The Aird Group (TAG) hopes to expand its customer base beyond the gift sector by exhibiting at Fashion Exposed trade show at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, August 25 to 27.
While its client base has traditionally focused on gift, toy and newsagency retailers TAG believes there are opportunities for its fashion led brands in other segments of the market.
“Our brands Kimmidoll, Kimmidoll Love and Top Model do lend themselves quite a bit to the fashion side and the accessories, jewellery, homewares that a lot of the fashion retailers are now offering and have been for a few years to complement their apparel,” says Judy Brown, TAG national sales manager.
“It’s about us growing our channel base and trying to grow our market share through that and get more exposure to our target market and consumers that are looking for that kind of product when they go to the fashion stores.”
Using a smaller stand than its Reed Gift Fairs exhibit, TAG will also showcase its new brand Finchley as fashion retailers have been adding stationery products to their stores.
It will promote Kimmidoll Love and Top Model to the ever-expanding tween fashion market while Kimmidoll is aimed at the women’s market with contemporary designs in homewares and fashion accessories such as jewellery.
TAG plans to maintain the gift, toy and newsagency sector as its main business area but is using Fashion Exposed to diversify through networking and marketing.
“[It’s] an opportunity to actually talk to retailers, determine the opportunity and see after that if we can get some leads… and put our products in their stores and see how it goes, because I think there are applications for these products in fashion – not just in gift,” adds Brown.
Fashion exposed is a three day event featuring more than 500 exhibitors. It is Australia’s largest fashion buying trade fair.
