Just like any other High Street? The arrival of a flag ship Top Shop store is perhaps no surprise but Guy Hayward, CEO of JWT celebrates the variety of stores - big and small in the Knightsbridge village. Read all about it!
So Top Shop has hit Knightsbridge. How wonderful to have a flagship store of one of Britain’s leading and most innovative retailers sail into town! But their arrival has made me think about what is special about shopping in Knightsbridge. Naturally, having a fleet of showcase stores from the big high street brands is great for us here. There is no doubt about that. FCUK, Zara, Uniqlo and their buddies all make their contribution to Knightsbridge. As do the coffee shop chains like Starbucks. Can you imagine all those tourists surviving without the reassuring glimpse of a Starbucks?
But if that was all we had, Knightsbridge would be like any normal high street but with the volume turned up (at least ‘one louder’). Of course, we know what makes Knightsbridge special, don’t we? It is those amazing stores – Harrods and Harvey Nicks. Wonderful – if slightly mad – temples to the high-end shopping experience. Full of wonderful things, wrapped up with exceptional service. Maybe they are what makes this place special for the visitor. But they are not what make Knightsbridge special for us locals. That is because hidden amongst the high street names and the world famous destinations is a gem. If anybody ever asks you what a really great retail experience should be like or even simply how to sell something, your answer should be “pop round and see Jack O’Shea”.
You probably all know Jack – it took me four months to find him. But if you don’t, he is the butcher on Montpellier Street. He works hard. He’s there painfully early and leaves late. But what he serves is fantastic meat. Meat that he talks about with something close to love. He’ll tell you the meat’s story but better still he’ll tell you how best to cook it so you can love it as much as he does. And then, he’ll offer you one of his other delicious comestibles to make your meat even tastier. A mustard, a pickle or a sauce maybe. So you walk in on the hunt for a steak but you leave with a meal under your arm. But while you might leave with your wallet a lot emptier, the heart is fuller. This is because Jack demonstrates that great retailing is about loving what you sell and sharing that love with your customers. And Jack O’Shea is very generous with his love. So next time a friend asks you where to go shopping in Knightsbridge send them to Jack. Your friend will love you all the more for it.
Guy Hayward Esq.,
CEO JWT.
1 Knightsbridge Green.
London.
www.jwt.co.uk
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