eCommerce Meets High Street: How Wardrobe at The Cross Wins with Personalization and Trust, with Hilary Large (episode 574)
Hilary Large is the owner at Wardrobe at The Cross, a women’s fashion boutique. Launched in 2023, they sell via their physical high street store, and via their Shopify website and have already built to 100s of orders a week.
In this episode, Hilary shares how she’s blending the best of in-store service with online scale — from personally calling first-time customers to building a brand rooted in trust, experience, and genuine connection.
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Dive in:
[03:56] eCommerce Marketing Growth Journey
[08:19] “Brand Growth Through Retail Presence”
[12:46] Customer Trust Epiphany
[14:40] “Optimizing eCommerce Customer Support”
[18:56] “Protecting the Business’s Foundation”
[20:14] Listen to Hilary’s Top Tips!
Personalization Isn’t Just for Big Brands — It’s Your Competitive Edge
Hilary proves that personal touch still wins in a digital world. She personally calls every first-time customer to thank them and check their order details. This small gesture builds trust and turns a transaction into a relationship. It also reduces returns and boosts repeat purchases. Her approach shows that personalization doesn’t need big data or automation — it just needs care.
Retention Matters More Than Just Acquisition
Rather than focusing only on getting new customers, Hilary places a big emphasis on cultivating loyalty. Her retention rate is impressively high—about 60–65% of orders are from returning customers. She achieves this not just through her initial outreach, but also by setting up thoughtful email flows and nurturing long-term relationships. This focus means her marketing spend is more efficient and her customer base is more valuable over time. The lesson is clear: retention strategies are just as essential as acquisition in sustainable eCommerce growth.
Blend Bricks and Clicks for a Stronger Brand
Wardrobe at The Cross thrives because it combines a physical store with a Shopify-powered online shop. Hilary uses her boutique to deepen brand credibility and access exclusive fashion labels that require a retail presence. The in-store experience also fuels her online story — creating consistency across both channels. It’s a powerful example of how physical and digital retail can strengthen each other, not compete. For many brands, that’s the future of sustainable growth.
Right Team Structure from the Start
Unlike many small business owners who do everything themselves, Hilary intentionally surrounds herself with a capable team from the beginning. She hires for skills she lacks, such as web admin, merchandising, and customer service, allowing her to focus on business-building tasks. She also involves family members for support, making the operation more flexible and scalable. This shows that building even a small and close-knit, but skilled team can help avoid burnout and improve customer experience. For eCommerce founders, delegating early can be smarter than waiting until you’re overwhelmed.
Sustainability as a Brand Value and Practice
Sustainability is not just a buzzword for Hilary—it’s central to her brand and operations. She insists that suppliers use recyclable or compostable packaging, takes extra steps to recycle waste properly, and encourages her team to avoid single-use plastics. By sticking to these values and communicating them, she not only attracts like-minded customers but also influences suppliers to change their practices. This lesson demonstrates how commitment to sustainability can differentiate your business and deepen customer loyalty. Staying true to such values makes for a more authentic and trustworthy brand.
eCommerce Book Top Tip
eCommerce Traffic Top Tip
- Hilary swears by offline community marketing — giving local talks to reach her ideal customers in person.
Tool Top Tip
- WhatsApp messaging platform
Carbon Top Tip
- Hilary bans single-use plastics, pushes suppliers to use recyclable or compostable packaging, and even takes store recyclables home to ensure they’re properly processed — proving small, consistent actions can make a big sustainability impact.
Interview links
*Thank you to Janis Thomas for the guest introduction!
Related Episodes
- Transforming Menswear eCommerce: From Discounts to Premium Quality with Moss’s Matt Henton (episode 502)
- From Physical Store to Online Focus: Neem London’s eCommerce Evolution with Nick Reed (episode 540)
- Retention-First eCommerce: Inside Allure’s $2M Bricks-and-Clicks Strategy with Klim Yadrintsev (episode 555)
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