After beating thousands of brands to win Nordstrom’s Partner in Excellence award, Retail Week speaks to Ted Baker’s founder about its US success.

Ray Kelvin

Tell us about your relationship with US department store Nordstrom and the award?

We’ve been selling to Nordstrom for 12 years, but over the past three years we’ve been doing more and more business.

It’s a yearly award it gives to its most committed outstanding brand or vendor. And we won it and are absolutely delighted. It’s about quality, fashion, fashionability, value and business culture, and total delivery of the brand to its business – and obviously sales.

Why are Americans buying more Ted Baker now than 12 years ago?

The brand has evolved, the consumer is more familiar with the brand and product development. We understand now quite well the American market, and we’re delivering what the consumers over there look for from a fashion brand. That’s detail, quality, good fabrications, colour and a price point that makes sense.

How do Americans differ to UK consumers? Do you have to change your offering?

A little bit, but we’ve been trading for so many years in Amercia, we’re really familiar with the market. To think that Nordstrom has over 1,000 brands supplying it, to have won the award is a real achievement. And to win such a prestigious trade award and for a department store to pick us out of all the American, French and Italian brands that supply them.

How important is it to sell Ted Baker products through departments stores abroad?

Consumers need to know the brand first, we had standalone stores first in the US.

It goes hand in hand, once you’ve got a standalone business then you can do maybe wholesale business if your business is set up that way.

What are your future plans for the US?

More of the same, more business with Nordstrom and we’re opening more stores. We have 18 stores in the big city centres, and we’re hoping to open a few more this year.

And how are online sales in the US?

Ted Baker is selling very well online, and selling very well online with Nordstrom, which is growing as well. It’s got a great brand that is very well respected and logistically they’re very well organised. It gives great service and we’re benefitting having our product on its website.