SPIER & MACKAY - Official Affiliate Thread

[breakaway01]

I get what you're saying. But when customers can't buy what they want because of low stock, they're likely to get frustrated and find what they need elsewhere. While the exclusivity might be a selling point for things like funky sport coats, it's probably doing damage to the business as applied to staple items like polos or linen trousers or OCBDs.

How is selling all of their inventory "doing damage to the business"? Yes, customers who can't find an OCBD in their size at S&M will go elsewhere, so from that standpoint they are leaving money on the table. On the other hand, the cost of unsold inventory is very high. I don't think there is any intent to be exclusive as a marketing strategy -- that is a high-end strategy (luxury watches, designer goods). I think it's simply trying to keep costs low through minimizing unsold inventory.

I do think S&M tries to sell too many different things but that is a different issue IMO.

 

[JTrent82]

How is selling all of their inventory "doing damage to the business"? Yes, customers who can't find an OCBD in their size at S&M will go elsewhere, so from that standpoint they are leaving money on the table. On the other hand, the cost of unsold inventory is very high.

Leaving money on the table is doing damage to the business, yes. I'm pretty sure they could sell more OCBDs in a season if they stocked more. Unsold inventory shouldn't be an issue with stuff like that.

 

[Iskander]

Linen overshirt in the wild.
View attachment 1806225

Looks great! L or XL?

 

[breakaway01]

Leaving money on the table is doing damage to the business, yes. I'm pretty sure they could sell more OCBDs in a season if they stocked more. Unsold inventory shouldn't be an issue with stuff like that.

I don't run the business and neither do you, so I think we're both guessing here. But they offer their "premium" OCBD shirts in 6 different fabrics, 3 fits, 7 neck sizes, and 6 sleeve lengths. Not all of the sizes are available for all of the fits, probably. But still, doesn't take a degree in mathematics to understand that this is a lot of inventory with up-front costs to order, costs to warehouse and inventory, etc etc.

 

[reidrothchild]

Question for all the long-time Spier shoppers: Has inventory always been this low? I've only been shopping SM for a few months but it seems like many of the items I want are sold out, even the ones they feature in their promotional newsletters. Sometimes brand new items are sold out in my size. So is this year appreciably worse in this regard due to supply chain disruptions, or is this their usual MO, pandemic or no?

I actually think things are a little bit better now than they used to be. I think Spier is getting a good idea of what sells and what doesn't and--even if they aren't necessarily stocking more sizes in a particular style/color combo--they're offering more variations of popular items. For instance, last year, I think they offered like 4 or 5 colors of the knit polos, and they ended up sold out in my size within about a week. This year, if you include the solid cottons, striped cottons, silk-cotton blends, etc., they probably offered 4-5 times the number of knit polos. On the other side, I've noticed that they seem to be increasingly offering suits/sport coats via MTO only presumably because their sale section has historically been dominated by unsold sport coats.

So yeah, it can be frustrating that things sell out. But it's just taught me to not wait for a sale on the things I really like. All of the staples, like OCBD's, denim shirts, etc., get restocked regularly anyway, so the lack of stock at any given time has never driven me into the arms of another retailer.

 

[JTrent82]

I don't run the business and neither do you, so I think we're both guessing here. But they offer their "premium" OCBD shirts in 6 different fabrics, 3 fits, 7 neck sizes, and 6 sleeve lengths. Not all of the sizes are available for all of the fits, probably. But still, doesn't take a degree in mathematics to understand that this is a lot of inventory with up-front costs to order, costs to warehouse and inventory, etc etc.

Okay, just an example here. I waited for the lightweight OCBDs to drop this season, and on the day that they finally did, they had two in my size- and it's not a rare size. How is making two of an item cost-effective? I'm trying to build a wardrobe basically from scratch, and when I discovered SM I was thrilled because they offered exactly the styles I was looking for, with good quality at a fair price. But time and time again I've been forced to shop elsewhere because of low stock. And this is from someone that visits the page for new drops every morning. Imagine how frustrating it is for a normal non-obsessive shopper.

