WWW.MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK
DECEMBER 2015 | PEOPLE | 52
COLLECTIVE The people, the places, the products.
LITTLE BLACK BOOK BEAUBIEN 21 RUE NOTRE-DAME-DE-NAZARETH, 75003 PARIS, FRANCE
SIMON SAYS “Would the real Simon Carter please stand up?” It’s not often that I get an irate customer on the phone. There are two reasons for this; firstly, the vast majority of our customers leave my stores very happy and, secondly, if there is a problem, it can almost invariably be resolved by one of my team. So, when the call came through last week and found its way up the food chain to my alpine eyrie, I knew it was serious. “There’s a gentleman on the phone who’s very unhappy that he was served by a Simon Carter impersonator,” said the Deputy Assistant Director, Client Relationships and Care Management. And Mr Faisal was, indeed, a very unhappy customer. He’d been to one of my branches where the manager is what could be termed “a character”. Now I’ve written about this before. I’m a great believer in having a big personality to be “front of house”; someone who can embody my brand and that the customers really enjoy meeting. The plus side is they do convey a sense of style and the values of the brand. The minus is that, very occasionally, banter and bonhomie can be misconstrued. Such was the case with Mr Faisal. He’d been trying on a jacket when he asked, as overseas visitors often do, if there is a real Simon Carter. “Sure,” said my manager, “It’s me.” Now this kind of shtick is fine if I’m there, too, and we can make the customer guess which one of us is the real deal, but not appropriate in my absence. And it got worse. Mr Faisal was so pleased to meet, and be served by, “me”, that he bought a pair of shoes. And posed for a selfie. And shook me by the hand. And went back to his hotel, told his wife what an amazing afternoon he’d had, and went onto my website, where he saw, quite plainly, that he’d been served by an imposter. Of course, this should never have happened. There’s no excuse; and once the gig had started, it seemed it was hard to escape from. I asked Mr Faisal what I could do to make it right for him. “I love your clothes, but it feels like I’ve been lied to,” he said. I arranged to meet him in store the following morning to apologise. He was perfectly calm, but wanted a refund for the jacket and shoes. I didn’t blame him. The intriguing part of this is how important it was for him to feel connected to the brand. That the sale, for him, meant so much more because he thought he’d met me. The product was still the same, but the experience was diminished. This goes to the core of successful retailing, whether it’s a branded or own-label offer, boutique or supermarket. Give the customer a genuine experience, and they’ll be back. Simon Carter is the CEO of the eponymous brand and retail stores.
Originally named after a Montreal tube station, menswear store Beaubien – established in 2013 – combines the French words “beau” meaning “nice” and “bien” meaning “good”. With simplicity values at its core, the minimal store décor enforces the choice of name and the retailer’s overall ethos. Though relatively small in size, in-store there’s plenty of room to boast selected pieces of vintage Scandinavian furniture and offer up a varied and unique product mix. The simple design, as seen in the whitewashed walls, unfinished wooden floor and copper fixtures and fittings, puts a strong focus on the actual products rather than elaborate décor. Apparel, accessories and footwear are carefully sourced from Japan, Europe and the US through brands such as Howlin’, Norse Projects and Libertine-Libertine. Overall, visitors can expect to find a curated mix of casual clothing from exclusive brands with a creative edge, with the main idea to support and introduce fresh brands to the people of Paris. —
PLAN B
TERRY THREADINGHAM OWNER, LIZARD MENSWEAR, RICHMOND AND FARNHAM
If I wasn’t in retail I’d be a musician – a drummer, to be precise. — When I was about 12, I used to look in music shop windows and just ogle the drum kits. I loved the look of them. Then, in the 1960s in Portsmouth, my band, Coconut Mushroom, got signed to The Beatles’ record label Apple. Unfortunately, it was just before Apple folded! I then moved to London to find a new band, but eventually had to get a real job, and ended up working in retail in Kensington Market. I still play for fun, using my original 1966 Ludwig drum kit, in my current band, The Front Covers. We play 60s Soul and Motown covers, and we’re on YouTube. You never know, maybe this time I’ll get my big break! —