From shop floor to top floor

Diane Humphries has been credited with improving Glassons' image.

Working at Glassons as a teenager gave Diane Humphries an appetite for retailing which yesterday saw her take the top job at the "House of G".

Humphries, 38, a board member of parent Hallenstein Glassons since 2004 and most recently retail merchandising director for the womenswear brand, has been credited with improving Glassons' fashion cred and modernising the stores.

Her reward has come in the role as managing director of the 52 Australasian Glassons stores.

"Where people used to shop at Glassons for a crewneck tee, they now feel confident buying a pair of jeans with the crewneck and maybe a top and a belt," she said. "So we have built credibility in all those categories of product."

Greater pride in the brand, which started as a South Island chain, has been the biggest change Humphries has seen since starting work in the Palmerston North store 19 years ago.

"It's grown to be a more acceptable brand for anyone to wear, whereas 10 years ago they were cutting out the label from the neck of the garment."

Growing acceptance among Glassons' target 18 to 30-year-old market has been matched by a sharp increase in profits in recent years.

The company does not give the sales split between its Hallenstein and Glassons brands but net profit, stuck at about $11 million from 2000 to 2003, leaped to $16 million in 2004. It was $19.3 million last year and looks set to top $20 million this year.

Christchurch-based Humphries said her aim was to keep growing Glassons' share of the fiercely competitive mid-tier fashion market.

Australian chains vying for a bigger foothold here were presenting the biggest challenge. "To stay ahead we need to clearly understand our customers and be able to change quickly to capture new fashion trends.

"Speed to market, quality, price and delivery are all crucial. We've consistently been the dominant player in the local market for the past five or so years and our aim is to further increase our share."

As international fashion trends became more accessible through technology and with many Glassons customers dropping by at least once a week, the importance of keeping on top of fashion trends and bringing them through the stores quickly had been heightened.

"Our market definitely knows what they want quickly so we need to ensure we are delivering on what they are wanting at that time."

A new Glassons store, due to open at Sylvia Park in Auckland next month, would be the first of the "new look" stores that would push the boundaries on creating a "fun and exciting" shopping environment that would make people "want to be there and stay in there".