• Case Studies

On Grit & Growth: Lessons in Scaling from an Australian Fashion Retailer

7 min. read28.05.2023
By Team Zeller

When a customer in New York placed an order with Australian menswear label Christian Kimber, he wasn’t expecting to receive a call from the designer and founder himself.

Yet, this white-glove approach to customer service is how Christian Kimber has built his business. Starting with a small run of shoes and soft accessories, the UK-born Australian designer has grown his brand from the ground up, opening two stores in Melbourne with more on the way. We visited the leafy Armadale shopfront to talk to Christian about the power of the retail experience, slow fashion, and dressing the Australian man.

Bootstrapping a business on the right foot.

Christian Kimber grew up in the UK and moved to Australia in 2011. Having studied fashion and worked in men’s tailoring and footwear he says “I initially struggled to find my way and my place in fashion... But I’d always loved menswear and retail.”

So shortly after making the move to Melbourne he began designing and selling footwear. “We had a spare room full of boxes of shoes,” he says.He bootstrapped the business — which at the time was predominantly wholesale — and quickly began winning clients in Paris and New York.

Recalling the early days, he says “it was growth for growth’s sake. Yeah OK I was in Paris and was having these amazing meetings, but it just wasn't where my heart was. I came home and with my wife we decided strategically retail was the way to go, particularly given there was a clear gap in the market for what we were doing.”

With an increasingly successful e-commerce website, Christian was meeting up with five customers a day. “It got to a point where I said to myself, we’re ready for the next step. So we opened a store northside where most of our cult following of clients lived at the time.” Aligning himself to his customers’ needs has largely been the key to Christian Kimber’s success, and he puts it down to the lessons he learnt early on:

Sure we didn't have that Tom Ford money to start” [laughs] “but I think it’s been the best thing for us, because it’s more real. It has allowed us to figure out exactly who our clients are, what they want and the right products for them. We’re not growing for growth’s sake, we’re growing organically based on the evolving needs of clients and increasing demand.

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Moving the needle in a complex fashion climate.

Transitioning from a purely online business to a bricks and mortar shop front in the heart of Melbourne’s Fitzroy didn’t come without its hurdles. “The challenge, as with many small businesses, is that it takes about five years to be established, really”. But above all, Christian says running a small business is a mental game:

It’s just about the grit and determination that you need to find in yourself in order to keep going… It really comes down to whether or not you love it. When you find something you love, it doesn’t feel like work; you have to feel that, otherwise you’re not going to have the grit to keep going.

From the attention and care that Christian channels into every piece of clothing and every customer interaction, the love for his job is patently obvious.

“It’s just about the grit and determination that you need to find in yourself in order to keep going...”

The collection — which now spans clothing, footwear and accessories — is produced in small family-run factories in Italy and Portugal where Christian can guarantee premium quality and the wellbeing of the workers.

There's nothing industrial about what we do. At our knitwear factory there’s a total of 15 people working there… Our key is finding partners who are focused on quality. Provenance is also so important. My wife and I always ask ourselves, would we want to work there? And if we would, then it’s a good fit.

The brand champions the ‘buy less, buy better’ ethos, with enduring pieces that serve customers for life, not just the season. Christian is very conscious of the rock and hard place between which the fashion industry sits in the sustainability debate. “To be truly sustainable is really a hard ask. It's almost impossible. Essentially, we can just be as authentic and transparent as possible. We use Australian wool, we use a lot of European cloth. The calibre of the fabrics we use are made in mills that are at the cutting edge of sustainability and thoughtfulness.”

While many other players in the industry compromise on quality as their brands scale, for Christian that tradeoff is non-negotiable:

I’m not interested in making anything in a way that I wouldn’t feel comfortable with, it’s just not our direction and I’d rather stay small forever… I would never compromise on product and experience.

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Retail brings real respite in the age of digital.

While Christian Kimber may not be reaching to dominate the global market, his expanding customer base at home is driving the brand’s growth locally.

Having opened a second store in Armadale at the request of his long-time followers, he’s now feeling the pull to open a third in the CBD as well as one in Sydney, where online sales are compelling. Rather than pushing to open in markets with untapped potential, the expansion of more stores is entirely led by customer convenience, to allow his devotees to enjoy the retail experience that Christian so fervently stands by.

