We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Josniel Fiallo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Josniel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
Oh yes, definitely. What brings us apart from other fabric stores is that we also offer services for each type of fabric that we sell. We have an in-house atelier where we provide haute couture services or ” servicio de alta costura ” as it is also known in Miami. Our atelier has over 25 years of experience in custom made dresses. We can make any type of dress, from a jumpsuit to a ball gown. Our customers can get ready for their wedding with our unique and custom made Bridal Gowns. as we encourage women not to feel restricted by standard molds and instead allow brides to focus upon and explore what will make them look and feel the best on their wedding day. The fact that we have not only one, but two tailors available at our store is also something that differentiates us from the rest. Most of our customers are looking to have the perfect wardrobe, and with us, it is possible, as we specialize in Bespoke Tailoring for men’s suits, sports jackets, dress shirts, and even guayaberas which are very popular in the South Florida area because of the tropical weather. From wedding tuxedos to boardroom pinstripes, we create a perfectly tailored suit for every occasion. We handle any kind of requests to meet all our client demands while maintaining the highest standards of the bespoke suit tradition. On top of that, we also provide custom upholstery for indoor and outdoor furniture and decorative services such as custom made curtain, drapes, custom furniture cushions, reupholstery of indoor and outdoor furniture. Looking to update your outdoor space? We are a Sunbrella® dealer offering hundreds of Sunbrella® fabric options.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve been working in the fabrics – textile industry for the past 22 years. As a kid, I always had a passion for fashion, and over the years, I was able to develop my skills in the fashion and retail industry with the help of Rex Fabrics. When I started working at Rex Fabrics, the place was already considered the best fabric store in Miami, so for me, it was an honor to work along with this team. I started at the store’s first location, at the Alhambra entrance for Coral Gables, it was many years ago, but I can remember it as if it was just yesterday. I got into this beautiful retail store full of Brocades, Embroidered Tulles, Printed Silks, Embroidered Lace, Printed Chiffon, Mikado Zibeline, and many many more types of fabrics that just left me wanting to know more about this industry. The customer service attention has always been the solid rock of Rex Fabrics, it is just something that other fabric stores, even other retail shops don’t offer nowadays. A lesson I’ve always learned over the years – an old lesson – is to stick to what you know. As I already knew about fashion, after acquiring the store I was able to hit the ground running. Many of our competitors fail and it’s not because they don’t have a good idea or their product isn’t good but because they don’t focus on exclusive products or they don’t provide the kind of customer service our clientele are looking to get.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
Communication is an important factor in maintaining good client retention. Customers are the most significant assets for our company, and they should be treated as such. By keeping in touch with our consumers, we ensure that they are aware of our efforts, and clients who feel valued are more likely to remain loyal to our fabric store in Miami. Staying in touch with our clients can also inspire people who are pleased with our services to like postings, engage with us through social media, develop a connection, and exchange content and information, all of which can lead to new referrals. Word-of-mouth marketing is incredibly effective for our business. Fabric stores in Miami should not cut corners when it comes to client loyalty; instead, they should focus on developing and sustaining connections through personalized, focused communication. For example, implementing a communication plan that kicks in as soon as someone buys a custom made dress, a bespoke suit, a piece of exclusive fabric or even when they make a custom upholstered piece with us. We not only start collecting data about that consumer right away, but also start building a strong and enduring relationship with them that will leave them feeling fulfilled, valued, and appreciated.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
We use Social media platforms every day to engage with our consumers, raise awareness, generate leads and business. Thousands of people may follow you but never read your posts or click on your links. The aim is to cultivate a vibrant online community of your ideal fans, those who will actively engage with your material, share it with their networks, and eventually convert those into paying customers. It has been quite a journey for us with social media. The key has been to post original content, people want to see our new products, they want to see our vendors making mannequin displays using our new types of fabrics, results of the custom-made dresses we make, learn about fashion, and more. This strategy has proven to work. We are a fabric store that has been in Miami for over 30 years, and every day we expand our market and we acquire more inventory so our customers can find the exclusive fabrics they are looking for in one place.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rexfabrics.com
- Instagram: rexfabrics
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rexfabricsmiami
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rex-fabrics
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/rexfabrics
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/rexfabrics
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rex-fabrics-miami
Image Credits
Photographer: Juan Marcano