Consumer
Jane Shepherdson, chief executive of Whistles, stated that the Whistles consumer is aged between 25 and 45 (Fashionista, 2014). With 41.8% of the Australian population aged between 25 and 45, based on 2014 statistics (Indexmundi.com, 2015), the Australian demographic is ideal for the brands success.
Culture
Australia is one of the most diverse nations in the world, with 31% of its total population being foreign-born people (Euromonitor, 2015). It is the number one destination for British expats (Flanagan, 2014), meaning that a high percentage of the population will already be aware of the brand after being exposed to it in the UK.
Australia doesn’t have any cultural restrictions that may hinder the brand, such as some countries in the Middle East, which require ladies to cover up as a sign of religious respect. This means that campaign images used in the UK will also be appropriate to use in Australia and won’t have to be edited or changed in order to honour religious beliefs.
Climate
The Australian climate does differ to the UK, with opposite seasons and higher temperatures year round. Whistles clothing is fairly trans-seasonal which is ideal for meeting the needs of the UK consumer and Australian consumer at the same time. It has been reported that Australians are still willing to buy the latest styles, even if it means having to buy winter clothes during the summer months, as they do not want to wait for these to arrive in stores later in the year (Euromonitor, 2015).
Competition
Whistles' competitors such as Ted Baker, French Connection, Coast and COS all have stores in Australia. In order for Whistles to maintain a competitive place in the market they need to ensure they are matching what their competitors are doing. The fact that these competitors have a presence in Australia and haven’t failed over there means that there is the demand for the products and reassuring for the Whistles’ brand.
Constraints
There used to be a boutique that stocked high-end designer goods in Australia called ‘Whistles’, which closed down in 2014 (Naughton, 2014). This needs to be taken into consideration when the UK Whistles is being promoted in the new market, in order to prevent confusion to customers. It needs to be clear that the old Whistles isn’t reopening and the new Whistles will be completely different. However, the fact that it closed down in 2014 is a positive, as there won’t be two clothing stores called Whistles operating in Australia at the same time.
Costs
(launch event, private dinner, canvas bags, promotional activity etc.)
References
Euromonitor, (2015). Apparel and Footwear in Australia. [Online] [Accessed on 10th February 2016] http://www.euromonitor.com/apparel-and-footwear-in-australia/report
Euromonitor, (2015). Cultural Diversity and its Impact on Global Consumer Markets. [Online] [Accessed on 10th February 2016] http://www.euromonitor.com/cultural-diversity-and-its-impact-on-global-consumer-markets/report
Flanagan, O. (2014). How many British immigrants are there in other countries? | StatsLife. Statslife.org.uk. [Online] [Accessed on 10th February 2016] http://www.statslife.org.uk/social-sciences/1910-how-many-british-immigrants-are-there-in-other-people-s-countries
Indexmundi.com, (2015). Australia Demographics Profile 2014. [Online] [Accessed on 10th February 2016] http://www.indexmundi.com/australia/demographics_profile.html
Naughton, K. (2014) Adelaide fashion retailer goes under - InDaily. InDaily. [Online] [Accessed on 10th February 2016] http://indaily.com.au/business/2014/01/08/adelaide-fashion-retailer-goes/