Nothing beats feeling the products…. What I want is that when you feel our clothing, your heart skips a beat. Whatever that feeling is, it’s just lovely… I could never produce a photo good enough to elicit an emotion like that.

Further to the tactile aspect, he believes it’s the interaction that keeps men coming back. Working out of his second store in Armadale, Christian encourages customers to stay for an hour — as much to try on the garments as to have a chat. “We sell confidence, we don't sell products,” he says. “When people leave, they feel a certain way, and that's what I get energy from. If they come back, we know we’ve done something right.”

When he started the business, Christian’s passion was creating the products. Now he says that has developed into experience and client satisfaction:

I want people to feel loved and to feel great in our stuff, and I think that it's not just about products, it's about making sure it works for them.

As well as the ready to wear collection, Christian works with his customers to design pieces from scratch or even redesign garments they’ve had since the 80s. “It’s a very intimate experience, and we could never do that online.”

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“We sell confidence, we don't sell products.”

Prior to signing up with Zeller, Christian had never considered the customer experience associated with a payment terminal, because it had always been the same. His decision to sign up for Zeller was a purely financial one: “we’re a small business, so in the end it just came down to who had the better rate.” A competitive flat fee — inclusive of American Express — and a hassle-free set-up was what initially attracted Christian to Zeller Terminal, but it was the customer experience that won him over.

I love it. I really love it. Someone might call up and change their mind on the product and I can just immediately exchange it or refund it. They don’t have to come back in. For us that’s great. I just think it’s a lovely experience, and that’s what we’re all about.

Christian Kimber Terminal Image

Defining Australian style.

While the physical expansion of the brand will be a key focus for 2023, Christian is committed to keeping the label’s style fresh and new. Since its inception, the aesthetic has sat somewhere in between formal and casual. And conveniently, the Covid19 pandemic propelled menswear in that exact direction.

No longer needing to wear suits to work, but tired of the sweatpant trend of 2020, Australian men are looking for outfits that strike that balance, which Christian says, “is what we’ve always been about”. Looking to the future, the designer intends to continue trying to define Australian style, which he asserts is one inspired by lifestyle. “It's a different lifestyle to anywhere in the world, and so the way men dress here is different. We want to stand for Australian style.”

Designing all the garments himself, Christian works to mirror the colours of our landscape, using textures that feel casual yet sophisticated and shaping silhouettes that are laid back but still refined. “Only when it comes together does it feel Australian,” he adds.

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Slow and steady wins the race.

When asked what he would go back and tell his entrepreneurial younger self, Christian says “take your time”.

In any business, you spend the first three years just figuring it out. So you don’t want to dive too much into one area because you might change your direction. I’d tell myself you don’t need to grow as quickly. Now we’ve figured out what the right pace of growth is for us: snail pace.” he laughs.

He adds that it’s important to “get things right and do things for the right reasons, to grow organically.” This honest approach to business is a refreshing perspective in an industry that so often centres around ephemeral profit-driven trends, at the expense of quality and customer satisfaction. So it’s no wonder that word-of-mouth has been the brand’s most effective marketing tactic to date. Ironically, remaining humble and not overextending has been Christian’s biggest strength. Through passion, grit, transparency and care, Christian Kimber has built a brand he’s proud to put his name behind.

To read about other Australians growing their businesses with Zeller, head to the Zeller Business Blog and sign up to our newsletter to receive stories straight to your inbox.

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9 Questions to Ask When Buying an EFTPOS Terminal

