Branded

I was asked this morning about the idea behind 'brand loyalty.' What makes a consumer loyal to one brand- Quality? Price? Advertising?

Of course it's a mix of all three, but with added ingredients that make the experience of buying that brand (or shopping at that store) feel good.

I'll tell you about two retailers I buy from regularly, and why. This is not an advert, and they've not paid me to blog about them, but they've more than earned some recognition. So if you go and buy from them, I'll be chuffed to have introduced you to two of the finest companies I've yet dealt with.

First up are the team behind Last Exit to Nowhere, an online retailer of clothing with imagination, creativity and humour. Each creation draws on famous movies- but why wear a T shirt reading 'Shaun of the Dead' when you can get one that says 'Winchester Tavern', with a groovy graphic? I love these guys and girls for their wit, great quality gear and excellent customer service. Go seek out their stuff and wear your favourite films with pride. Oh, and happy sixth birthday to them for October too!

Secondly I am delighted to introduce you to Get Cutie, vintage style dresses with added WOW factor. Beautifully crafted (trust me, even the pickiest dressmakers I've met have commented on their great work) and in the most vibrant prints, when I wear one of their dresses I feel so confident I might as well be wearing armour. What nails it for me is the service you get from the team- not just a great product but they are friendly, helpful, and do what they say they're going to do. Ladies, treat yourselves. Gents, they do ties.

Brand loyalty to me means these businesses; not huge, not world renowned, but doing the very best they can and keeping me, their customer, very very happy indeed.