River Island S/S25 Range Portfolio

River Island Customer Persona

Louise Newman

BRAND INTERESTS

DEMOGRAPHIC

Age, Gender and Education.

Female

29 years old

Bachelors of the arts degree in Marketing

Income and Education.

Marketing Executive at Fashion Brand

£35,000-£40,000 per annum

SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE

Family, Life Stage and Socio Economic Status.

Social status: Middle class

Lives with boyfriend

No children

GEOGRAPHIC Personality Charateristics.

Location.

Lives in Greater Manchester, a largely urban area

Mortgage on a 3 bedroom semi detatched house

BEHAVIOURAL PSYCHOGRAPHIC

Within easy commuting distance of Manchester, a large shopping hub consisting of multiple shopping centres.

Spontaneous Unmotivated

Introvert Extrovert Organised Motivated

Lifestyle and Interests.

Enjoys the creative aspects of her Marketing career

Spends evenings online shopping or browsing

Coffee dates and shopping on weekends

Shops both in store and online, although favours in store experience to assess garment quality

Avoids impulse buying and prefers considered peices which can be easy to style

Enjoys timeless pieces and capsule wardrobes, following occasional trends

favours quality of garments, without the price of designer items

Purchases versatile garments, which can be styles from day to evening wear

Induldges in the in store shopping experience

STRENGTHS

Strong Brand identity - use of hashtags like #ImWearingRI or RI Insider. Sizing inclusivity through petite, tall and plus ranges. Elevated take on current trends

Longevity of garments due to high quality of fabrication

OPPORTUNITIES

Offer yearly premier delivery like competitors such as ASOS or Boohoo.

More celebrity or influencer collabs due to the success of previous collabs.

WEAKNESSES

Small product ranges in store and online compared to competitors. Styles often seem aimed towards an older demographic, reduces customer base opportunities. Higher price point of garments could also limit consumer market.

THREATS

Competitor price range is a massive threat to River Island, as they sell similar items for a fraction of the price.

Offer more garments aimed towards younger demographics.

SWOT Analysis, Bryant, 2024.

Images sourced from River Island 2024.

Competitors offering more trending products in a wider variety for larger consumer demographics.

£ 3 8 . 0 0

£ 4 9 . 9 9

52% Linen, 48% viscose Linen Blend Quilted Jacket Cream quilted bomber

£ 3 4 . 9 9

£ 2 5 . 0 0

64% Polyester, 3% elastane, 33% viscose Ribbed stripe midi skirt

£ 2 5 . 9 9

68% Polyester, 29% polyamide, 3% elastane

£ 3 0 . 0 0

60% polyester, 40% Cotton Shirred tiered beach mini dress 3% fibre, 97% viscose

Ribbed knit midi skirt

£ 3 5 . 9 9

92% polyester, 8% elastane

Mini dress with bows

100% polyester Quilted Jacket

£ 1 8 . 9 9

52% Polyester, 48% Viscose Textured jersey skirt

£ 1 5 . 9 9

83% Viscose, 17% linen Tiered skier smocked dress

LIKE FOR LIKE ANALYSIS

Zara offers the highest price point of a quilted style jacket amongst retail competitors, River island and H&M. River Island and H&M both use polyester as a main fabric in the garments composition. Hence providing the warmth from the layer of a jacket. Zara’s composition consists of linen and viscose, providing a less structured feel to the jacket, and a more luxurious feel. Textured jackets are a perfect spring summer staple for consumers, as they provide warmth when there is a chill in the air, as well as blocking winds, whilst still providing a breathable feel.

H&M’s skirt offers the cheapest price point, but also is made out of a less durable fabric. Zara and River island offer a similar price range for their midi skirts, both made of primarily polyester with also elastane and other materials. River Island’s viscose properties offers a softer feel, as well as increased breathability which may be more suitable for warmer climates. Zara’s fabrication of polyamide, ‘tends to be slightly more durable than polyester and better at blocking harmful UV rays’ (Revier, 2024). However the crispness and structure of the Zara midi skirt provides a more elevated look, reflected in the slightly higher price point. Again, midi skirts offer a suitable spring summer option, providing a modest style, as well as coverage for colder days.

