BETTY and LOLA - A NOSTALGIC GEM!

I alluded to some of the wonderful tiny brands I have discovered at local fairs and markets in an earlier post, and Betty and Lola was one of my favourites - particularly for the kids. I actually had no idea if it was still around, but having executed the ubiquitous Google search, it seems the brand has developed quite a bit. Great to see, and I’m looking forward to perusing the website right after this post…

Check to out here https://www.bettyandlola.com.au

I mentioned in an earlier post how impressed I have been at the quality of traders at various fetes and festivals.

At the Moocooboola festival near our home in Hunters Hill, I had the very great fortune of stumbling across the delightful Betty and Lola, created by the very talented Catriona Andrews.

Upon setting foot inside the tiny tent on a mild, sunny day, I was struck with a wave of nostalgia and happy childhood memories. Let me explain...

When I was a kid, my mum was somewhat nifty with the sewing machine and would always make a stunning array of outfits for our summer holidays. Gorgeous, yet simple sun dresses in really pretty prints, seersuckers, broiderie anglaise, beach ponchos made from towelling with bobble and tassel trims, etc., etc. Walking into the Betty and Lola tent was like being whisked back in time to those childhood holidays and their accompanying home-made wardrobes.

This is all in a very, VERY good way, you understand.

Catriona has developed a selection of signature shapes with ingenious simplicity, reproduced in carefully chosen fabrics and prints, combined with some beautifully customised denim shorts and skirts. I didn't want to leave...

Eventually I did, of course as I was starting to look like some weird stalker in a daze-like state, sniffing ponchos and fondling tassels, but not before buying shorts, 2 dresses, a skirt and a top for my daughter and a skirt and fabulously billowy voile top for me.

Check out the Betty and Lola website http://www.bettyandlola.com.au/

It's a pretty site and sets the scene well for the collection, though there is limited product available on-line and it really doesn't do it justice.

Any investors out there, this lady should have shops - and lots of them!

Catriona is no slacker as you can see from the list of fairs and markets she'll be trading at - and you can also find her at the EQ Markets every Wednesday.

I can't wait to see what she has in store at the Lane Cove street fair in October... ahhh, I can almost smell the Ambre Solaire [ok, so now I am showing my age - this was pretty much the only sun oil [yes, oil - factor nothing] available in those days!

... taking the Costa Brava plane... Y Viva Espania... la la la la la-la la la laaaaa

MYawn

Written back in 2013, I wish I could say, Myer has become a scintillating retail emporium that I can’t simply live without, but sadly, that didn’t happen. Oh, well…

God, I'd love to get my hands on Myer!
(or DJs for that matter, but I happened to be in Myer yesterday so today it's the subject of my post).
I've only been in a few of the Myer Stores - Chatswood, Top Ryde, McQuarie, Bondi Junction and Pitt Street, so forgive me, Myer, if there is an astonishing beacon of retail excellence I have yet to discover.
With the possible exception of Bondi the same feeling grips me whenever I walk into a Myer store - a feeling of mild depression and lethargy.
I do realise, by the way, that if I have the desire to ever work with Myer in my lifetime, this may not be the best way to go about it, but I'm not blessed with the ability to keep my opinions to myself when it comes to The Shops, so here goes...
I've often thought that the name 'Myer' sounds a bit like a yawn - or maybe that's just how I'm feeling when I say it.
Either way, yawn is exactly what I did as I wandered into the Pitt Street store and felt my spirits dampen despite the bright and sunny day outside.
The Cosmetics hall is overwhelmingly dreary and oppressive, so I quickly 'escaped' to - oh! An equally claustrophobic mezzanine floor, albeit surrounded by admittedly beautiful lingerie. Convinced that (as any good retail bible would dictate) from here, I would be simultaneously guided and enticed through the store to ever more exciting departments and products. I pressed on through rack after rack of laciness before realising I had repeated two and a half circuits of this seemingly inexitable lingerie roundabout.
I'm exaggerating (only slightly) to make a point, but you get the picture. I'm aware that I may also be displaying characteristics of someone of limited intelligence, but this dim-witted state I seem to descend into is simply the effect the place has on me.
Eventually I gratefully seized a 'friendly' shop assistant and asked how on earth I could make the journey to the first floor. "Back down the stairs and up the escalator", she practically sneered. She might have added 'stupid!'
I obediently followed instructions and proceeded to a dismal huddle of escalators in a dim and pointless atrium that does nothing to tempt you on to investigate other floors with any glimpse of what treasures may be disclosed - nor does it do what atriums do best - let in a load of uplifting and illuminating natural daylight.
Anyway, in a striking turn of events, I was greeted at the top of the escalator with a sleek and stunning visual presentation of Sass & Bide and another brand I'm not familiar with. Both looked slick, spacious and exciting.
WOW! I thought, fully prepared to be converted into a lifelong Myer fan. I don't mean to be cynical, you see. I love retail, I especially love department stores, I want to love Myer.
But sadly, it all became rather more mundane after that promising intro to the fashion floor. Myer's purchase and subsequent insertion of Sass & Bide has clearly added some sparkle to the store, but it now makes everything else look all-the-more dull.
I may be wrong, but it seems like a combination of two extremes here. Concession based brands, taking space and creating their own image within it, next to smaller brands assigned to identical, bland house fixtures. Myer (and other retailers of brands) really need to take control of their own identity and ownership of the brands they carry, whose retail and visual expertise will vary greatly. They don't need to be a slave to the bigger brands, who simply transplant their own concept into the store - and they need to do justice to the smaller brands, to really showcase their offer, making Myer a 'must outlet' for boutique labels and in turn a fashion destination for the women of Australia.
The art of presenting such an emporium is the creation of ultimate harmony. A dynamic, arresting, harmonious blend of the House Identity and the brands & designers it is home to. The result should be seamless, preserving the individuality of each brand without compromising the integrity of the store's own distinctive image. Not easy, but most definitely achievable.
A department store has the power to captivate and hold its audience for extended periods of time due to its variety, excitement, originality and continual innovation.
I really do apologise for the inevitable comparison, but I could easily lose a whole day in Selfridges or Liberty, and be delighted with every visit at what they have created for my enjoyment. These two retailers both do it brilliantly, but with completely different styles.
What is Myer's style? What is its point of difference, I wonder? Exclusive brand/designers and collaborations? Maybe... THEN TELL US ABOUT IT! - I MEAN REALLY TELL US.
As a shopper, I would have no idea which collections are exclusive to Myer - If I can't buy it anywhere else, that's a really big deal and should be made very obvious. Use it, drive it, grab attention with it, tell us we can't live without it and show us why.
Continue to bring us things we can't find anywhere but Myer, seduce us with stylish eateries & bars, interact with us, show us what's new / fabulous / hot / emerging, show us your finger is on the pulse - in the fashion thick of it. DEMAND OUR ATTENTION!
Come on Myer - we want to be dazzled and you have the power to do it!

