JulesB Press Pack

85%K P RE S S PAC K

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

75%K WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

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WHO ARE JULES B? OUR COMPANY

Jules B has been dressing stylish men and women for over 26 years. Husband and wife team Julian and Rhona Blades opened their first Jules B store in 1985 in Jesmond.

Since then, three more stores have opened in Jesmond, two in Yarm and three in Kendal – all of which have become prestigious shopping destinations catering for an elite clientele of fashion devotees.

At Jules B our attention to detail extends throughout the stores and online – from brand selection and shop decor to the web site layout. We pride ourselves on personalised customer service, which is bespoke to the individual needs of the customer.

As an independent company with a young and expanding passionate team, we are very proud of our achievements within the last year and want to share them with you.

OUR STORES JULES B JESMOND

In 1985, the first Jules B Ladieswear boutique opened in Jesmond, a leafy suburb of Newcastle, nicknamed as ‘The Notting Hill of the North.’ In 1986, the business expanded into a unit next door and introduced menswear, which was extended into a further unit in 1998.

In 2002, a new concept of dressing women was launched with the opening of The Conservatory.

In 2007, another unit on the same street was acquired and the casual division of menswear developed its own identity.

Today Jules B is present in Jesmond with 4 independent boutiques and a total retail space of 556sqm and has recently undergone a total refurbishment costing in excess of £300,000 in honour of its 25th Anniversary.

JESMOND LADIESWEAR

JESMOND MEN’S FORMALWEAR

JESMOND MEN’S CASUALWEAR

JESMOND CONSERVATORY

WHAT IS THE CONSERVATORY? First opened in Jesmond in 2002 The Conservatory is a spin-off identity from the main Jules B store that caters for a more relaxed and effortless look provided by such brands as Oska, Sarah Pacini and Crea. The idea is to appeal to a mature, but by no means less stylish, clientele who might not find what they are looking for amongst the collections found in our main store.

What all the Jules B and Conservatory stores have in common (and that includes our web site!) is the welcoming and knowledgeable staff, who clearly love what they do and are dedicated to delivering a unique shopping experience like no other which our devoted customers keep coming back for.

Now with 3 stores in 3 different sites across the North The Conservatory has proved itself very popular and continues to grow hand in hand with the Jules B main stores.

JULES B KENDAL In 2004, the first project outside of Newcastle was initiated and the menswear boutique opened to a fantastic reception by the locals and visitors alike.

In 2006, a selection of ladieswear brands started to be introduced culminating in the opening of another boutique across the road in 2008.

Situated amongst the pretty cobbled streets of Stramongate in the picturesque market town of Kendal in the Lake District this branch is now the largest Jules B women’s store.

In 2010, the menswear store has undergone further expansion in response to increased customer demand.

KENDAL LADIESWEAR

KENDAL MENSWEAR

JULES B YARM Brand new 2 story site opened in September 2012.

Situated in the affluent North Yorkshire town of Yarm.

The latest shop to be added to the Jules B family, the new Jules B Yarm is situated just across the road from the original store which has now become a dedicated Yarm Conservatory.

This latest branch offers an exciting new direction for our Ladies stores with our most cutting edge designer brands and latest collections all under one roof.

This new store takes everything to a new level in terms of look and atmosphere, with a combination of industrial fittings, timber and leather compliments, great music and subtle lighting all working together to create a fresh, young and sexy feel.

YARM LADIESWEAR

YARM CONSERVATORY

JULES B HEAD OFFICE New premesis acquired in January 2010 to unite and accommodate the areas of the business that had quickly out-grown the previous separate sites near our stores in Jesmond.

14,000 Sqf Office & Warehouse situated near the heart of Newcastle.

Accomodating the Web sales, Marketing, Creative and Buying departments as well as all other administrative aspects of the business.

Full Photographic Studio where our full-time photography staff carefully shoot every product that appears on the Jules B Online store.

A JULES B TIME LINE

1985 First ladieswear Store opened in Jesmond – Newcastle upon Tyne.

1986 The business expands into unit next door & introduces menswear.

1998 FHM Awards • Menswear Designer Retailer of the Year - Finalist.

2006 Refurbishment and expansion in Kendal unit to integrate the Conservatory on first floor.

2002 Conservatory opens in Jesmond.

1995 Drapers Awards • Womenswear Retailer of the Year - Winner.

• Independent Retailer of the Year - Winner.

2011 Jules B opens a Barbour store in Kendal.

1996 Made To Measure Service is introduced in store in conjunction with Ermenegildo Zegna and Pal Zileri, with adjacent Alteration Room as an added service.

2007 Separate additional store opens in Jesmond specialising in men’s casualwear.

2007 Another unit becomes available in Kendal, allowing further expansion. Jules B ladieswear brands are introduced.

1996 Drapers Awards • Marketing Award Winner.

1999 FHM Awards

Menswear Designer Retailer of the Year Winner.

2002 Drapers Awards • Best New Store – Finalist (Conservatory).

• Womenswear Retailer of the Year – Finalist (Jules B).

2011 Drapers Awards • Independent Menswear Retailer of the Year – Finalist.

• Independent Womenswear Retailer of the Year – Finalist.

• Small Etailer of the Year – Finalist.

2004 Jules B Yarm Opens.

1995 Moved the Ladieswear operation to Eldon Garden - upmarket shopping mall in Newcastle city centre creating a great cross marketing opportunity between the two areas of the business now operating from two separate locations, thereby contributing to the Company’s growth and establishment in the marketplace. The ultimate goal though remained to look for units in Jesmond in order to keep the business united but also because of its ‘exclusive feel’.

2011 Redesigned Website launches.

2004 First store opens in Kendal with Menswear.

2006 Drapers Awards • Independent Menswear Retailer of the Year – Winner.

• Independent Retailer of the Year – Winner.

• Designer Store of the Year – Finalist.

• Independent Womenswear Retailer of the Year – Finalist (Conservatory).

• Independent Womenswear Retailer of the Year – Finalist.

1998 Acquired planning permission on an adjoining property to the men’s unit in Jesmond, creating the perfect opportunity to unite the two parts of the business once more in a perfect location.

2010 Jesmond stores undergo a total refurbishment worth in excess of £300,000.

2010 Kendal refurbishment and menswear store expansion into another unit next door.

2010 25th Anniversary Celebration.

2008 Kendal Menswear opens as a stand alone unit

across the road, after the fantastic response to the Jules B ladieswear addition.

2008 www.JulesB. co.uk goes live.

New Website Launched in June 2011 • 140,000 unique visitors per month • 1 million page views per month • 50% of our online visits are from new customers • Complete makeover of our old site to improve the customers shopping experience.

• Extremely user friendly Navigation Tool Bar and check out process.

• Click & Collect – shop online at your convenience and collect in one of our stores in Jesmond, Kendal or Yarm.

No need to wait at home for the delivery man.

• One hour delivery window confirmed by text with DPD. • Pre-order facility on sought after items – get it before anyone else!

• Online Personal Shopper – a trained stylist dedicated to answering any queries you may have either online or by phone.

• B Rewarded – Our online loyalty scheme where our customers are automatically rewarded for shopping with us. For every £500 spend they receive £20 voucher.

• A ‘wish list’ option where you can hold all your favourite items and share them with family and friends.

• New smart phone ready mobile site.

OUR WEBSITE

TURNOVER

THE GROWTH OF OUR WEBSITE BUSINESS

2008

2009

2010

2011

BRAND BASED HOME PAGES Our homepages are the store windows of our website. We have found that when uploading a brand specific homepage, strengthened with correlating segmented email marketing campaigns, the traffic to the featured brand page can increase by up to 30% and increasing conversion by up to 20%. We rotate the content of brand based homepages fortnightly coupled with an eclectic mix of trend and category based features for men and women.

VISUAL MERCHANDISING We have a fully automated in-house system that gives us complete autonomy to manipulate our brand and category pages to maximise key product positioning throughout our website.

We balance sales driven commercial choices against creatively motivated aesthetic decisions so that our customers are constantly privy to a rotation of fresh product and we can push items that may need a little help.

PRODUCT PAGES • Brand new product pages with multiple shots on and off the model.

• All photography completed in house to an exacting standard for every product.

