Branding is very important in today’s fashion industry whether its retail or resale but it’s not everything…It’s easy to follow and be loyal to a brand, but it’s hard to change perceptions and to step back and let new brands into the equation.

First lets quickly explore how a brand is built…

Brand value is built based on quality, positioning, long-term goals, and credibility amongst other factors. As brands and companies grow we often see quality is harder to keep at high standards, but since brand perception is already built people still buy based on loyalty and brand perception.

All brands have a brand positioning which determines their prices, market value and ultimately their resale value.

For us at Rikochet the brands we carry are important but not the only factor as to how we accept clothes. We generally have to eliminate taking some brands completely while we are more forgiving with others based on style, condition etc…

Ultimately we strive for the highest quality items, which is not always based on branding.

We have found that a brand, even if considered a “value brand”, uses great fabrics like cotton (and other natural fibers), and possesses great styles; it’s likely to sell. A brand like Joe fresh, which is carried in loblaws and other superstores, has a low price point. However the quality and styles just blow us away most of the time…They use cotton which is more than I can say for other brands considered higher in the branding chain like “Zara”.

Also take for example Lululemon, a brand with a very high market value and resale value and a HUGE following. The company has become a Canadian household name…women in Canada will save up to be able to fund their “Lulu” addiction…brand loyalty is amazing. At Rikcohet we benefit from the success of their company and we gladly accept Lululemon with open arms. About a year ago we noticed a decline in quality of Lululemon items being brought in, especially in the pants (pilliness and thinness of the fabrics)…it might be due to the fact that they moved manufacturing from Canada to China but who knows!? So again brand is not everything.

So what I am trying to say here is that as much as we love our favourite brands and all of us have some sort of brand loyalty, sometimes its pays to take a step back and ask ourselves a few questions like:

Do I like this because of the brand?

Do I like this because it’s the style I want/need?

How much am I willing to pay? And why am I willing to pay that much?

We hope that shopping at Rikochet is not only be about finding great brands, but also about finding good quality items that are comfortable, classic and fashion forward. We believe in mixing and matching; classic/vintage with fashion forward; good quality value brands like Joe fresh with 7 for all mankind and Burberry.

Find your individuality and style at Rikochet Resale and try not to always be safe with your fashion choices…