Brilliant Toy Marketing in Australia

Again, written in 2011 as I continued my retail discovery. I’m not really sure if this still happens, as I don’t buy toys anymore, but I hope it’s still going - it really was an exceptional initiative.

Toy retailers around the world really should catch onto this great idea from Australian toy sellers...

Being new to the country - at just the right time for this little treasure - the concept of Christmas lay-bys was a revelation. Here's how it works:

You can do your Christmas toy buying in July during the summer sale, pay a deposit and the store will hold it for you until Christmas. You can then drop in and pay any amount you like off the bill until it is settled. Brilliant!

You can do it on-line too.

This is an amazing service for customers and also a very smart way of planning and managing inventory and stock investment for retailers - and reducing the amount post Christmas mark-downs.

One of those rare win-win situations.

I can't imagine why retailers internationally haven't cottoned onto this one - or have they?

Would love to hear some other examples - and why stop at toys?

In the current economic climate, spreading the cost for customers and risk for retailers would surely make good sense.

From what I've seen, Target do it best in Australia, but I'm sure there are more variations on the idea that I've yet to come across. 

I wouldn't say I've done all my Christmas shopping for the kids already, but I certainly have all the big stuff - now I can relax and enjoy the rest of the buying without battling the frantic crowds in the run up to the big day...

Well done Aussies for leading the way :)

G'day Sydney Shops!

Intro: I wrote this after being settled in Sydney for a few weeks, and having found my feet set off for an exciting day of shopping in the city. Here’s what happened…

Well, imagine my excitement arriving in such a beautiful city with all those new and wonderful shops to explore!

Then imagine my shock and horror when I see how unfathomably expensive EVERYTHING is!

Don't get me wrong, I'm no stranger to expensive shopping trips and have become positively intimate with Selfridges, Liberty and the host of gorgeous independents in and around London - and I've unfortunately never been blessed with the economic shopper gene.

What I mean is, that aside from Sydney's high-end equivalents of the above, everything else seems to be expensive too! Even the 'low' budget, every-day stuff seems to be staggeringly overpriced.

I guess us Brits have become pretty demanding shoppers of late - we want great quality, we want style - but we want to pay a fair price. Competition has certainly been tough in recent years and many old favourites have fallen by the wayside. Every retailer in the UK has had to change and consider their position and proposition very carefully - and the competition has become fierce. Being just good has become not good enough - and as shoppers [I now realise] we really take that for granted.

I don't think that kind of revolution has happened in Australia yet. I wonder if it will...

Now, I don't mind paying whatever I can afford for something really special, but I certainly do object to paying too much routinely for cheap-looking product.

I've never been a great fan of Tesco or Asda for clothing [Sainsbury's quality is far superior, but that's a digression for another day] - it looks cheap, but guess what? IT IS!

Shopping for the children is the most frustrating.

Let's take a basic cheap kid's long-sleeved top. You know it will only last a few washes, but hey, it'll probably cost you a fiver [£]. Over here [or is it under here?] in places like Big W or Target, the same top [though in some cases, not such good quality] will cost you $30! [around £20].

