London Inc. Spring 2021 - 32

COVER

Elizabeth Noel's Stefanie Smith and Sierra Barton

Elizabeth Noel carries 35 brands, making its selection
of formal wear and prom dresses one of the largest in
Southwestern Ontario. " We are the only store from Toronto
to Detroit that can carry Jovani. They are an incredible
brand and very well-known internationally, "
Hosszu notes.
The new location officially opened
on December 22, just in time for
Ontario's second lockdown. But
if you think Covid-19 killed the
demand for event wear, you'd be
at least partially wrong.
While there were certainly
fewer weddings, black-tie
events and holiday parties to
dress up for over the past year,
sales of prom and grade-eight
graduation dresses remained
strong despite the pandemic.
" The truth is, prom is the occasion,
but it's not the event, " says Hosszu.
" The girls are so resilient and came up
with some great solutions. "
For example, many attended multiple, small
gatherings to celebrate their graduation milestone, says
Hosszu, who offered virtual appointments and personal
shopping appointments (when restrictions allowed) to help
her #ENoelGirls ﬁnd the perfect outﬁt for their big day.
32 | londonincmagazine.ca | SPRING 2021

" The girls wanted their special moment. They wanted to
be with their core friends. They wanted that incredible feeling of getting dressed and getting ready. And they wanted
the photo, because social media is such an important part
of their lives, " she says.
Social media is also an important part
of Elizabeth Noel's marketing mix.
" Our demographic is not really on
Facebook, " notes Hosszu, " but we
do quite a bit on Instagram and
have started doing TikTok. A lot
of our content is from clients,
which we love. We want to put
real girls out there, and not just
professional models. "
Interestingly, while a strong
online presence has been key to
maintaining sales over the past
12 months, there remains no plans
to launch an online store.
" There are a lot of knock-off dresses
online. Every year we unfortunately
see girls who have bought a fake, " Hosszu
explains.
When it comes to high-end gowns, she continues, nothing can replace the in-store shopping experience. " It really
is about seeing it, feeling it, trying it on and working with a
salesperson who can help create your vision. "

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London Inc. Spring 2021

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