Forcast has secured a spot at the Who’s Next Paris trade show this year in a bid to grow the Australian retailer’s Europe market sales to 20% of total sales.
The womenswear brand currently sells direct to European consumers via its online ecommerce site and has already onboarded a handful of stockists across Spain and France, with additional stockists in the United States.
Head of digital Alicia Chea said Forcast has identified an opportunity in the European market - a gap for mid-market workwear clothing.
"We are in the preliminary stage of expanding into the European market, and have set our market share target to be at least 20% of Forcast’s total sales," Chea said.
“With the positive reception of the brand, Forcast has now set our sights to grow the global wholesale distribution in 2024."
This is supported by a company-wide IT transformation last year, which included an upgrade to a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.
“We have started to create demand for the brand through wholesale partners and key marketplaces across Europe,” Chea said. “We are constantly localising the e-commerce experience and creating a seamless international shopping experience so European customers can access first looks and exclusive collections direct from us.”
Chea said the key challenges for its European expansion include seasonal collection differences and shipping costs.
“With the European market operating at opposite seasons to the Australian, our team will take this into consideration with the timing of particular releases,” Chea said.
Regarding its Paris trade show entry, Forcast held previous contacts in the trade show, and had proposed a unique selling proposition to the organisers. It was then allotted a spot in a private area of the show, making it the only Australian brand across the entire clothing and apparel sector.
"This is a significant milestone for Forcast as we embark on a journey to redefine our presence on a global scale,” managing director Paul Chea said.
“The Who's Next Paris trade show is the perfect stage for us to introduce our unique blend of Australian sophistication and contemporary style to an international audience.”
Forcast has 35 retail boutiques across Australia. In 2023, it launched a new store concept, which will be rolled out across many of its key store locations in 2024.
The retailer is also preparing to launch a VIP Rewards Program catering to its major customer groups.