Gambier Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame She has been in business for more than three decades so Wendy Richardson must be doing something right. A pioneer in fashion in this region, her signature store, Redgum Country, was inducted into the Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame at the recent business awards gala presentation and the business leader had a simple message for the many and varied business owners and entrepreneurs in the room at The Barn Palais.<\/p>\n
\u201cEary to bed. Early to rise. Work like hell and advertise. Be at as many functions as you can to meet new people. They will become your customers and your friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Certainly sounds simple enough and it has held Wendy in good stead since opening her first store in Casterton 34 years ago. The doors to the Mount Gambier venture opened 32 years ago and outlets in Hamilton and Robe were also part of the Redgum Country journey.<\/p>\n
Wendy had been in retail since she was 15 so she entered that first foray into business filled with confidence.<\/p>\n
Basically Casterton needed a children\u2019s wear outlet and Wendy decided to fill the void and within two weeks she was also stocking women\u2019s wear. \u201cThere really wasn\u2019t anything so it was just about opening something for the town,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Growing up, she bought a new dress every time she was paid \u2013 that was her apprenticeship and she now buys dresses for a living, priding herself on stocking a wide range of styles and choices to cater for as many customers as possible.<\/p>\n
The Casterton store proving such a success that it attracted a high percentage of Mount Gambier based customers. \u201cThat\u2019s why I opened the Mount Gambier store \u2013 so many people were coming across so in the end I moved to them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Wendy was conscious we come in all shapes and sizes and with a myriad of tastes. \u201cThat\u2019s why I keep such a variety of stock and why I have so many brands,\u201d Wendy said. \u201cTwenty-five people can come in and try the same thing on and it will only fit one properly and only really suit one \u2013 I want people to be spoilt for choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the other keys to the Redgum success story has been the staff \u2013 there was the OG Julie Rudiger, long serving colleagues Maryanne Stratford and Lorraine Brooks, daughter Tanya Von Stanke, and a raft of younger fashionistas that brought a new perspective and a new clientele. \u201cWe\u2019ve certainly built up a reputation of good service and people trust us to give the right advice,\u201d Wendy said. \u201cAnd to have the mix of ages and styles also helps \u2013 it makes the store more accessible because there\u2019s always someone who will understand exactly what you\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course customers don\u2019t always know what they want and last minute shopping for special occasions is the rule rather than the exception. \u201cFifty percent of people that come in on Friday and Saturday are buying for an event that weekend,\u201d Wendy said. \u201cThey think they have an outfit planned and then realise it doesn\u2019t fit right or whatever and then it\u2019s a mad rush.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s all part of the challenge though \u2013 and Wendy\u2019s had her fair share over the journey. \u201cWhen the GST came in, in 2000, we basically had to change to a computerised system to keep track,\u201d Wendy said. \u201cBut it\u2019s been a blessing too, because technology has really helped and I can just press a button at any stage and know exactly what I have in stock.\u201d<\/p>\n
She might have been in retail since she was a teenager but she has lost none of her passion for service and making sure the customer gets what they want. She heads to Melbourne for regular buying trips and is always planning at least six months in advance to make sure her customers are browsing through the latest trends every time they step into the store.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have new stock arrive five days a week,\u201d Wendy said. \u201cThere is always something new to look at.\u201d So often the fashion industry can be branded vacuous, but for all its superficiality, how we look definitely has a role to play. \u201cIf you feel good about how you look, you do take a more positive outlook into everything you do I life,\u201d Wendy said. And Wendy has tried to make looking good affordable as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to spend a lot of money, it\u2019s about investing in the right pieces, getting the right advice,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
And while running her successful business is a top priority, Wendy is a loud and proud advocate for volunteering and working hard in your community. \u201cWe\u2019re all busy, we\u2019re all tired but we need to always be giving back,\u201d Wendy said. \u201cIf you\u2019re in a position to give something back then I think you\u2019re obligated to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Safe to say not too many women in this town have not sat front and centre at a fundraiser that featured a Redgum Country fashion parade and over Redgum\u2019s history the fashion outlet has raised more than $500,000 for charity and that has been a very personal crusade.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad died (leukaemia) at the age of 38 and our mum had six kids under 13 so I have loved the fundraising because I remember how much we were helped when my dad died,\u201d Wendy said.<\/p>\n
The Chamber of Commerce honour is not Wendy\u2019s first regional accolade.<\/p>\n
In 2011, at the inaugural Women in Business and Regional Development Influential Women in Business Awards she was named Business Woman of the Year (pictured right centre) and seven years later she was inducted into that network\u2019s Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
And Wendy is a devotee of those type of networks, including Women In Business and the Chamber of Commerce, believing they are vital to sustaining a vibrant commercial sector. \u201cBusiness people need to get to know other business people so they can learn from each other,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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Wendy Richardson inducted into the Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame Gambier Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame She has been in business for more than three decades so Wendy Richardson must be doing something right. A pioneer in fashion in this region, her signature store, Redgum Country, was inducted into the Mount […]<\/p>\n