Luxe Beat Magazine MAY 2015 | Page 95

Fashion ‘fit-‐parties’ where we travel to a location of the bride’s choice and fit her dress and often, the bridesmaids at the same time. STITCH is also tied into the fashion and entertainment industry, providing tailors to work on-‐set and for large events. We work with a number of fashion stylists, production companies and celebrity clients. SW: What is luxurious about STITCH? AH: Think dark hardwood floors, white marble and plush furnishings. We designed the store and the experience to make the customer feel comfortable and actually enjoy the process, rather than it be chore on their Sunday to-‐do list. We offer our clients water, juice and champagne and also ensure when they have their clothes altered it is private and they have the adequate one-‐on-‐one time with our tailor to really discuss the alterations that are being made. SW: How did the concept behind STITCH develop? AH: Like a lot of business it started with frustration and the thought that there had to be something better. I wore suits every day and found the experience of getting a new suit altered to be less than satisfactory; unreliable and poor customer service, the inability to communicate and an environment that was not comfortable. After investigation, I also saw an inefficient industry, on that had remained ‘mom pop’ with no real brand in the industry. STITCH will be that brand across the US. SW: Will STITCH be using mobile technology to connect with customers? AH: Firstly, our technology in-‐store allows us to track customer loyalty as well as customer data so we can start to understand preferences etc. Additionally, we provide electronic messages, via text and email to alert customers of any changes and/or when their pieces are ready to be picked up. As we grow we will develop an App that allows customers to build a profile as well as book in-‐home appointments and select options such as pickup and delivery services. SW: What is the plan for expansion in the coming year? In five years? AH: Over the next year we will focus on streamlining our in-store process as well as developing additional relationship with the fashion and entertainment industry. Following that, STITCH is poised to grow aggressively over the next 5 plus years. We are looking at store two already, and we would like to have between 25 to 50 stores, on the west coast alone. Ideally, we would be in the top 50 markets within the US. We a see a niche and want to exploit that by creating a trustworthy, reliable and high-quality alterations and tailoring business that is available to a wide range of customers across the U.S. 95