All three dresses’ offer a beach dress vibe, through their light and airy feel. Zara’s dress is 92% polyester, providing a great summer material, due to its ‘moisture-wicking properties’ (Revier, 2024). Both H&M and River Island’s garments consist mainly of viscose, providing again breathability, perfect for a floaty beach dress. H&M again sits at a the lowest price point between the three, with the other 2 competitors near the same pricing.

All three offer a different style of a classic summer mini dress, from a line to smocked silhouettes, showing competitors aiming to target styles that attract their target consumer base.

67% Polyester, 33% cotton Knit ribbed waistcoat

£ 3 0 . 0 0

100% cotton

Textured long sleeve shirt

LIKE FOR LIKE ANALYSIS

These three competitors demonstrate different takes on the knitted waistcoat trend for spring summer. H&M has the highest price point between the three, with Zara being the lowest. All three contain cotton, to provide that soft, flexible feel to the garment. H&M’s fabrication contains the lowest percentage of cotton at below half, which reflects the higher price point as the garment has a more structured, elevated feel to it.

£ 3 0 . 0 0 T

£ 1 7 . 9 9

94% Cotton, 6% elastane Ribbed halter vest top

£ 2 9 . 9 9

100% linen

Oversized linen shirt

£ 3 7 . 9 9

48% Cotton, 47% Polyester, 4% Polyamide, 1% Elastane Knitted waistcoat

This more structured style of top has increased in its popularity in consumers with the revival of the 2000s. Fashion United named the waistcoat ‘Item of the week’ in October 2022, demonstrating how in recent years its popularity has grown in every day casual fashion, rather than smart businesswear.

£ 1 8 . 9 9

52% Linen, 48% Cotton

Linen-blend shirt

All three garments offer either cotton, linen or a blend. Linen ‘is stronger and more durable’, whilst cotton ‘is soft and comfortable’. Linen has ‘moisture wicking properties’(Tulsi Silks, 2023), ideal for a summer shirt. The Zara and River Island shirt have the same price, yet the River Island is 100% cotton and Zara 100% linen. The Zara garment may be more practical and of higher quality due to its ideality for summer garments, as well as longegivity. The H&M shirt is £11 less than competitors, yet offers a cotton-linen blend. Hence it provides a cheaper alternative with the benefits from both fabrics for a lower price point. River Islands cotton shirt however provides a floaty feel to the garment, perfect for summer as it provides comfort and movement in warmer weather, over the structure of the Zara shirt.

GARMENT 1 - JERSEY

Bow detail

STYLE: Square neck Fitted RETAIL PRICE:

Bow detail Square neckline

GARMENT 3 - PINK

TEXTURED OVERSIZED SHIRT

MAIN FABRICATION

100 % Cotton

PRODUCT DETAILS: Breast Pocket Gold RI Logo hardwar Slit in the back

STYLE: Oversized

RETAIL PRICE:

GARMENT 4 - CREAM TEXTURED TIE FRONT JACKET

MAIN FABRICATION:

60 % Polyester

40 % Cotton

PRODUCT DETAILS

Two bow ties at front

Wide Cuffs

Small Collar

STYLE: Fitted

RETAIL PRICE:

Tie bow front

GARMENT 5 - SHIRRED BOW DETAIL MINI DRESS

MAIN FABRICATION:

100 % Viscose

PRODUCT DETAILS: Shirred waist

Bow details

STYLE: Skater style

Mini dress

Bow details Shirred waistband

RETAIL PRICE:

RANGE PLAN

REFERENCES

SWOT Analysis References

River Island (2024) Blue embellished plunge beach mini dress [online] Available at: https://www.riverisland.com/p/blue-embellished-plunge-beach-mini-dress-902801? gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwt-OwBhBnEiwAgwzrUtqZPMC4ONBfbXr365dPJ4xaCX0H7QV0jL-9YtPTgpfZ4H0rAiZMRoCuAIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds [Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

River Island (2024) Green metallic detail tie waist playsuit. [online] Available at: https://www.riverisland.com/p/green-metallic-detail-tie-waist-playsuit-905310 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

River Island (2024) Pink floral slip maxi dress. [online] Available at: https://www.riverisland.com/p/pink-floral-slip-maxi-dress-904340 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

River Island (2024) Stone linen blend broderie shorts. [online] Available at: https://www.riverisland.com/p/stone-linen-blend-broderie-shorts-906728 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

River Island (2024) Yellow shirred tiered beach mini dress. [online] Available at: https://www.riverisland.com/p/yellow-shirred-tiered-beach-mini-dress-901802

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

Logos and customer persona image

H&M Logo (2017) Hennes & Mauritz logo and symbol, meaning, history, PNG. [online]

Available at: https://1000logos.net/hm-logo/.

