Business Plan for Rosa Alba

Rationale for type of retail

The rationales of our retail proposal are based on strong demands for female fashion and increasing spending power in the region around Loughborough.

In the Loughborough Town Centre Survey (2007), 69% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the centre could do with more high street chain stores. The Loughborough retail study(2003) also shows that in terms of frequency of trips, 34% visitors shop for fashion items at least once a week while 35% shop once or twice a month.

Although our outlay is narrowed down in Loughborough town centre, Loughborough is a major shopping area in Charnwood area. Charnwood demographic structure shows that over 25% of female population in the area age between 15 to 34, which is the main female fashion purchasing group.

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Figure 1

In addition Charnwood had a mean household income of £30,202 by 2004, indicating a general strong consumer purchasing power. (Charnwood economic statistics)

Retail format and rationale

Rosa Alba is an small scale specialised independent retail fashion that offers two fashion product lines: high street female clothing and jewellery. Although it faces strong competitions from high street chains such as Top shop and Next as well as several local fashion stores such as VR, its unique mix of product ranges and merchandise designs offer it new market opportunities that other retailers have not covered. The 2007 Loughborough Town Centre Survey shows that 75% of correspondents feel that a wider range of shops and retail facilitates are most likely to encourage more people to come to Loughborough, which is evidence of consumers’ adventure buying attitudes.

Concept and location

Shop name – Rosa Alba

Rosa Alba is a scientific name of Alba Rose which flowers once yearly in the spring with blossoms of white or pale pink (see Figure 2). It is often...