The Glossy Podcast

Me+Em’s Clare Hornby: We’ve maintained our ‘price-quality equation’ by only selling DTC

Dec 13, 2023

Clare Hornby, founder and CEO of Me+Em, talks about the brand's profitable direct-to-consumer strategy and their U.S. expansion plans. They discuss the success of their stores as community spaces, choosing store locations in New York, pricing strategy, customer shopping behavior during the pandemic, and the launch of shoes and accessories. Hornby also shares insights on team building, meeting customer demands, and future expansion goals.

30:16

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Episode guests

Clare Hornby

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Me+Em's successful growth can be attributed to building a strong team and accelerating the business

Me+Em's direct-to-consumer model and focus on fit, quality, and versatility have been instrumental in attracting customers in the US market

Deep dives

Expanding to the US Market

The podcast discusses the expansion strategy of Me and M, a British fashion label, to the US market. Despite the challenges of breaking into the tough US fashion market, Me and M plans to open two stores in New York by the beginning of March. The founder, Claire Hornby, explains that they chose the Madison area for their flagship store based on data and personal observation of customer traffic. The brand aims to build a strong presence in the US, similar to their success in the UK with several stores and concessions. They also plan to open a store in East Hampton.

Introduction

2min

Choosing Store Locations in New York

15min

Pricing Strategy, Customer Shopping Behavior, and Adapting during the Pandemic

3min

Launching Shoes and Expanding the Collection

2min

Growth, Team Building, and Challenges

5min

Meeting Customer Demands, Expansion Plans, and Goals for 2024

2min

Clare Hornby's 14-year-old fashion brand, Me+Em, has hit its stride. From 2021 to 2022, it grew its revenue from £46 million to £80 million. What's more, it's been profitable for seven years. That's despite selling exclusively direct-to-consumer, when, it seems, every digital native brand is falling back on wholesale partners.

"It was when I started building out the team that you started to see the [business's] acceleration," Hornby said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. It's worth noting that MatchesFashion investor Highland Europe bought a minority stake in the company in early 2022.

Me+Em, which specializes in "flattering, functional, forever" women's clothing, has opened seven stores in the U.K., where it is headquartered. But now, its focus is on U.S. expansion. Starting in March, it will open two stores in NYC, followed by one in the Hamptons, in rapid succession. The plan is to follow those up with fourth and fifth locations soon after.

“We like you to bring in your dog, bring in your kid and bring in your partner, and we like you to dwell,” Hornby said. “As a result, our stores [form] communities, all by themselves.”

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The Glossy Podcast

Me+Em’s Clare Hornby: We’ve maintained our ‘price-quality equation’ by only selling DTC

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Expanding to the US Market

Growing Customer Base in the US

Strategies for Success and Brand Differentiation

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts