London a town with many villages.

When people think about London they visualise either iconic stores like Harrods or Harvey Nichols or the bustle of Oxford Street and the myriad of shops.
What they forget millions of people actually live in London and lots of areas just minutes from Oxford Street are small villages with people living, supermarket shopping not just perusing designer bags in Selfridges.

Bank Holiday Monday Miss Smith met up with Jones for a day in London looking at two separate villages. Starting off in Westbourne Grove , people immediately think of Portabello Market when they see Notting Hill – so after a hearty breakfast in 202 Westbourne Grove the Nicole Farhi cafe – home ware and clothing shop we wandered round. The area was very quiet and most shops either not opening or choosing Sunday opening hours. The whole area had a feel that the locals had left town for the festive season.

All the shops had left Christmas behind and were full on sale with further reductions – giving the shops an appearance of season over; just miss matched stock and large sale tickets.

As a lifestyle store Ralph Lauren ticks every box it oozes luxury without stuffiness, the sales assistant was warm and welcoming the stock was beautifully merchandised with a discreet 30% off. The attention to detail at every level is faultless and the Christmas feel was very much in evidence.





Smith:
I was very tempted to buy copious amounts of very chic après ski wear which is a testament to Mr Lauren and his design team as I hate snow and would never consider ski-ing a holiday. The shop wants to make you want to move in with the lovely room sets, the merchandise so befitting luxury clothing and accessories. The sales assistant was welcoming but discreet and very friendly just setting the right tone.

Jones:
I love the sub-villages of London during the Christmas break, it’s a great opportunity to see who the real retailer’s are, those who shut up shop for the whole season really don’t get the “shop-keeper” business do they??! Westbourne Grove is a tale of two consumer groups merging….there is the high-spending fashionista chic set, catered for by Bamford and friends and then there is the “north London keeping it real” crowd…pretending they only go to WG for the Pubs after Portobello market…yeh right!

I agree with Miss Smith, Ralph has got it right here, the shop was warm and inviting the Sale was discreet and the offer was good. There were some great basic pieces and it was good to see the new Spring lines kept at the back, available, but not front and centre as if we had forgotten it was snowing last week! All Saints was busy and in full Sale, good for them, a lone retailer at that far end of the street, a great example of High Street mainstream being able to merge with the elite without offense.

Space NK was a massive bright beacon on the corner…shame it was empty…sort of like a disco when they put the lights on at the end of an evening and everyone has gone.

There are a few strange adjacencies here that could be made to work better, perhaps with the predicted further hard times ahead in the first quarter some of these units will become available and clever Landlords could improve the mix.

As a footnote we both liked how the Ann Fontaine shop has taken a wing on the side of the Westbourne Gove church – with the large windows and stonework making a feature of each of the mannequins in the window. A great way of taking an unusual space and using it for a retail space.

Sadly we couldn’t enter as the sales assistant was cleaning and told us through the window she wouldn’t open for another twenty minutes!




We then headed over for lunch to Marylebone High Street – minutes from the mayhem of Oxford Street ,Marylebone High Street was in full swing with locals shopping, eating and just window shopping



After a few glasses of red wine in the cosy confines of the Marylebone pub we hit the High Street – we both loved the Aubin and Wills shop. The “older brother/ sister” to Jack Wills. The shop interior is again very much attention to deal – really pursing their theme and all the small anecdotal display and merchandise props. From each of the shops having customised bags to the props looking like they have come from the locker room of a venerable red brick university.

Smith:
The stock is well priced and well made – I loved the home ware as it really takes the feel of the clothing through to the rest of the house. I was very tempted by a bed linen for my spare room.

Jones:
Marylebone HS was a different picture, much more traffic, driven no doubt by the through-route to Oxford St and Waitrose…the shops here were generally making the most of the unexpected footfall. The White Company, who do a great job, if a little predictable now, were in full Sale swing although the staff seemed a little indifferent…just because stock is reduced does not mean reduced service does it??

I like The Marylebone pub, however having no food on was a big mistake, we watched several groups of punters settle on the cosy cushions and then pack themselves off again when the offer was a only a Prawn Baguette…..shame missed opportunities! Never mind it gave us much more space and a decent chance of getting served at the bar quickly…every cloud etc!

I love the Dyptique stores that are popping up all over the place, compact, friendly and focussed….I purchased several gifts from this brand this year and found the staff to be knowledgeable and helpful. I think the positioning of these stores is very good for us blokes, right in front of our face when we walk from the office to the pub…Brook St for example…nice work!

Worth a mention and visit – Daunts bookshop.
Smith:
A must for anyone who loves books and also travel as its area of specialisation- Daunts is a great shop just packed with books but also the fact the book has this tiny mezzanine floor which you climb and feel you’re in a library with the wood panelling and the books all laid out in country order. So hitting the Peruvian trail to just wanting a luxury weekend in Berlin this shop will have a book covering both places.
This was the second busiest shop on the High Street – the first was Waitrose!
Jones:
I mooched about in Daunts while Miss Smith browsed the fashion, I always feel very mature and cultured just by spending time in this brilliant store. I purchased several travel books and a great Rugby history book for my oldest. The selection of titles is fantastic and the feeling you get from the history of the store is worth every penny….I don’t want a Starbucks or Costa in a book shop, I want great books and the knowledge that serious thought has gone into the offer by people who understand their customer and their business. A coffee shop next door maybe…but dirty cups and crumbs spilling off tables near books….don’t get it?!!

Having some of London’s high-spots almost to yourself is worth the trip up in the holiday period if you are clever…and if some of the retailers made a little more effort it could generate a whole new trading opportunity!

Love it or hate it – Marmite

Yes there is a marmite pop up shop in the Quadrant Arcade, Regent Street.
Pop up shops have long been resisted by the property people but as the whole of retail has turned on its axis and even some of the big names have hit the deck they can be a great way of filling an empty space and bringing buzz and business back to an area. This shop is a great example of this – its owner managed and has over a 100 lines of Marmite inspired products from plates to key rings to the actual product.
Utilising the upstairs they have opened a basic cafe which serves tea, coffee and marmite on toast / bread. There is nothing pretentious about this cafe it just does what it says on the jar.








Smith.
As a retailer I have long been a fan of the right type of pop up – not those pound stores please. After an afternoon of walking round the West End this was the first store where we got a warm welcome and could have a look round and chat with the owner. The store closes at Christmas so make sure you go and buy some kitsch gift for lovers & haters or just get a small Marmite themed hamper to nibble through as you watch another Christmas repeat on Boxing Day.
Jones.
At last good profitable use of vacant premises. These are tricky deals to do, but given the very positive customer response, well worth the effort. These shops keep a location hot, get good traffic from the PR and make the Landlord look forward-thinking…a win win win…I love it!!!

Christmas comes but once a year.

When it comes shop keepers cheer – after much discussion both of us feel that the iconic London stores have really pulled all the stops out this year.
The windows are the eyes to the store and in recent years they have lacked product or content they seem to have just been “themes” – Christmas should be a time to pull out all the stops and give the store a magical feeling. So the customer can linger and then spend.
Smith and Jones have been round the iconic London stores and picked out the best five windows.

Liberty








Luella Christmas at Liberty – Maxine Groucutt (Head of visual merchandising)



Smith
I love the whimsy of the windows and how they have almost made it a retro front room after the dinner with all the attention to detail like the cardigan on the back of the chair, Queen on the TV. I also love how they have taken the essence of Liberty and used it in the cup display – lots of product and not too much over emphasis on the Liberty print.
Jones
As a bloke I am immediately drawn to these windows as they are strong, clever, patriotic (which is a common “war-time”, all-pull-together vibe when times are tough) and full of great gift ideas that I might have otherwise missed. I have now done quite a bit of shopping in this Store and will go back for more!


Selfridges.




Pantomime theme Sarah McCullough (Windows content manager)








Smith.
Just loved this “he is behind you “look of the window and pack with product and masses of ideas so you can see the full depth of the stores stock. Plus not just the chic expensive designer product but Betty Crocker vanilla cake mix to Le Creuset casserole dish. The models and the props had that larger than life pantomime feel to it.
Jones
My kids loved these windows, and as such I have been forced inside, like many other parents, to see more and to buy many things. It reminds me of the good old days in Oxford Street, when it was a real global destination – super! Selfridges needs to regain the ground it has lost to the Knightsbridge heavyweights!

