Princess Polly started in the bedroom of two uni students and has now become one of Australia’s largest online womens fashion retailers with a strong cult following. The brand which started selling boho accessories in 2011 has steadily grown with new collections, faster delivery and better international shipping. With continued growth and shift to sustainability, here is a look at what the future holds for the future Princess Polly.

The Beginning and Growth
Starting from a bedroom in 2011, Princess Polly focused on unique boho inspired accessories that were hard to find elsewhere. This niche appealed to a small but loyal customer base looking for trendy pieces at affordable prices. The founders would source items themselves and fulfill orders out of their unit gaining traction through social media marketing. From only accessories, the brand soon expanded into more clothing categories catering to the young fashionista on a budget. By 2015, they had outgrown their bedroom HQ and set up an official warehouse and office.

This allowed for faster processing of larger order volumes as the brand saw double digit yearly growth rates. Key to this was their tight knit community of fashion influencers who promoted looks created using Princess Polly items. This grassroots approach worked well as their target audience trusted influencer opinions over traditional advertising. By 2017 they had warehouses in both Australia and US to handle international shipping demands from their growing global customer base. Since then new categories, collections, collaborations and retail expansions show the future will be focused on continued growth while staying true to their roots.

Embracing Sustainability
As consumers become more environmentally aware, Princess Polly recognizes the need to address sustainability in their operations. Some initial steps include:-

• Using more eco-friendly packaging like recycled paper boxes and wrapping with less plastic. Some trial shipments have been sent in reusable fabric wraps.
• Sourcing fabrics and trims certified as organic, fair trade or recycled where possible. This may increase costs initially but attract ethically minded shoppers.
• Tracking carbon footprint from production to delivery and offsetting emissions through verified projects like tree planting.
• Encouraging customers to resell used Princess Polly items through a partnership with resale apps to promote the circular fashion economy.
• Listing garment materials and production details to be fully transparent about factory working conditions and environmental impact.

While still in early stages, efforts around sustainability show Princess Polly’s intention to balance growth with reducing environmental footprint long term. Becoming a leader in this space within the affordable fashion segment will protect their reputation and license to operate for the future.

Expanding Retail Footprint
Princess Polly’s appeal reaches beyond just online sales as evident by their successful Melbourne flagship store opening in 2017. This in person experience gave customers a chance to see, touch and try on items before buying. It also hosted events, workshops and was a meeting place for their community. Seeing the foot traffic and sales from the first store, more physical retail extensions are on the horizon. Over the next 3 years, plans include:-

• 2-3 more flagship stores across prime locations in Melbourne and Sydney CBDs with similar immersive shopping experiences.
• Pop up shops in major shopping centers during peak seasons like summer and gift-giving occasions.
• Opening concession stores inside selected department stores to reach new customer segments already shopping those locations.
• Testing the international retail market by opening their first US or UK store in trendy inner city neighborhoods popular with their target audience.
• Partnering with select independent boutiques globally to stock a mini Princess Polly edit and representation outside Australia.

Expanding touchpoints both nationally and globally allows existing fans easy access while exposing new customers to the brand. It also presents opportunities for in store exclusive capsules, events and partnerships not possible fully online. Retail will be an important growth driver for brand awareness, loyalty and driving those first time online buyers to become repeat customers.

Brand Expansions and Collaborations
While clothing and accessories will remain core, Princess Polly seeks ways to creatively extend the brand into adjacent lifestyle categories. Some concepts in the pipeline include:

• Launch of a lifestyle focused content and influencer platform sharing fashion, beauty, wellness and travel ideas. Monetized through suitable brand partnerships.
• Collaboration on co-branded apparel, accessories or home collections with select influencers in their network who represent the Princess Polly aesthetic and values.
• Limited edition beauty products like a signature fragrance, makeup line or self care essentials made in partnership with a beauty brand.
• Branded activewear and swimwear lines to cater to the wellness focused aspects of their customer’s lives.
• Curated homewares like soft furnishings, candles inspired by their prints and color palettes appealing to the boho interiors market.

Working with the right partners allows Princess Polly to extend top of mind awareness beyond just apparel. New categories means tapping into adjacent consumer spending verticals and reaching new potential customers. Collaborations also fuel exciting trends on social media where the brand has a powerful presence driving awareness and sales.

Propelling International Growth
Princess Polly’s future hinges on both domestic expansion as well as going truly global. They already ship worldwide but growing international awareness and consideration remains a priority. Some tactics include:

• Localization of the website experience based on customer location with translated content and pricing in local currencies.
• Hiring country managers and customer support teams to operate out of key regions like USA, UK, Europe to personalize the experience.
• Sponsoring travel and fashion influencers of varying nationalities to promote Princess Polly to their overseas followings.
• Applying for selective wholesale partnerships with major online retailers in those regions to make Princess Polly more accessible through multiple familiar stores.
• Investing marketing dollars towards location targeted social and search campaigns through Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Google ads.
• Organizing flagship store tours and partnerships along major cities during key fashion weeks to build buzz.

While e-commerce removes geographic limits, localized strategies and local representation helps break through barrier of unfamiliarity abroad. Globalization will open the brand to millions of new potential customers and diversify revenue streams beyond Australia. It will truly establish Princess Polly as a leader in the affordable global fashion space.

Conclusion

Princess Polly stands at an exciting inflection point having experienced strong past growth. The future looks bright as they focus on intelligent expansion, embracing sustainability, extending into new categories through collaborations while globalizing the brand experience. By thoughtfully executing these objectives, Princess Polly is well positioned to further delight their cult following for many years to come.

Kamran

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