SmartCompany50 rank: 17
Revenue: $18.1 million
Growth: 70%
Founders: Sandra Boyle, 43
Based: Perth, now Melbourne
Employees: 150
Industry: Retail
Website: www.wildretailgroup.com.au
Cards and gifts – now there is an industry that needed a shake-up. Sandra Boyle, 43, had worked in the industry for 20 years and in 2002 thought it was time for a new national concept.
She started the business from home and five years on she has the largest group of franchised card and gift stores in the country. A year ago Boyle came up with the idea of “Show You Care” website. The idea was to get people to register their important occasions online and then be sent a reminder days before the event, which has resulted in thousands of specifically written birthday reminders being sent to customers. ‘We have used an online strategy to get consumers back to bricks and mortar locations.”
She says the industry is changing. Customers are segmenting into two categories: those who want a solution at any price and those who want quality products. “Our aim as a specialist retailer is to chase the premium customer.” Rent is also restricting expansion with the number of card and gift stores declining last year.
Not that this has fazed Boyle, who has moved head office from Perth to Melbourne to expand from the current 26 franchises (of which 90%-94% are profitable) to 45 stores.
