International fashion brand owner and licensing house, Brand Machine Group (BMG) has expanded into Australasia with the opening of a new Sydney showroom in Surry Hills.

BMG’s portfolio spans a range of heritage sports and lifestyle fashion brands, including  U.S. Polo Assn. – a US$2.4 billion (A$3.5 billion) brand worldwide with 1,150 storefronts – which BMG has now launched as its first brand into the market via its online platform at uspoloassn.com.au, following successful discussions with key wholesale retailers in ANZ.

Other brands in the BMG portfolio include New Balance kid’s wear, Juicy Couture, Penfield USA, Jack Wills, Flyers American Born, Peckham Rye, Duchamp, Lee Kids, Wrangler Kids and Franklin & Marshall, with plans to bring even more brands to the Australian market.

Having a showroom and local team on the ground was extremely important for BMG, as it allows the company to be close to the market, understand different dynamics and tailor its product ranges to local needs, according to newly appointed country manager for Australia and New Zealand, Kevin Cliffe.

“We don’t want to take a one-size-fits-all all approach – we want to select specific products that are unique to this market,” he told Retailbiz in a recent interview.

“Our showroom allows us to display forward orders as our retail partners plan ahead for their next season, meaning we will stay ahead of the curve to ensure the production and selection are ready in time for season launches.”

BMG is a global manufacturer with a vertical factory supply base that sits in the top echelon of audited facilities in the world as regards social compliance.

Leveraging operational expertise

Cliffe brings almost two decades of operational and e-commerce experience to his new role, as one of the co-founders of Oz Sale, which became the number one website in Australia at the time of launch in 2006.

“Boo Jalil, Brand Machine Group CEO, approached me last year with an opportunity: the company wanted to come to the ANZ market fast and expose a globally successful brand portfolio to the market.

“What I loved was the company’s understanding of the global changes in how business is run today, be it wholesale, marketplace, e-commerce or retail stores. It was a perfect opportunity to use my years of operational experience to launch BMG in the ANZ market,” Cliffe explained.

“BMG has phenomenal brands that are the right fit for the Australian market, along with large product development teams in London, so it was a good opportunity to work with a great business and bring these brands to market utilising my experience. When a business enters a new market, operations are one of the biggest factors because having the right structure and process allows you to move faster in a market.

“I am supported by a back office in both the UK and India, which has allowed myself and newly appointed national sales manager, Howard Louis, to concentrate on the customer, as we open accounts and manage stock delivery, sell-through, merchandising and so on. Our international logistics partner 4PX have completed the initial needs we have, and we will be fully functional in early October with our new distribution centre in Sydney.”

When asked about entering a new market while brands are facing economic headwinds, Cliffe said he sees the launch timing as an opportunity rather than a risk.

“We think the best time for a large, branded business such as BMG to enter a new market is now. Although some might see challenges, we see a reason we are needed to bring excitement and change.

“We believe it will take two full seasons to fully establish ourselves in the market, there’s a cycle – we’re at the start of our cycle at the moment – but every cycle comes to the top so we’re preparing to be all guns blazing as it gets closer.”

Diverse partnership opportunities

“(BMG CEO) Boo and BMG managing director, Jason Eames-Illingworth visited Australia in May to meet with what I would consider the top nine retail CEOs in Australia and roll out the business plan in terms of getting these brands into the right areas of the market.

“We specifically mapped out with each potential partner where we thought each brand was best represented. To say conversations and agreements were positive would be an understatement: so much so that orders started to roll in within a week of Boo and James leaving. It’s a long-term play for BMG with a specific and steady approach. We want to work with the right retailers, understand the market and tailor our product ranges.

“Being able to offer additional product categories such as accessories in caps, bags and socks, in addition to apparel is a good add-on sales opportunity. It also means retail partners will carry us in multiple places in their stores.”

BMG also runs several e-commerce platforms as well as US Polo Assn., and will launch four or five websites in the coming months in Australia.

The power of AI

BMG is also exploring the many opportunities of AI. “The company is leveraging its associations to fully understand what can be managed with AI to assist in creating more efficiencies across its global footprint it but more so to understand how our customers can benefit from AI with us,” Cliffe said.

“AI is a phenomenal shift drive. It’s been around for so many years yet only just come to the forefront in new formats. It’s a buzzword but businesses need to consider what they want to do with it. Given my background and experience, I am assisting the group in how we can apply it across all facets of the business. It’s important to stay in touch with it otherwise you’ll get left behind.

“We recently brought the company that makes all our digital content: having this now as an in-house content studio that produces video content, e-commerce assets and brand campaigns allows us to move quicker as the landscape changes. We also see opportunities to use AI in our social media.”

A long-term commitment

On a final note, Cliffe said he’s excited about the journey ahead. “BMG has a reputation overseas which we’re bringing to Australia and New Zealand, as well as Southeast Asia, we’re bringing great brands to market and we’re here for the long-term. 

“You always have expectations going into a new market, but after our meetings and initial order profile, retailers are really warming up to the new kids in town, and the reception from them has already far exceeded our expectations.”