Spotlight on independent retailers: Jules B

Rhona and Julian Blades opened their first womenswear store in Jesmond, a leafy suburb of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in 1985. Julian was a self-employed fashion agent for Barbour and other British brands based in Germany, while Rhona was head lecturer in fashion design at a local arts college. At the time, the two had only been in a relationship for around 12 weeks, but both were passionate about the fashion industry and decided to also go into business together, launching their first Jules B branch. Neither had any experience in running their own business but they had ambition and knew what they wanted to achieve. Fast forward 34 years and today Jules B is one of the most recognised and respected independent retailers in the UK, with a total of six stores across the North East and North West of England, in addition to a thriving e-commerce site. Julian Blades tells FashionUnited what has defined the success and longevity of the store over the last three decades.

You are known for your vast range of labels and product categories. What’s the concept behind the Jules B brand mix?

We stock a complete range of clothing for men and women, offering everything from designer outerwear to swimwear, and from t-shirts and jeans to suiting and evening dresses, as well as footwear and accessories. We always like to experiment with new ventures and if we find a great product we’ll make it available to our customers regardless of category. For example, as well as apparel, we also stock a wonderful range of thermos flasks and water bottles by S’well, as well as handcrafted beach bats from Brazilian brand Frescobol Carioca. The Jules B ethos is very much ‘product before brand’, so they have each been selected on their own merits and have been chosen because we believe they will satisfy and reward the tastes of our customers. We have a passion for good product, so we always make buying decisions based on the collections that are presented to us each season. We stock over 180 brands and are always introducing new labels to our offering, whether it’s a rising star of the fashion world or a more established name. There are some labels that we’ve stocked for years without fail, though, because we believe in the brand and have built a strong relationship with them. Barbour, Jeffery West, Hugo Boss, Armani, Ash, Vivienne Westwood, Rag and Bone, Michael Kors, Oska and Crea Concept all fall into this category.

You were one of the early adopters of e-commerce and launched your website 12 years ago. How integral to the business has this become?

Indeed, we got online early in 2007 which put us at an advantage, and the online element of our business has only got bigger ever since. The website now accounts for 70 percent of turnover, and we have six international websites selling to locations all over the world. We also sell on Amazon and eBay, shipping around the world, and in addition we work with a large range of affiliates which showcase our product over a variety of different websites.

How would you describe the DNA of your store? What makes your store unique?

We offer an authentic boutique shopping experience, with destination stores in beautiful areas that have been carefully selected to fit our brand. Our websites have also been designed to replicate this inviting experience online, as we want our customers to be able to take the time to browse and enjoy shopping with us. Our exclusive offering of niche and commercial brands is unique to us, with our buyers being committed to the curation of new and exciting products.

Who is your customer profile? Is this evolving?

For women, we offer two main types of aesthetic. One is a sophisticated and tasteful directional look, with these customers tending to go for Vivienne Westwood, RIXO and Self-Portrait. The other is a softer look with a floating silhouette, this is the more understated but luxurious, comfortable dresser who likes wearability; these customers opt for brands like Oska, Grizas and Crea Concept. Our male customer is the modern gentleman, who wants his style to show off his personality and knows that clothes speak louder than words. Our customers choose clothing that will make them feel confident and empowered, and the Jules B man always wants to make an impression. We know who our customer is and we always buy products with them in mind, but by introducing our Zen stores and stocking more comfortable, contemporary clothing, we have been able to broaden our customer base to appeal to women aged 30-60 who are looking for easy to wear pieces that boast distinctive design.

How do you ensure you keep engaging your clients and build and maintain a loyal customer base?

We always try to attract a new clientele and keep our existing customer base on-board, whether by hosting exclusive in-store events, keeping our followers engaged on social media, offering fantastic competitions, providing styling tips on our online Style File or keeping our customers updated via email on the latest offers in-store and online. We also get involved with our local community by sponsoring school fashion shows and similar events. Social media is key in this as this is how a lot of existing and potential customers interact with us on a daily basis. Through Instagram and Facebook we share exciting new collections, competitions, offers and news. Social media is also a powerful tool for remarketing as well as finding lookalike audiences to enable us to profile and target new customers.

What are your key challenges as an indie?

Keeping up with evolving consumers by ensuring that the e-commerce side of our business is constantly updated and making use of new technology. This includes our website, app and social media. We also have to compete with more than just traditional retailers, with companies like Amazon creating their own challenge. With regards to our bricks-and-mortar stores, it’s just encouraging customers to come back to the high street and invest in local businesses. We will continue to have a multichannel approach to ensure the best success and keep growing our customer base.

Do you feel there are advantages to being an independent in today’s economic climate?

One of the benefits of being an independent retailer is that we are nimble and able to act fast in response to changing market forces. We are also able to offer a unique customer experience and in-store environment, with our store interiors enhancing the overall customer journey.

What in your opinion makes a successful independent retailer today?

The best indies have great teams behind the scenes that know their industry inside out. You have to be able to understand the market, know your target market well and look for trends that align with what they want and how they purchase. To remain relevant we ensure that we do this, and we also differentiate ourselves as a retailer through our products. We are always looking for gaps in the market and offering something different.

What’s your view on the high street and how do indies fit in?

Despite footfall on the high street decreasing more and more, indies are actually leading the way in luring shoppers back. We must persuade the public to shop locally, to keep us going, to keep our suppliers going, to put money back into the local economy and keep our towns and cities desirable places to visit. Our success as an indie is in part down to our distinctive offering, as being an independent allows us to stock products that customers can’t find elsewhere. It’s also that we provide a more enjoyable and personal service, with our staff knowing regular customers by name and providing more than just a transactional experience. Indies can survive and thrive on the high street despite larger chains closing – we just have to keep showing customers what we can provide for them.

Where do you see the biggest opportunities for independents going forward? Is the future digital, or will bricks and mortar always have its place?

Going digital has been an invaluable investment for us, with the ecommerce side of our business bringing in 70 percent of turnover. I do think bricks and mortar will always have its place alongside the web though, and that customers will come to miss the personal service and experience offered by shopping in-store. But indies have to ensure that they stay ahead of the game. For us, this means making sure that from an online and retail perspective we are presenting a cohesive message, predicting trends and targeting the Jules B customer by offering an eclectic mix of niche and commercial brands to keep our customers interested in, and excited by, our offering.

Images: Jules B