I was watching Julian Dunkerton unveil his new Superdry Athletic Essentials shop at London Westfield recently.
This was a retail business leader who was upbeat and enthusiastic! For sure he was announcing Superdry’s latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) report of the year, showing that the fashion retailer is soaring above the 3% benchmark at 22%.
And he also seems convinced that the new vintage preppy ranges available in Athletic Essentials will be a big hit with the Tik-Tok Gen Z customers he is aiming at.
However for me, the truly fascinating insight he gave was when he explained the freedom that he now feels, now that Superdry is once again a private business. Unshackled from being a listed company, no longer answerable to anonymous shareholders with vested interests a million miles away from the world of shopping centres in West London.
In his own words he can now ‘get on and do things!’
The product supply chain sources and transports the physical product to the shop. Before there was so much competition on the high street that was fine to make commercial profit. The only supply chain you needed was product.
Retailers now need more than just physical products to get the customer excited and coming through their doors. I have long been an advocate of what I call the Passion Supply Chain.
For me, the Passion supply chain is as important as that for product. It is what is sadly lacking in a commodity driven market. But it certainly seems to be what Superdry is re-discovering.
Essential for any passion supply chain is a ‘Source of Passion.’ Julian Dunkerton has always been full of that source of passion for Superdry.
Now, it would seem, he has the freedom to develop the processes and partners to ensure that his passion is delivered to the customer. A passion for the fabric, a passion for the product design, a passion for craftmanship and a passion for theatre, display and customer service.
Julian Dunkerton is a long way from the customers who find their way into his shops. He needs an effective passion supply chain to ensure that his enthusiasm is delivered through excellent product, made and sold with passion, and sold with equal passion to the final customer.
For that to happen you need passion for what you are doing at the heart and the top of the business. In Superdry that has been restored. With a fair wind the rest might just follow.
Superdry and its founder have been through the mire of late, so good luck to both of them. We need as much genuine passion as possible in the retail businesses of the world.