How to be a Maggie Sottero Designs retailer

Maggie Sottero Designs offers the retailer three different ranges of bridal gowns:

• Rebecca Ingram
• Maggie Sottero
• Sottero & Midgley

The company launches two new collections of each of these names each year. So, there will be two collections of Rebecca Ingram, two of Maggie Sottero and two of Sottero and Midgley in 2024 and again in 2025 and so on.

The company also offers a wide range of versatile accessories.

A Maggie Sottero Designs retailer anywhere in Africa is approved and appointed by Geddes Rose Distribution which has the sole right to supply these wedding gowns in this territory.

A retailer is an independent bridal store who buys Maggie Sottero Designs gowns for her/his store and sells to clients.   Gowns can be sold from within the store at short wear dates or preferably, gowns can be ordered for brides if there is enough time and the sample gown can stay in the store to generate more re-orders.

A retailer is expected to order a minimum of 8 gowns from the March Collections and another minimum of 8 gowns from the August Collections. If this is a problem, please talk to Karen!   This helps to be up to date with the latest trends and styles and to have a variety of styles in store for brides to fit and make informed choices. The minimum amounts can be discussed in order to get started!

At the time when the new collections are launched, the retailer will receive images per WeTransfer of the new styles. Alternately, the retailer could also visit our head office in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Retailers can also attend (at own cost) the Barcelona Bridal Fair in April and/or the Harrogate Bridal Fair in the UK in September each year.  This provides the opportunity to view the new collections first hand and decide what to order.  Karen from Geddes Rose attends both Fairs and will be there to assist!

The retailer places their first order per e-mail to info@geddesrose.co.za.  He/she will be invoiced by Geddes Rose and upon payment of this invoice, the order will be placed with Maggie Sottero Designs. All communication and administration for this order will be managed by Geddes Rose on behalf of the retailer.   A payment plan can also be discussed to make it easier for new retailers to get started with this much sought-after brand!

After the initial order, Geddes Rose registers the retailer on the Maggie Sottero Designs portal, from where the retailer will order on the portal.

Sample gowns are the samples that you buy from the new collections. Your customers fit a sample gown, then order their own, known as re-orders.  We all try to get as many re-orders as possible from a sample gown, before selling it to make place for the new collection sample gowns. At times when the bride cannot wait for the lead time required for a re-order, the retailer may decide to sell the sample gown right away.

If a retailer needs to sell a sample gown with a short wear date and if this sample has generated good re-orders, they are advised to order a second sample as soon as possible so that they do not lose sales by no longer having this sample in store.

It takes about 5-6 months from date of order for gowns to arrive. MSD does have a UK stock list on the portal that shows what is in stock in the UK at a shorter lead time.

It is the retailer’s responsibility to ensure that his/her location is registered on Google Maps!