Here's what you need to know about finding the right EFTPOS terminal. Searching for a next-gen EFTPOS machine that accepts modern payment methods, processes payments quickly, settle funds into your business account as fast as possible, and looks good on your countertop? Finding the right terminal for your business is important – you’ll rely on it for secure, fast cashless payments that keep your cash flow looking healthy. Some terminal providers will lock you into long contracts, with expensive termination fees, so knowing what to look out for is key. How much is it to have an EFTPOS machine? The EFTPOS machine you choose will depend on variables such as your budget, sales volumes, Point of Sale (POS) software, and fees associated with your merchant account. It costs $259 to own a Zeller Terminal outright. There are no hidden fees or charges, and no lock-in contracts. When you sign up for Zeller, you also receive a free Zeller Transaction Account (into which funds accepted via Zeller Terminal are settled nightly) and a free Zeller Debit Card — so you can pay suppliers and make business purchases with ease. Keep reading to discover the nine questions you should keep in mind when comparing EFTPOS terminals. 1. Do I understand the fees? Many business owners don’t realise they are agreeing to pay hidden fees, such as expensive terminal fees, until it’s too late. Sign the dotted line and you could be agreeing to pay a lot more than anticipated for your EFTPOS machine — and lock-in contracts usually come with hefty fees for early cancellation. Otherwise cautious business owners fall victim to hidden EFTPOS terminal fees time and time again. However, these fees are required by law to be disclosed somewhere – you just need to know where to look. Make sure to go through the terms and conditions with a fine-tooth comb; never solely rely on a verbal quote. If you’re already using an EFTPOS machine, check your merchant statement as this will tell you the processing fees and other fees you’re currently paying. It’s also important to remember that, in most cases, if you decide to rent your EFTPOS terminal you won’t own it at the end of the payment period. You’re simply paying for the privilege of using it, and will be left empty-handed when the contract ends. Although renting may look like an affordable option at first, it’s a tactic designed to get business owners to pay far more than what the terminal is actually worth. Zeller Terminal is yours to own for one low payment of $259. There’s no lock-in contract or hidden fees; we know you’ll keep using your Zeller Terminal because you love it, not because you have to. Learn more about Zeller Terminal and whether it’s the right solution for your business. 2. Will it be easy to use? Taking payment is usually the last interaction a member of your staff has with a customer. However, time wasted teaching staff the intricacies of a confusing system is time that could be better spent on other parts of the business. The ease with which staff process a payment affects the customer experience at every business. Your EFTPOS payments terminal needs to be easy for all staff to use, with minimal training. This is especially important if you run a retail store that hires casual staff during peak holiday and sales periods, or in another business that regularly hires new workers. When shopping for an EFTPOS terminal, consider whether it has been designed by a team that understands your business. Are the prompts straightforward? Is the user flow intuitive? Your terminal should feel natural and simple to use. If it is, your staff will save time with every transaction – and you’ll save time training them how to use it. 3. Can I customise it to suit my business? Some EFTPOS payment terminal providers will force your business to work their way. This is related to the point above: if you choose a provider who understands your business, you’ll likely find there’s no need to change your internal workflows. An EFTPOS terminal should fit the way you want your business to work. When selecting a terminal provider, consider how well it fits with your established processes. For example, you might want the ability to: restrict the ability to provide a customer with a refund to a small pool of staff, such as managers charge your customers a surcharge enable tipping customise your receipts Choose a provider that gives you the power to customise the way you accept and manage your payments and you’ll save yourself from needing to retrofit your processes to fit the tool. 4. What happens if my internet cuts out? Your business needs to be able to continue processing cashless payments even during periods of internet outage. You don’t want to have to send your customers to the closest ATM, or have them scrambling for cash. Occasionally, small periods of service downtime will be unavoidable. Your internet provider might be down for routine maintenance or there may be a power cut to your area, or another technological issue may impact how your EFTPOS terminal connects to the internet. However, any period of downtime has the potential to negatively affect your business — the impacted customer may never return. That’s why, when you choose Zeller Terminal, you have the option to switch to another network. If you’re experiencing issues with your Wi-Fi provider, it’s simple to connect via 3G to another network and continue processing payments using your SIM card. 5. How often will I need to charge it? These days, many businesses are run on the go — so a mobile EFTPOS terminal is a must. Cafes and restaurants that take payment from the table depend upon a long-lasting battery to get through the day. For a retail store, a long-lasting battery provides the flexibility to take payments from wherever is convenient for the customer. For mobile services such as trades and beauty technicians, having the ability to take payment on the go saves you the hassle of returning to your computer, sending an invoice, then following up until payment is finalised. It’s essential that the EFTPOS terminal you choose has enough battery life to give you peace of mind that you’ll never miss out on crucial transactions. 6. How fast can I put my funds to work? Depending on which payment services provider you choose to use, you could access your funds the same day you earn them – or you could be waiting upwards of three business days. The speed of settlement can have a big impact on your cash flow. Choose a provider that’s slow to settle, and you may find yourself in the frustrating situation of needing a business loan to tide you over until your funds are released. When you use your Zeller Terminal in combination with your free Zeller Transaction Account , you’ll get same-day settlement for your funds so you can spend using your Zeller Debit Card . Or, if you want to use your existing business bank account , your funds will settle the next business day. 7. Is there setup and ongoing support? Painful setup, hard-to-follow instructions, and uncontactable customer service representatives are headaches you simply don’t need. Some EFTPOS terminal providers are intuitive enough to use out of the box, whereas others come with a booklet of instructions you’ll need to follow. Or, you may be asked to book a technician to manage the setup on-site. Once you’re up and running, having multiple ways to ask for help – whenever you need it — is important. If your business operates in the evening and on weekends, look for a provider that offers extended support hours. If something goes wrong and you need answers fast, you need to feel confident that someone will pick up the phone on the other end. 8. Will it protect my business? Fraud is a risk for businesses of any size. Recurring chargeback fraud , in particular, can be costly for a business. When considering any financial services provider, it’s important to check whether it's backed by a team of security experts. You’re trusting this business to handle your money. Zeller’s Support team monitors transactions round the clock — 24 hours, 7 days a week — to prevent fraud before it happens. Backed up by intelligent machine monitoring, our team works to identify and respond to fraudulent attacks in real-time. 9. How soon can I get it? If you’re ready to start selling your products or services now, choosing an EFTPOS terminal that takes weeks to be delivered is an unnecessary setback. Why eat into valuable time you could be turning a profit? Ideally, your EFTPOS terminal will be available for delivery quickly. Even if you’re not ready to start accepting payments at your business, getting your EFTPOS payment terminal as soon as possible will give you extra time to get up to speed with its features and options for customisation. We offer fast, free shipping anywhere in Australia, for all Zeller purchases. Sign up for Zeller in minutes. Zeller Terminal and accessories can be purchased online from the Zeller Shop with free express shipping and same-day dispatch. Once you’ve considered these 9 questions, you should have a good idea of the non-negotiables you need from your EFTPOS terminal provider. Remember to always read the fine print and understand what you’re really paying for when you sign the dotted line.