Now here's a conundrum. I've often bought kid's clothes from Pumpkin Patch and was pleased to see them in Aus. I actually didn't realise it was a New Zealand brand. But get this - the same products are substantially cheaper in the UK. How does that work?

I can understand that imported brands and products would be more expensive, but I'd really love to know why, when so many products, where ever they are sold, are sourced from the far east, and Australia is closer to the far east, and they must be paying the same cost prices, where these ridiculous retail price points are coming from? I know wage costs are much higher here, but rents and rates seem to be comparable.

I guess I could go on all day about this, but I'll leave it for now and pray to the god who inspired Next to deliver to Australia.

Two months after the above post, I was starting to find a few highlights. Here’s the follow-up, with my 2025 observations in bold. Good, God, is it really 14 years later?

Sydney shopping - the gems so far...

We've been in Aus for 2 months now, so I've managed to get around a little. 

So far, it's fair to say that I've been somewhat underwhelmed with Australian retailing. That is, of course a little unfair as I'm probably yet to discover its true brilliance - but to date, the experience in general has left me a little cold.

There are, however some notable exceptions, which I'll summarise here and expand upon in future posts...

Witchery - womens, mens and kids clothing, Smiggle and Kikki-K - both stationery, Gumboots and Cotton On Kids - both super-cute kids clothing, the Supacentre at Moore Park - a whole shopping centre dedicated to home and furnishing stores, plus a selection of nice indies in Mosman and Paddington. Also, the markets at Paddington feature up & coming designers.

I sometimes still shop at Witchery, but their buying can be a little erratic in that some seasons the product looks amazing, while others, the collections are frumpy and dull. I could say the same thing about Country Road and Seed, which I find comparable. Maybe the good buyers just keep moving around the three retailers. Currently enjoying Country Road, but that could change very quickly, as it often does.

Smiggle was great for the kids, but no longer on my radar. I LOVED Kikki-K, but it sadly went out of business (though there are a couple of stores around, so some may have been rescued.

I now realise there are many home-only shopping centres, which are very convenient and where I love to wander.

I still love the Indies around Mosman and Paddington, though Paddington market is not what it was.

I've been particularly impressed with the quality of traders at local fetes and festivals and will feature a couple of my favourites later.

Food shopping is fun, as it always is when it's new and I'm loving the variety of Asian supermarkets on offer too - even if I'm not entirely sure what I'm buying. Also the supermarkets in our area tend to be located in shopping centres and often surrounded by small bakers, butchers, fishmongers and delis [some independents, some chains], so it's nice to be able to select from those first, then top up in the big shop.

Woolworths so far is my supermarket of choice but they're all pretty good [so long as you don't have a passion for proper vintage cheddar - obviously, I do. Still, I do find myself pining a little for Waitrose from time to time.

I haven’t shopped in a supermarket since 2020, and now do all my food shopping at organic farmers markets. I have come to despise the lack of any kind of service in supermarkets, the miniscule apology for an organic section (Question: shouldn’t all food be organic? Why must I have such a restricted choice and pay more for the privilege of not being poisoned?), and the continual surveillance of the enforced DIY experience. Not to mention, the centre aisles of these oppressive establishments are dedicated to pure toxic crap that has no business being consumed by any human. The downside of the new way of shopping is that I’ve had to trade food purchasing three times a week, for a single weekly shop, which leaves my fridge creaking under the strain and gives me quite the challenge locating what I bought. On the up-side, it actually lasts a whole week, or longer.

I can't get used to not being able to buy my wine and beer at the supermarket though - still, it's helping me cut down on the vino consumption. Wine shopping is not so much fun - my favourite Aussie wines are about half the price back home - really!

Another thing that changed for me, is that I discovered the Hunter Valley and now order all my wine from there - Organic, and Bio-dynamic, of course, from the amazing Tamburlaine and Krinklewood vineyards. Who needs supermarkets?

I lied - Australian Shoppers - Are you being served? wasn't my first post!

Well strictly speaking, I didn’t lie, but I originally launched my diminutive blog on blogspot, then lost it, so the only one I had in my files was the article in question. I have since recovered that old blog and just to keep things tidy, I’m uploading them here. So, here follows what was actually my first blog. It’s actually such fun reading these again, and considering what has changed, so I’ll throw in the odd update as I post the old scribes…

My first post!

Well hi there, and thanks for stopping by...

I've been meaning to get around to this blog for sooooo long, I can't believe it has taken a move to the other side of the world to finally spur me into action.

I've worked for years in retail, from concept development, to designing store interiors, windows and graphics, to product layouts & space planning, to retail marketing and branding, but let's get one thing straight from the start.

I do not profess to be a retail 'thought leader', 'opinion former', 'guru' or any other such trumped up, self-important and self-appointed title - that would be rude! I just love shops - pure & simple.

The posts in my blog will be about things I've found and loved or hated, great ideas, bad ideas, things of beauty, things that are new and clever or old and outmoded. BUT - it's just my opinion. There's no right or wrong. If you happen to be a retailer and I write something about your store you don't like, I apologise in advance. If you think I might have a point you can always get in touch for a chat.