Fortnum & Mason








Inspired by Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells – Paul Symes (Display Director)






Smith
Fortnum & Mason always mix magic and product so well – I love the fact you can hear the music and the attention to detail is amazing.
I thought of Jones instantly when I saw the quote on the window ” He haunts the bars and clubs at night Seeking escape in forbidden delight”. You get a real essence of the ballet yet you can also see the myriad of products available in the store also on display.

Jones
This is the world Miss Jones aspires to live in and the windows reflect this...theatre, lavish luxury, quality and the unmistakable underlying sense of breeding….for me this smacks of the real old England in all its glory but in a strange way still very authentic…she is far too happy to dwell here. This Store keeps Piccadilly alive and thriving and for that reason alone it deserves a medal!

Harrods

Wizard of Oz theme Mark Briggs (head of visual merchandising) pictures by Mel Vincent.

Smith.
Yes you too can be Dorothy and buy the dress and enter the red slipper boudoir – the whole shop is themed – you can see the tourists and shoppers looking at every turn at something. The windows are very sleek and have almost a lavish production feel but small idiosyncrasies popping up like Toto the dog tucked in a corner of a window.

Jones
It does what it says on the tin…it gives the tourists, from both home and away, what they are looking for….the top of the tree, the unreachable, the best in class….still the main reason that most shoppers come to London. Knightsbridge continues to boom where others bust as a result of the pulling power of this giant so long may it prosper and maintain its position as Leader of the Pack!


Harvey Nichols

They have taken illustrations of Erte and added Rococo glamour Janet Wardley (Visual Merchandising Controller)



Smith
They have taken designer pieces from the store and had the model centre stage my favourite is the pink model emerging from a huge bauble. They have added all the amazing touches like exquisite jewellery.

Jones
I actually like this Store, even though as a “fella” I am not the target audience, and the focus is clearly on the ladies. The windows reflect the what’s new, cutting edge, fashionista, edgy side to London and therefore commands an audience…well worth a look if you want to be in the know…..not sure I know enough though?!!



Overview.
Smith
Maybe the recession has been good as its taken retailers back into the entertainment business and given consumers a reason to leave their sofa and mouse and look at these epic windows for a reason to spend money not just on the basic necessities.
Jones
The major Stores have done London proud this year, certainly making a shopping trip worthwhile, which is why the West End is trading far better than the rest of the country right now. Long may it continue.

Miss Smith.

Smith.


Okay this is my passion, retailing in any shape or form. I’m the woman who will notice the state of the toilets in a shop or if the tables are not cleared in a cafe quickly enough – retail is all about the detail.

I’m in my mid 40’s and I have always worked in retailing almost 100% fashion did a short but lucrative 12 months in furniture but shuffling tables and chairs around is not the same as merchandising fashion.

I met Jones at University we have remained friends through the years, on a personal level and also through work as we have worked on deals together with the various companies I have worked with.

I now work as a consultant to retailers so giving the benefit of my retail knowledge to mainly overseas brands looking to gain a foothold in the UK or increase their presence.

Mr.Jones

Jones



Just to introduce myself to you -I’m a divorcee living in Richmond, by the river, its handy for visiting the former marital home in Twickenham and the rugby.

I’ve been a big rugby follower since my prep days and obviously hope my boys will one day play for England – I’m also a Chelsea season ticket holder , I use it mainly for corporate hospitality and for entertaining members of the trade press as it’s always a popular invitation.


For the day job I work as a Senior International Director of Commercial Business for a major Global Property Corporation. I have worked for key Property agencies/companies since leaving University and have become a leading expert on the West End of London. I’m well known in the industry and frequently travel to the States and Europe working with new Retailers who wish establish a presence in the UK or Europe. Retailers have a love hate relationship with Landlords and the Property sector but in reality we are here to help grow businesses so I have developed some strong alliances and partnerships with the major players which benefit all hopefully.

I met Miss Smith at Reading University where we were both studying; we remained friends throughout the years, mainly due to work and our shared passion for the Retail industry. As we are both divorced I often see her on the weekends that I don’t have the children. I drive into town, we have a long lunch and catch up, then do our own critique of shops and their retailing proposition, thus keeping our understanding and knowledge of the High Street well up to date.