Hallenstein Glasson asks shoppers to press play
Customers are being invited to ‘‘be the DJ’’ and choose their own music while they shop at fashion store Glassons.
Hallenstein Glasson Holdings told shareholders at its annual meeting on Wednesday that both its key brands, menswear store Hallensteins and womenswear store Glassons, were operating ‘‘in increasingly challenging retail conditions’’.
To keep customers engaged, the company was bringing in new technologies including a jukebox-like service allowing customers to pick a song, and fitting rooms that were ‘‘interactive and service-focused’’ in new or refurbished stores.
It was also trialling ‘‘mobile handheld’’ terminals for staff, which meant customers did not need to go to the counter to make a sale.
Two conversational chatbots, Charlie and Benny, had also been brought in for online customers, who now made up more than 12 per cent of all sales.
‘‘We have also introduced a number of new delivery options for online orders, including weekend and evening delivery,’’ Hallenstein Glasson chief executive Mark Goddard said.
Shares in the company peaked at $6.33 in August, after a 16.2 per cent jump in sales to $277.64 million for the year to August 1.
Net profit was $27.36m, 58 per cent on the previous year.
But the shares started to lose ground, falling to $5.61 each at the up end of November. They closed at $4.38 yesterday.
A trading update warned that tough conditions were looming.
‘‘The outlook for the second half of the year remains uncertain as increasing costs – such as fuel, freight, electricity, etc – and the lower New Zealand and Australian dollar puts pressure our trading margins,’’ chairman Warren Bell told shareholders at the meeting.
RCG retail commentator Paul Keane said the fashion industry was fraught with volatility.
‘‘It’s always going to happen. I don’t know how they can control it; it’s just become very difficult in the apparel industry.’’
But the company was a good dividend payer and the board was stable, he said. ‘‘They do what they do and they do it pretty well.’’