Telling It Like It Is at Retail Fest 2025

If you've been following Ringers Western for a while, you probably already know our story. But if you're new around here, it's pretty simple: it started with a campfire, some ripped work clothes, and a few close family members who decided not only to make their own clothes but to give the fashion business a red-hot go in the process. Fast forward to today, and it's safe to say we've learned a thing or two about what to do—and more importantly, what not to do—when starting an online clothing brand.

That's exactly what our CEO and co-founder James Salerno is going to chat about this Friday, 30 May, at Retail Fest 2025. The event is happening at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, and James is on stage in the Brand Room from 2:55 PM to 3:30 PM. His keynote talk, “From cattle yards to the big smoke, what NOT to do when starting an online clothing company,” promises to be exactly what it sounds like—a candid, straight-shooting rundown of the many mistakes, missteps, and lessons learned on our journey.

If you’ve met James (aka Hawkeye), you’ll know he's not the type to sugarcoat anything. He, like many of the team here at Ringers, grew up on a remote cattle station in the Kimberley—El Questro—where hard work, dust, crocs, and cattle mustering shaped his early life. Fashion wasn't exactly on his radar back then. But around a campfire one night, frustrated by work shirts that couldn't survive the tough outback conditions, James, along with his sister Anika and other family members (the original Ringers Western team) sketched their first designs on the back of a Weet-Bix box. Absolute fair dinkum true story.

As James will openly tell you, turning those early stick-figure drawings into a proper clothing line was a lot tougher than anyone expected. In the early days, we made pretty much every mistake you could think of. There were moments we nearly ran out of cash, shipments we couldn't afford, and stock levels we got completely wrong. James often talks about the times when they even had to sell horses to pay for incoming shipments. And let's be quite honest here, learning the ropes of e-commerce from scratch wasn't exactly a stroll in the park, especially when your warehouse was originally a garage on the Gold Coast—and even that didn't last long before it spilled into the entire house.

But all those tough lessons were invaluable, and they helped build the foundations of the Ringers Western brand you see today. From struggling with cash flow and stock management to understanding how crucial it is to really know your customers, James learned firsthand the difference between theory and reality when building a business.

On stage at Retail Fest, James won't just be recounting our story—he'll be sharing practical, down-to-earth advice. It's about being real, about admitting where things went wrong, and using those experiences to highlight what it actually takes to build a successful brand. And if you're someone starting out in retail or e-commerce, James’ candid storytelling might just save you from making the same mistakes.

Of course, while James has swapped cattle musters for business meetings and strategy sessions, he remains at heart a bushman and a country boy. That authenticity has always been central to what we do at Ringers Western. It shapes our approach to everything from product quality to customer service, and it's something James will undoubtedly bring to life during his talk.

Retail Fest 2025 is one of Australia's largest gatherings for retail leaders, featuring speakers from all corners of the industry. And among all those speakers, you can bet James’ approach will stand out for its honesty, humour, and good old-fashioned practical wisdom.

So, if you're around the Gold Coast this Friday afternoon, head down to the Gold Coast Convention Centre and catch James at 2:55 PM. It’s bound to be entertaining, insightful, and refreshingly real—just like the man himself.