Expansion into the American market will therefore need to be intelligent, cautious and calculated. It's vast size and varied cultures means the country is highly fragmented. States are broken down into important cosmopolitan cities, each with it's own diverse demographic and trends. An outside competitor should understand this concept, tailoring it's approach to every particular location. A detailed strategy from careful market research must be put together for each individual outpost outlining recruitment, store identity, market positioning and selection of product.
Understanding the current competitors and building relationships with local retailers will also be essential. Their failures and success should be studied and capitalised on whenever possible. Researching the recent American expansions from other UK retailers such as Topshop and Ted Baker would as well be wise.
Essential to all of this will be a strong branding strategy. Cultural differences in standards of customer service, price perception, product positioning and style must all be taken into account. For example, the American appreciation for London fashion holds much potential. As an inherently British brand, WHISTLES could market itself to great advantage as the cool, laid back label from London known for modern contemporary fashion.
Taking all this into account, to begin with a single, carefully planned WHISTLES boutique tailored to it's specific demographic location, coupled with a partnership via appropriate local retailers would therefore be an ideal business strategy for WHISTLES to begin a successful expansion to the American fashion retail market.
