What is the name of your store and where it located?
Our store’s name is RollingKids, and we currently have three physical stores in the cities of Shanghai and Changsha, China.
How important is the location?
Location is one of the most important aspects for retail stores and its positioning. There are many large cities in China, with large populations and areas for them to go to. This means that to select a suitable location will require the store location to be near the area where your target customer is or would go to. When the traffic is already there, you focus how to attract them to your store, whereas with a location with little to no relevant traffic, will require a lot of time and efforts to attract the right target market.
When did you open your bricks & mortar store?
Our first brick & mortar store opened its doors in August 2018. Our most recent store in Shanghai had its grand opening last September (2019).
When did you start to sell online?
Our online store was launched in August 2017. But prior to that, our mission was always to establish an omni-channel store.
Do you feel having a bricks and mortar store helps your online presence?
Absolutely. Having a physical store increases the credibility and trust for customers to make their purchase online. By also integrating our physical store with our online store, this generates synergies that benefits our customers. For example, home delivery as early as the next day for a missing size in store, or the other way around, to find something you like online and try it in a store nearby.
What percentage of total sales does the bricks and mortar represent?
60% of the sales is generated offline.
Could you please talk to us about the past year with your store and what you have planned for the future?
Between the opening of our first store last year, besides expanding into more locations, we also continually focused on the customer experience in-store. The whole retail market in China hasn’t been great this past period, so we focused even more on the customer experience. We regularly organize activities for our VIP customers to create even stronger connections. Our slogan as is our mission for the future is clear, to continue to share all the best things in the world to children all around China.
How do you source the labels you carry?
Our buying team discovers new brands at trade shows such as Playtime and Pitti Bimbo, but also directly work with showrooms.
Always difficult to choose favourites but please try, name 5 favourite brands?
RollingKids stocks more than 70+ brands and each brand has its own unique product traits, its own story and its own personality. We fall in love again each season when we explore the new collections and knowing that the designers worked so hard to create them. It just would be impossible for us to pick favourites…
What features and practises do you feel create repeat custom and a loyal customer base?
We focus on offering a complete and well curated collection season by season, and through great customer service offer our customers an amazing experience regardless of this being in our physical stores, or our online store.
Finally, describe your store in terms of personality and something unique about your store…
Our store’s design is inspired by Scandinavian design, and the products and current collections are what stand out to our customers. We stock our stores with products that appeal to the local market, offering a variety of choice whilst making sure our stores are kids-friendly (read: fun, but safe). We engage with our loyal customers asking for feedback, but also offer access to exclusive events and other activities. Our customers normally recognize us from the rolling O in our logo.
Rollingkids
website https://www.rollingkids.cn/
Katie Kendrick
Katie is a specialist in kids’ fashion and lifestyle, editor, consultant, content creator, and owner of Pirouette - a leading resource to the industry.
With a keen interest in both the business and creative aspects of the industry Katie has interviewed buyers, agents, stylists, designers, influencers, covered runway shows, produced trade show reports and curates thought provoking and engaging exhibitions.
She is passionate about good design, creativity and brands that manage to combine this with their environmental responsibility.
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