 

[hysteria]

It's not a bug. It's a feature.How else will they be a le to maintain margins? Look at the big retailers all going bankrupt. Maintaining massive amounts of stock is good for the customer not the business.

I thnk the problem can be avoided by having a million items and streamlining the offerngs. They offer so many diff types of tops and trousers, half of which aren't great. They keep coming up with all sorts of different items. Instead, I think they'd do better if they streamline to core trousers that ppl shop from them, tops, etc. They're over-reaching with their offersings, so u get a low inventory of each item instead of enough oinventory of the core items most ppl want. Their overcoat offerings are a great example of streamlined core offering.

Every few weeks, they're releasing something different and new, and in the end, you can only be good at so many things.

 

[RajunCajun]

Things may be slightly worse now. But its important to remember, you're dealing with a small company, with small production runs, more akin to The Armoury or No Man Walks Alone than J Crew. Look at some of the items from those two shops. Size runs in single digits for each item, sometime one each for a single item per size, and when its gone, its gone.....



Outstanding!

S&M easy pants??

Nope. Thrifted Tommy Hilfiger.

 

[RajunCajun]

Looks great! L or XL?

L. I wear a 42R (sometimes long) jacket.

 

[breakaway01]

I thnk the problem can be avoided by having a million items and streamlining the offerngs. They offer so many diff types of tops and trousers, half of which aren't great. They keep coming up with all sorts of different items. Instead, I think they'd do better if they streamline to core trousers that ppl shop from them, tops, etc. They're over-reaching with their offersings, so u get a low inventory of each item instead of enough oinventory of the core items most ppl want. Their overcoat offerings are a great example of streamlined core offering.

Every few weeks, they're releasing something different and new, and in the end, you can only be good at so many things.

So I agree in general that I think they are trying to do too many things and I worry that it gets in the way of quality (e.g. fabric shrinkage, sizing variation). But I disagree that there is a single type of customer that buys a “core” wardrobe or set of items from them. I really only buy sportcoats and the rare suit from them. I don’t buy polos, shirts, trousers, etc. What you consider “core” to you may not be what is “core” to others.

 

[CaliforniaTux]

Although it isn’t jacket weather in LA, I’m digging the new denim chore coat.

 

[thisfits]

So I agree in general that I think they are trying to do too many things and I worry that it gets in the way of quality (e.g. fabric shrinkage, sizing variation). But I disagree that there is a single type of customer that buys a “core” wardrobe or set of items from them. I really only buy sportcoats and the rare suit from them. I don’t buy polos, shirts, trousers, etc. What you consider “core” to you may not be what is “core” to others.

I suspect the "core" customer is changing (COVID accelerated the existing trend of more casual office dress codes), and S&M "trying to do too many things" is their way of getting a sense of what people will actually buy.

Putting out these small runs of SKUs are relatively low-risk experiments, and along with the Preview waitlists they can get an idea of what will actually sell. Being able to pivot like that is probably one of the things that's kept S&M viable through this pandemic.

 

[Devis4u]

Has anybody washed their block print short sleeve shirts? I just got mines in 16C (usually wear 40R Contemporary suits, 16/35 shirt size), and these are more fitted in the chest already, very worried about shrinkage given the 100% cotton.

 

[cr2596]

Although it isn’t jacket weather in LA, I’m digging the new denim chore coat.
View attachment 1806383

What size did you take, and what’s your SC size? I am gonna snag this, but I’ve not purchased a chore coat, prior. The size chart makes my 38 size seem huge.

 

[sid11111]

I get what you're saying. But when customers can't buy what they want because of low stock, they're likely to get frustrated and find what they need elsewhere. While the exclusivity might be a selling point for things like funky sport coats, it's probably doing damage to the business as applied to staple items like polos or linen trousers or OCBDs.

Nah people will keep buying because there isn't a cheaper CM alternative.