Searching for the perfect finishing touch to a special outfit? Look no further than this week’s Online Find, LUXE by Lulu. Whether you’re on the hunt for something a little glitzy, or something sweet and vintage-inspired, this shop will is guaranteed to have an accessory (or five!) you’ll just fall in love with.
Store
LUXE by Lulu
Who
Nicole Vains
What do you sell in your store?
Fashion accessories and jewellery
How did the idea for your store come about?
I’d been contemplating a career change for some time and was very keen to set up my own business so I’d done a lot of thinking about what type of business would work best for me. Since the whole idea of my career change was to develop a business I was passionate about, I decided to go with something I love myself … so fashion jewellery and accessories it was.
I had a bit of a “light bulb moment” early on in the planning when I was thinking about a beautiful Oroton handbag I have, but rarely use as I’m too worried about it getting damaged. I realised that I wanted LUXE by Lulu to stock glam pieces that were on trend but wouldn’t break the bank and could be mixed and matched with more high-end pieces that a customer may own.
I really do believe that we should make every day a special occasion and live a luxe life!
What is your career background?
My career background is in technology consulting and project management predominantly in the finance, telco and retail industries. This background has been a great help for me in setting up and running the back end of the business. It’s allowed me to focus on the creative side, which I’ve been enjoying very much.
Who is your key customer?
My target market is women in the 25+ age group who love to keep up with fashion trends, but don’t have the budget to make designer purchases all the time when it comes to accessories and jewellery. I personally love some of the pieces the larger chains sell, but hate to see lots of women wearing the same pieces as me. For this reason, I deliberately keep the stock runs of any individual piece quite short.
How do you make it easy for your online customers to buy from you?
To help simplify the shopping process we’ve split our products into three collections, each of which has its own distinctive features and style.
AMALFI
Style/characteristics
Colourful, casual, beachy, boho, fun, relaxed holiday styles
Signature metal
Silver – antique
Feature colours
Shades of blue and green but also pops of other brights like pink, yellow and orange
NEW YORK
Style/characteristics
City chic, modern, clean lines, refined and elegant, sophisticated, classic
Signature metal
Shiny silver
Feature colours
Red, white, black
PARIS
Style/characteristics
Glamorous, bling, luxurious, pretty, delicate, girly, vintage, sparkle
Signature metal
Gold – shiny or antique
Colours
Pretty pastels, cream, neutrals
Two other useful functions available to shoppers are the:
- My Favourites function allows you to add products during your shopping session and subsequently add them to your cart
- Refer this item to a friend gives you the option to email details of a product (including a link) to a friend/s
Do you sell in person or in a physical store as well?
At the moment we are focused on selling online, but I’m currently looking into options for a pop-up store in the CBD in the lead up to the Spring Racing Carnival this year.
List your current most popular products.
Nicola – a beautiful teal, embellished, evening clutch with chain.
Ashlyn – a striking jet & silver, flower & ribbon, bib necklace
Colette – Luxe, antique gold, pearl trim bangle
What’s next for your online store?
I’m very excited about the new product photography we’ve just done and am looking forward to it going live. We’ve focused on ensuring that all the gorgeous product details are highlighted so that shoppers can really get a good feel for all the pieces.
I’m always looking at other online/social media opportunities to help promote our brand. For example, we’ve recently launched a Guest Post series on the LUXE by Lulu blog (www.luxebylulu.blogspot.com.au ) which is proving popular with readers and the guest bloggers.
I’m also talking to a couple of retailers/designers at the moment about future joint marketing/promotional ventures which would be a lot of fun!
Styling You’s top 3
1. Charlotte cuff, $23.95 | 2. Ashlyn necklace, $42.15 | 3. Elanora earrings, $22.30
Have you found a great online store recently? Did it offer great products or service? Leave a comment below and let us all know about it
