This is a series looking at top lessons learned from speakers at Ragtrader Live 2016. The stakes are set to get even higher this year, so be sure to grab your tickets.
Australian designer Jacqueline Hunt, one half of Jac + Jack, revealed how the brand is pursuing a retail model after spending its first six years as a wholesale operator.
Hunt warned other designers pursuing vertical retail to have a solid business plan.
"Opening stores is hugely expensive, as anyone in retail knows. Not only are we funding production but our wholesale, marketing and eCommerce, which we're not great on that platform.
"That to me is like a big black hole of money that ends up getting devoted to that. You have to choose. We've found we've just got to choose what we want to do, which avenue is right for us.
We got rid of a lot of stuff that seemed to be a drain on resources and financing and just focused in on retail. On our own steam, we can open two stores a year. This is what we've done for the last six years."