Up close and personal
Since Covid, Veronica Beard’s business has shifted from majority wholesale to a fairly even three-way split between wholesale, physical retail and e-commerce.
This shift propelled growth — not just because the margins are better, but the insights are too. “The feedback loop is so much shorter,” says Swanson Beard, who views the brand’s store fleet as a kind of test lab. “Category expansion was easier because there’s more agency to try things. Does jewelry sell to our customer? Yes. Do belts sell? Yes.”
It’s taught the founders to be more nimble in a constantly shifting environment. Not everything they’ve tried has worked, however. “We wanted to get the right sneaker because sneakers were so hot in the market and it took time,” Miele Beard says. Eventually, the Valentina sneaker took off. Now, they’re reacting to the shift from structured to softer handbags.
To understand what customers want, the pair are now meeting more of them in-person. “Veronica and I built this business by traveling to our customer, meeting people, building community and building a feeling, which is not touchable by AI,” Miele Beard says. “This fall, especially, we’ve been traveling so much, going back to our roots, seeing the customer again after some time.” Leaning further into direct-to-consumer (DTC) has also enabled the founders to introduce lower price point items, which, they say, are performing well. “We’re seeing a lot of action in all the different levels.”
The founders also stay close to their customer by participating in things they care about, referencing the brand’s multi-million-dollar VB Gives Back program. Sometimes, they’ll host events for causes — like breast cancer research — and leave with new customers at the same time. “She comes to us in a different way,” Miele Beard says. “Maybe she’s not the biggest fashionista, but she’s like, ‘Wait, if I just bought this suit or if I just bought this set, it’s a one and done, it’s very easy dressing.’ She’s a customer for life.”