How Zeller solved Decoy Cafe‘s Downtime Issues

Since making the switch to Zeller, Decoy Cafe has resolved its biggest frustration. Coffee is a family affair for the Spathis’. Brothers Bill and Chris have been perfecting the art of brewing for more than 30 years, ever since their first summer holiday job working in the family’s coffee lounge. These days, the coffee connoisseurs can be found on Melbourne’s busy Exhibition Street. Every morning, Bill fires up the roaster and Chris gets to work preparing the kitchen for the busy day ahead. The smell of fresh coffee wafts out into the street, welcoming Decoy’s loyal customers in for their morning cup. But Decoy had a persistent problem. Their EFTPOS terminal, provided by one of the big four banks, would frequently drop out during rush hour — forcing them to rely on an I-owe-you honesty system. We sat down with Bill to understand more about the Melbourne coffee scene, what makes Decoy unique, and how Zeller is helping business run as normal. How did you get started in the coffee business? We’ve always been involved in coffee, it’s in our blood. As kids, we didn’t get school holidays. We would jump on a train and head for the city, to dad’s coffee lounge. We’d arrive early in the morning and help dad take orders, serve customers and make coffees. Then, when my brother and I went to Sydney for a period in the early 90s, we continued the family legacy. We established and ran Retro Cafe for about 15 years, which was next door to Sydney’s State Theatre. It became a bit of an institution. We hadn’t started roasting our own coffee yet, though. Eventually, we came back to Melbourne and landed in Flinders Lane. This is when the cafe scene became very competitive — you had to do something different to stand out from the crowd. So, we decided to roast our own coffee. It’s difficult to roast beans in the middle of the CBD, due to council restrictions, so we ended up finding the site at 303 Exhibition Street. We’ve been roasting here for 14 years now. What’s changed in the three decades since? Back in the 70s, people ordered their coffee so hot it was sacrilegious — but that’s the way most people liked it. There was also far less diversity. At one stage, most people were buying coffee from the supermarket. People are more discerning now. Most are buying their coffees from local roasters. Single origins are our specialty, and we do it well. We roast single origins from Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, El Salvador, and beyond. All our beans are roasted in small batches, which helps us to make sure every roast highlights the beans’ unique characteristics and gives more consistency within each batch. The cafe industry has changed dramatically from the 70s to now, and it’s still constantly changing. You’ve got to keep up, whether that’s with a new offering like beans, better service, great staff, or new equipment. Last year, we renovated the cafe and installed a Modbar under-counter coffee machine for a streamlined coffee service. We also recently upgraded our EFTPOS terminals to Zeller. What made you decide to switch EFTPOS terminal providers? We were with one of the big four banks, and we were very unhappy with the number of dropouts. Our EFTPOS terminal would stop processing transactions at peak periods. Our upstairs area would be packed with diners eating breakfast, while downstairs would be busy with takeaway coffee orders and there would be a queue out the door. But the terminals would go down, so none of the customers could pay — they’re not carrying cash these days. We’ve built up a strong customer base. About 95% of our customers are regulars. So, when the terminals were down, we’d take a customer's name and they’d come back the next day to pay us. We don’t have any of those issues with Zeller, so I’m happy to say we don’t need to do that anymore. Our terminal has 4G and WiFi. If the 4G network goes down, WiFi takes over — business continues, as normal. "Taking payment from a customer is simple, as it should be." How did the outbreak of the pandemic affect the business? It's been tough, I won't deny it. We have a great product and a loyal customer base and that's allowed us to keep going. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns impacted sales, as we lost all our corporate customers when offices emptied out in Melbourne's CBD. What's kept us going is essential workers and tradespeople from nearby building sites and an increase in the number of  “home barista” customers — people buying their coffee beans from us to make their own coffee, while working from home. Tell us about working with family. We believe that being a family business has helped us succeed and stay resilient even in these challenging times. Chris and l have worked together from the very beginning, starting in our late father’s restaurant as young boys. We work well as a team and I think it’s part of what makes Decoy a success. A lot of cafe owners these days will hire a manager, but we’re owner-operators, and there’s always one of us here. We do that because we really love working with customers. We give 100% when it comes to quality, service and staff. Chris and I share those values. We rely on each other. Decoy Cafe is located at 303 Exhibition Street, in Melbourne's Central Business District. Drop by for your morning coffee, a quick snack, or lunch, or pick up a bag of fresh coffee roasted on-site (also available on the newly-launched Dark Horse Coffee Roasters website).

