It is not about how many brands you stock in your boutique; it is about setting the right atmosphere and most importantly knowing how to make your customers look good, this is part of John Lewis’s mantra and one of the reasons he believes he still has a boutique that draws customers in.
When a customer walks into a sweet-smelling boutique where the clothing are in colours that are kind on the eyes and there is soothing music, he/she is motivated to buy. And if that is not enough, add courteous employees who are up to speed on the world of style.
These are the things, John says, that have kept John Lewis Styles going for five years since its October 2003 opening. And it may have been said before but it is worth saying again; the boutique has no relation with the John Lewis chain of department stores in England.
John appears to have a knack for what’s happening in the world of fashion; what brands are the going thing. He and his partner in business and marriage, Jerrylee, who is also the mother of his one-year-old daughter, always aim to fulfil their customers’ needs.
It was this young businessman, back in 2005, who launched the ‘What not to wear’ campaign here, based on the book ‘What not to wear’ which has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey show countless times.
However, that is not the only book into which he has been delving. He says he has been reading countless books to ensure that he gives his customers the best. The Internet is also a gold mine of information and John takes full advantage.
He tells The Scene that he instills in his staff members to treat customers with respect always, and to pander to their every need. And John says if he has an issue with any of his staff members, he deals with it in the evening since if he addresses it in the morning it may very well set the mood for the day and the customer will suffer.
This young businessman, who graduated from Queen’s College, first thought about being a pilot but after a few classes, he discarded the idea and entered the University of Guyana’s Natural Sciences faculty.
However, after three semesters of Biology and Chemistry he switched again and finally graduated with a degree in Business Management.
No surprise there, when one takes into consideration the direction his career path finally took. But it did not happen overnight. After graduation, he took up the position of Marketing Manager at the family business, the Gift Centre, and remained there for a number of years. But in his words, during those years, he always “wondered what was missing from this product mix. Only two things were missing, food and clothing so being smart and somewhat lazy [I] chose clothing.”
Jerrylee, who was his girlfriend at the time, provided the perfect match with her background in banking and clothing.
The store opened its doors with the slogan ‘Simply Different’ and it has been able to maintain that difference through its mission statement to “offer quality goods and services to its customers and to be simply different in every area of fashion, styles and trends.”
‘Price is everything’
John says that in deciding what to sell he always considers the price, as he wants it to suit his customers’ pockets. “It makes no sense getting something that is extremely expensive and people cannot afford to buy it,” he says. What is unfortunate in the clothing business, he says, is that some boutiques offer “fake brands” to customers as if they are the real thing.
But he says customers themselves need to be more streetwise and with the wide availability of the internet, they can always check the cost of similar items on the internet. “They should do the calculation and ask themselves ‘how can the same item be sold here, considering shipping and everything, at such a low price?’”
He tells his staff members that customers are always looking for the right article and the right price.
“Having the right price, size and colour is a good thing,” he says. He has heard people say that they can get something for their mother at the boutique and he does not mind. As he sees it, the boutique has “something for everyone. And working people between the ages of 35 and 45 have more spending power.”
While the economic constraints in the country may have impacted his business, John says it is all about always having the “basics, people would always buy the basics.”
‘Shop by yourself’
And he has advice for ladies: sometimes it is better to buy your clothing by yourselves instead of having your friend tag along. “You may see a woman go into the changing room and she comes out to ask her friend’s opinion and she is told it is not right. But sometimes subconsciously the friend does not want you to look better than her and the outfit may very well look good on you,” he says.
Surprising, sometimes his men’s section outsells the women’s section. But he has observed that while a man may buy several shirts and pants in one day, a woman prefers to return every few weeks for a different item.
John feels that his Lamaha and Waterloo streets location is a very prime spot as customers not only have parking but they are also away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Georgetown.
“I always tell my staff that when someone walks into the boutique it is not by mistake it is because they want to be there.”
The boutique is here to stay, as John envisions it remaining even long after he is no more. “I have no power over that, but I would want that to happen.”
In the future it may become a department store with the ‘styles’ part of the name becoming history. At present, the boutique has already branched out to include a line of Totes brand items, such as umbrellas; car vacuums, beverage coolers, fishing items, golf sets, magnifying glasses, alarm clocks and a whistle key finder among many others. The boutique is also an authorised dealer for Lev’s, Dockers and Totes among other well-known brands.
John Lewis Styles also offers a Customer Loyalty Card, which customers receive after spending $5,000 with one point. When the card would have accumulated 10 points, they will receive $5,000 free credit towards their next purchase. The card expires one year after the first purchase.
John Lewis has never been robbed by a bandit, but he says he is very much aware and afraid of the crime situation and has put every precaution in place to prevent this. But he noted that there is crime is all over the world, “I just knock wood [he does the action] and hope it never happens.” However, he has been robbed by some former employees, who removed several pieces of clothing over a period of time from the boutique. By the time he realised what was happening, he had suffered a substantial loss. (samantha_alleyne2000@yahoo.com)