[Accessed 25th Feb. 2024]

River Island logo (2024). Meaning River Island logo and symbol | history and evolution. [online]

Available at: https://1000logos.net/river-island-logo/.

[Accessed 25th Feb. 2024]

Rydzek, C. (2022) River Island launches summer edit with model Sofia Richie. [online]

Available at: https://www.theindustry.fashion/river-island-launches-summer-edit-withmodel-sofia-richie/

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

Zara logo (2017) Zara logo and symbol, meaning, history, PNG. [online]

Available at: https://1000logos.net/zara-logo/.

[Accessed 25th Feb. 2024]

Like for Like analysis References

Douglass, R. (2022) Item of the week: the waistcoat. [online] FashionUnited.

Available at: https://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/item-of-the-week-thewaistcoat/2022102650348

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

H&M (2018a). Knitted waistcoat. [online]

Available at: https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.1220348001.html

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

&M (2018). Linen-blend shirt. [online] H&M.

Available at: https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.1027844045.html

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

H&M (2018). Textured jersey skirt. [online] H&M. Available at: https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.1233768001.html

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

H&M (2018). Tiered-skirt smocked dress. [online] H&M. Available at: https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.1219988003.html

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

H&M (2024). H&M+ Quilted jacket. [online] H&M. Available at: https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.1220348001.html [Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

Revier, C. (2023). Polyamide and Polyester: What’s the Difference? [online] blog.jans.com.

Available at: https://blog.jans.com/polyamide-and-polyester-whats-thedifference/ [Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

River Island (2024). Cream quilted bomber sweatshirt. [online] River Island. Available at: https://www.riverisland.com/p/cream-quilted-bombersweatshirt-901999

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

River Island (2024). White Ribbed Stripe Midi Skirt. [online] River Island. Available at: https://www.riverisland.com/p/white-ribbed-stripe-midi-skirt908653

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

River Island (2024). Yellow Knit Ribbed Waistcoat. [online] River Island. Available at: https://www.riverisland.com/p/yellow-knit-ribbed-waistcoat907571

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

River Island (2024). Yellow shirred tiered beach mini dress. [online] River Island. Available at: https://www.riverisland.com/p/yellow-shirred-tieredbeach-mini-dress-901802.

[Accessed 22nd Feb. 2024]

Silks, T. (2023). Linen vs Cotton: What is the Difference between the Fabrics?

Available at: https://tulsisilks.co.in/blogs/difference-between-cotton-andlinen-fabric-linen-vs-cotton

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

Zara.com (2024). LINEN BLEND QUILTED JACKET. [online] ZARA.

Available at: https://www.zara.com/uk/en/linen-blend-quilted-jacketp01689022.html?v1=326533360&v2=2352724

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

Zara.com (2024). MINI DRESS WITH BOWS. [online] ZARA.

Available at: https://www.zara.com/uk/en/mini-dress-with-bowsp02844822.html?v1=344664023&v2=2352752

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

Zara.com (2024). OVERSIZE 100% LINEN SHIRT. [online] ZARA.

Available at: https://www.zara.com/uk/en/oversized-linen-shirtp04764001.html?v1=344253011

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

Zara.com (2024). RIBBED HALTER VEST TOP. [online] ZARA.

Available at: https://www.zara.com/uk/en/ribbed-halter-vest-topp00858305.html?v1=344715496

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

Zara.com (2024). RIBBED KNIT MIDI SKIRT. [online] ZARA.

Available at: https://www.zara.com/uk/en/ribbed-knit-midi-skirtp05755015.html?v1=330285149&v2=2353229

[Accessed 12 Apr. 2024].

Moodboard References

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Silhouette References

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