Discover Your Favourite Business Tools on Zeller Partner Hub

Fine-tune your operations by connecting Zeller to your favourite business tools. Payments are at the heart of every business. Zeller Terminal is the first tool you will need to get your business off the ground and start transacting. Funds accepted from customers are settled into your free Zeller Transaction Account nightly, and available for spending via your Zeller Mastercard the very next day. Once your business gains momentum, it’s highly likely you will begin using more tools — such as bookkeeping and invoicing tools, website services, and more. Zeller is designed to scale with your business, which is why we have released integrations with hundreds of powerful business tools — including Australian point-of-sale systems Impos, Redcat, OrderMate and Erply, plus a long list of others that are currently live or in testing. These integrations live on the new Zeller Partner Hub — a place to discover all the tools you need to support your growing business across categories including: Buy Now Pay Later Accounting Ecommerce and CMS Scheduling and Employee Management Point-of-Sale Systems and more. Meet Zeller Partner Hub Watch the video below to discover how Zeller Partner Hub works. Integrations enable independent business tools, applications and services to work together. By integrating your favourite tools with Zeller, you reduce double data handling, automate key tasks to save time, and reduce the potential for error. Business data is pushed from one system to another, with no need for human intervention. With the right integrations powering your business, your operations will be faster, more efficient and better connected. However, finding the best tools and applications for your business is no easy feat. There are many options for businesses with different needs — from small businesses to franchises, across every industry. What’s more, there are a variety of factors to consider — from usability to pricing. Start fine-tuning your business systems by searching for your preferred point-of-sale system on Zeller Partner Hub, and contact us about getting set up with integrated EFTPOS. We've also included some of our favourite tools for small businesses. If we don't currently integrate with a tool you use, let us know by voting on the tool’s page on Zeller Partner Hub. How to be featured on Zeller Partner Hub Our partner ecosystem is continuously growing to bring even more value to Zeller merchants through seamless integrations with business software and tools. By integrating with Zeller and being listed on Zeller Partner Hub, you have the opportunity to connect with thousands of Zeller merchants Australia-wide. Submit an enquiry to join the Zeller Partner Program , and we'll be in touch. Ready to connect Zeller with your favourite tools? Discover Zeller Partner Hub

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