he next 24 months,” Clark said. Ed Harry has 76 across all mainland states and territories at present, with the bulk of the stores concentrated in Western Australia (19), Queensland (16) and Victoria (12), where a number of recently reformatted stores were opened in 2015. These new format stores are of three different types to appeal to various aspects of the Ed Harry market, explained Clark. “We have a large format store, a regional format and an outlet format. All the new formats are designed with the target customer in mind – the suburban guy in his 30s. Hence the formats are bold and strong.” The strong features of the formats encompass a contemporary on trend urban look. Ceilings are generally open plan or feature silver coloured pressed metal with floors comprised of polished concrete and/or charcoal-coloured floorboards or tiles, while fixtures are of unfinished steel, emphasising an edgy and masculine space. Black, white and red are the key colours, with black the main shopfront colour featured on textured surfaces along with a modernised logo. “Table clusters are a feature, as are strong groupings of mannequins,” Clark described. “Large feature windows house the mannequins set against bold backdrops.” These features contrast with Ed Harry’s old format stores, which had no large windows and offered more gondolas with less tables, smaller fitting rooms, lower ceilings, flooring consisting of beige tiles or carpet, and a white or red shop front. Latest opening Showcasing the revamped format is a new Ed Harry store due to open next month in Orion Springfield Central in southeast Queensland. The opening is scheduled for March 9 and the store will be 120sqm in size, typifying Ed Harry stores, which range from 100sqm to 160sqm and are generally located in shopping centres or malls. This latest store will also exemplify another feature of the new formats – a dedicated formal/dress section. “Suiting and formal dress wear are relatively new, as are other key bottoms categories such as chinos and jeans,” explained Clark. Other changing areas are co-ordinated fashion tees, jackets and accessories, while new casual labels include Villains of Virtue and Insitu DNM to complement Ed Harry’s long-standing Jonathan Adams formal/dress label. Important to this is a clear retail objective of offering attractive combinations for attracting and maintaining customer interest. “Strong visual merchandising in store, and a commitment to showing outfits and co-ordinates are important,” Clark said. Marketing milestones Crucial to furthering this attraction of new shoppers and the stimulation of sales is the employment of EDMs sent out once or twice a week, to reach an extensive database built up over the past three years – which numbers more than 450,000 VIP customers – as well as various promotions. “We work hard with the shopping centres to promote our business as well as pushing our own weekly database marketing and social media,” he said. Furthermore, Clark said staff members are encouraged to focus on ‘hassle-free, honest service’ with a strong product knowledge base. “To promote return visits and word of mouth, we offer a satisfaction guarantee to our customers, which is made up of many elements including product guarantees, service guarantees, a no hassle exchange and refund approach, and more.” Though the business has been trading under the Ed Harry banner since the late 1980s, it is now owned by Specialty Mens Apparel Pty Ltd, having been purchased out of administration in early 2011. Ed Harry’s latest growth spurt and revitalisation signal how the chain is keeping on track and on trend in the men’s fashion arena. Want more Inside Retail? Subscribe to Inside Retail Weekly now and get our premium print publication delivered to your door every week.