Fun from work is of utmost importance. Interview with a co-owner of Polex Fashion Group, Poland

Polex is a family-owned Polish company with a 25-year experience, which has developed from a distributor to manufacturer of children’s clothing. We asked Polex co-founder Alisja Tutajewska about trading portfolio, expansion to the Arab countries, search for new customers, and plans for the future.

ABOUT US

The company was founded in 1992. We chose the name Polex, because we planned to export and wanted the customers to simply determine that the company was from Poland. At that time, Poland had problems with language skills and contacts with the Western countries. There were few companies that worked in export-import industry. I graduated from the Faculty of International Relations at the University of Economics, which allowed us to start distribution of clothing. Today we export Polish products abroad, search foreign partners for Polish manufacturers, and distribute foreign brands in Poland.

FAMILY BUSINESS

Our company is family-owned. Such companies are common in Italy and Turkey and quite popular in Poland. My husband leads the financial department; my son leads the sales department. We also have employees who handle logistics and shipping. Before starting a family business, it is important to understand that daily business issues extend to family life. We cannot solve business issues till 4:00 p.m., and family issues after 4:00 p.m.. At the same time, such a business develops we-feeling and self-development of family members, because everyone is aware that success and reputation of our company depend on his personal contribution.

OUR BRANDS

First we partnered with Wojcik (Poland). Today we develop export strategies for Young Reporter (Poland), perform distribution for Mek and Brums (Italy), and do everything for Tamarine and Giamo (our own mid-price brands). Giamo focuses on headwear, accessories, boys’ and girls’ clothing; Tamarine focuses on festive dresses. There are no plans to change the trading portfolio; we have found a style that attracts many customers.

ENTERING MARKETS

At first we sold our products in Poland. Now we try to enter new markets every season. We have already expanded to the East and Arab countries. They’re very happy with our materials and designs.

FROM DISTRIBUTING TO MANUFACTURING

We don’t just sell. We put heart and soul into manufacture of our products. I recently met a woman who sells the premium brand Liu Jo. She took our hat and said, “Wow, it’s beautiful!” Such feedback is inspiring.

As for the prices, they are resulted from raw materials and high wages in Poland. Fabrics are imported from Italy, Holland and other European countries. Attractive fabrics with 3D prints are brought from China. Cotton is predominantly of Polish origin and wool of Italian origin. If we want to make a good winter hat, we should use wool yarn. 30% wool going to feel really bad and 50% wool is going to feel really good. To make high-quality middle-price clothing, you need to use good raw materials.

ADVERTISING

We order advertising services from companies specialized in advertising. We believe that creation of our own advertising department makes no sense. Marketing buzz is effective as well. You just need to earn customers’ trust, and feedback will start working for you.

WORKING WITH CHILDREN

Photography is an integral part of our work. We introduce two collections per year (spring-summer and fall-winter), and organize photo shoot sessions for each. Sales depend on the level of photo shoot.

We acquired equipment and created our own professional photographic studio. We work with different photographers, who bring in their models. Little kids get tired of it very soon. In my experience, it is easier to work with children over three years old, as they are negotiable. Once we had a boy who asked for a toy car for every next shot.

SPECIAL FEATURES OF CHILDREN’S FASHION

We try to keep the balance in boys’ and girls’ clothing. Girls need more clothes, but they don’t wear them that often. Boys need less clothes, but they wear out faster.

The share of boys’ clothing is substantial in all collections, including Giamo. 70% of Young Reporter sales is accounted for clothing for kid and teen boys. This is due to the prevalence of athleisure style. Boys are more likely to choose sportswear as everyday wear.

Children decide what to wear at an early age, and every child wants to be fashionable. If clothing is not in line with fashion trends, it will not be sold. One mother told me she wanted her son to wear a polo shirt and sweater, but now it’s impossible. Kids are on their smartphones and watch what their friends wear. Therefore, the wishes of parents often contradict the wishes of children.

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP

The most important thing is trust. It takes two to three years to earn customers’ trust.

Relationships in clothing trade are based on sales volumes, regardless of cooperation term. We have one-year customers, who are given discounts due to their high sales.

The strategy of cooperation depends on negotiations with management and on the country; we have no other criteria. We are very pleased with European customers, because they have well-managed delivery and documentation systems. Communication with customers is not difficult for us. Our managers speak Ukrainian, English and Russian to make it easier for customers to learn about all current problems and solve them immediately. If our customers were dissatisfied, we wouldn’t expand.

SALES

According to our data, online trade is developing with annual sales growth of 10–15%. Monobrands are also moving forward (it requires a lot of investment). But multibrands are cutting their sales. So we want to develop the first two areas. We don’t sell through social media because we don’t retail. We work via websites and large chains. In every country, we try to cooperate with the largest market player.

EXHIBITING

Our first trade fair was STYL-KABO in Brno (Czech Republic), where we participated with Wojcik collection. This was a very good experience; we attracted many European customers. Later we participated in trade fairs in Ukraine, England, Germany, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Further visits to Saudi Arabia and the United States are planned for the next year.

We have been participating in Baby Expo for 10 years. We are satisfied with the offered conditions, a good venue, and comprehensive support. I see you put much effort into customer engagement. If all organizers worked like you, it would be a guaranteed success for all exhibitors. We always prepare for your trade fairs, try to buy something interesting for the display. But if you have a good collection, you don’t need a big investment in the stand, you better go to three different fairs. If a company doesn’t come to the fair, it means it has some difficulties. If a company comes to the fair every year, it means it’s stable and reliable.

PLANS

We plan to develop, and not just by increasing sales. We are looking for new challenges, we plan to participate in trade fairs in countries where we don’t yet have sales experience.

Prepared by BABY EXPO team

[AT1]Young Reporter

[AT2]Young Reporter

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