A HOME and lifestyle trend agency which advises some of the biggest retailers in the world is targeting overseas growth by expanding its reach in America.
Newcastle-based Trend Bible already sells its trend books to major American retailers, including Bloomingdales in New York, US home interiors specialist Pottery Barn, TK Maxx, JCPenney, Wal-Mart and Macy’s department store, giving them future insight to inform their strategic, design and marketing decisions.
The company also works on specialist projects, offering its sought after homes, family and lifestyle insight to a range of clients, such as designers and manufacturers who create products based on the company’s predictions of what the consumer will be buying in the future.
Now, having worked in America for five years with an agent, the company has decided to expand on its work overseas and has hired a US consultant, Hollie Velten-Lattrell to drive the next phase of its growth.
Joanna Feeley, founder and CEO of Trend Bible, said: “We’ve had an agent in America selling our trend forecasting publications for a number of years, but we want to extend our consultancy services work to US companies.
“We’ve built a really strong business here in the UK and it seems like a good time to push on with our business in the States. We’re working with lots of retailers there already and we’re keen to work with more brands and manufacturers and this is the next logical step.”
Hollie will be covering some of the key trade shows in the US and will report back on the way American householders and families decorate and consume in the home compared with their UK counterparts. She writes a lifestyle blog, Painted Sidewalks, in which she shares stories stylish family life in the suburbs of New York City.
Hollie, who will be based in New York City, said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Trend Bible and look forward to contributing my merchandising background at companies such as West Elm and Anthropologie, and my distinctive voice as a participant in the landscape of modern, creative parenting.”
Trend Bible’s UK clients include Tommee Tippee, Mamas and Papas, Ronseal, Microsoft, Mercedes Benz, Asda, Boots, Moonpig, Ocado, LSA International and Marks and Spencer.