals in the one place,” says Campbell. “You can’t replicate this offline unless you go to a tradeshow and we know how expensive that can be. Achieving this sort of brand exposure and sales conversion is traditionally an expensive part of any brand’s budget.”
Marque of Brands is very digital savvy, do you think this has been key to your brands’ successes?
“We attribute our success to having some of the world’s best tanning products, and being digitally savvy has played a tremendous part in sharing our products with a broader global market,” says Campbell. “The beauty [and] tanning industry is becoming more and more digital each day, being able to keep up with the trends and technology has become an essential ingredient to staying relevant & successful.