In this Q&A, Rebel’s business unit manager for performance and lifestyle apparel Michaela Green shares how the sporting retailer is driving women’s categories in recent months.
How many women's brands have Rebel included in its retail portfolio over the last year?
We are constantly driving newness for the Rebel women’s customer and are excited to have introduced Lorna Jane to all stores. We have also increased distribution of Muscle Nation, The Upside and BAHE. We are excited to welcome new brand extensions from Adidas originals, Jordan Sport and will be a key player for ON RUNNING apparel in APAC extending to more Rebel stores for our female customers. We are very excited to now be showcasing exclusive collections for Rebel from PE Nation. In the accessories space, we have just welcomed Hydrojug as a key insulation brand which has already started to resonate well with our female consumers
What have been the key drivers for this lift in women's apparel?
We are passionate about listening to our customers and from the direct feedback we were getting from her, we knew she was ready for newness from us. Our updated store portfolio also ensured that we had the right environment to support these amazing new brands coming into our stores.
We felt it was the right time to welcome more boutique brands into our mix to compliment the power of the global sports brands. We have got some new brands on the horizon to join our ‘Fresh Find’ portfolio and plan to deliver newness each season to capture growing customer demand.
I’m most excited by Stella McCartney by Adidas in the apparel space and I love Salomon in women’s trail.
How did you score the wholesale deals with P.E Nation and Lorna Jane?
My team are amazing at fostering positive relationships with our trade partners and I have the luxury of working with the best buyers in the country who are passionate about seeking out the best partnerships for Rebel. I think being able to present a solid and ambitious growth strategy supported by upgrades to stores made it easier for us to demonstrate Rebel was ready to house these brands.
We also have our amazing loyalty program, which is now a year old, which helps our trade partners to reach more customers, so my view is we provide our trade partners with a direct connection with more consumers, and they see the value in that.
Have you identified new customer segments within women’s activewear?
We are lucky to have a lot of data in this space and as a national retailer, we have an ambition to cater for all customer segments. I’m most excited by what’s happening in the 18-25 market at the moment but also equally committed to ensuring that rebel is relevant to 40-somethings (a cohort I am in) as I believe that segment needs to feel supported to keep moving and active whilst also looking stylish.
We have seen growth in golf and tennis over the last 12 months which has represented new opportunities for women’s apparel.
Any other noticeable shifts across other Rebel categories?
In the accessories space, we are seeing a significant shift to style plus function for what has been traditionally a very functional business at Rebel. Our customers are more sustainability conscious which in turn has transitioned our hydration business significantly from traditional plastic squeeze bottles to reuseable metal options seemingly overnight.
Our customers have spoken and want to see our range change with their needs, which is why we have partnerships with the likes of Frank Green and the most recent arrival Hydrojug. We have an exclusive partnership with the US-based Hydrojug as we grow the hydration range.
Our female customer has also spoken when it comes to consumable items like socks, in particular the length she is choosing to wear with crews and quarters being the styles of choice versus low cut and no-shows.
Performance footwear sales for women in both football and basketball are growing exponentially. Basketball signatures, notably the Nike ‘Sabrina’, are among the top-sellers. Women’s specific football boots are coming to the fore, led by Puma, Asics and Adidas. These ranges will continue to grow and increase in prominence in the future.
The growth in running has seen the women’s running category growth generally. New Asics franchises, the Novablast and Superblast, have been popular while new brands On and Hoka have had an immediate impact since their launch into our network this year.