• We have 3 photographic work stations and a studio fully equipped for in house model photography and editorial shoots.

• Accurate size guide for every product designed by our in house graphic designers to accommodate all of our different brands as well as the variations between European and International sizes.

• Style notes description and suggestions with every product – ‘Wear it with…’

‘You might also like…’

• See every product from the front and back and up close with the zoom feature.

ADVERTORIAL BLOGS & FEATURES Our fully functional Jules B Stylefile is a laid back platform through which to communicate with our customers in a relaxed and casual manner. Covering everything from up-to-date essential brand news to quirky lifestyle content that we feel our customers will be interested in.

Other features of the Stylefile include a video and look book section that is all produced in-house and enables our customers to see a specific collection all in one place being worn by a model.

NUMBER OF UNIQUE VISITS TO THE WEBSITE

NUMBER OF UNIQUE VISITS

400,000

350,000

300,000

250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

2008

2009

2010

DATE

2011

OUR EMAILERS • Database grown in 2012 by nearly 10,000 customers and continues to grow throughout 2012 as more customers sign up to our newsletters.

• Email open rate of 21%, above average for the industry standard.

• Developed and improved newsletters targeted to specific customers based on their preferences so they don’t receive unwanted information.

• Deployment of targeted emails to a database of over 60,000 people at the touch of a button.

• Topical emails sent out in regular instalments Every week detailing new arrivals, exclusive offers, Competitions, style tips and trends, brand highlighting and lifestyle.

SPECIALIST EMAILS • ‘Hand Picked’ A tailored selection of key pieces and collections targeted for specific customers with their previous purchase history kept in mind.

• ‘B in the Know’ A weekly mix of the latest in Arts, Culture, Food and Fashion to pique the interest of our subscribers every Sunday.

• ‘The Edit’ Offering a weekly selection of outfit ideas, essential style advice and the latest trends to our customer base.

• Seperate and specifically tailored e-mails are sent to our retail store customers to inform them of in store events and promotions and new arrivals.

SOCIAL MEDIA • We utilise all of the main social media websites including Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, and Google + as they are great platforms for speaking to our customers on a one to one basis.

• Our social media outlets are updated everyday with news, events and offers.

• Over 3600 Facebook friends and over 1,500 Twitter followers, both of which are increasing daily.

• Address any customer feedback or questions we might receive on our social media sites from followers.

• All social networking users are captured originally without any outside help from third party companies.

MARKETING & PR EVENTS & PROMOTIONS

AUTUMN WINTER 2012 COLLECTIONS

W W W. J U L E S B . C O . U K

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

SPRING

W W W. J U L E S B . C O . U K

Join us in store for the official launch of COLLECTIONS

LAUNCH

the new Spring/Summer 2012 collections on Saturday 3rd March.

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

We have a lot of new and exciting brands

we would love to introduce you to, so be SATURDAY 3 MARCH RD

prepared for a splash of colours and an array of prints.

Champagne and Canapés will be served.

JESMOND

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

RECEIVE 15% OFF ANY KENDAL YARM PURCHASES MADE ON THE DAY * *On presentation of this card.

Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne T: 0191 281 7855

If undelivered please return to: Yellow Brick House, Back New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE1 2TY

Kendal, Cumbria T: 01539 723 874

Yarm, Cleveland T: 01642 785 342

• Advertising Special Promotions & Exclusive In Store Events with mailers and leaflets.

• We can target specific customers that might have an interest in a specific event or promotion.

EXPANDING OUR MAILING LISTS

CUSTOMERS ON STORE MAILING LIST

50,000

40,000

30,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5000

Jan 2008

Jul 2008

Jan 2009

Jul 2009

Jan 2010

DATE

Jul 2010

Jan 2011

Jul 2011

Jan 2012

Jul 2012

2.

1.

PRESS & MAGAZINE ADVERTISING

3.

• Regular full page advertisements in Living North, Luxe, North East Times, Accent and W Magazine as well as many other regional high quality publications.

The blazer is a must for any spring wardrobe.

Team with a crisp white shirt and contrasting chinos for an effortlessly elegant look.

BLAZER

4.

5.

• We have been mentioned in Vogue, Grazia, Drapers as well as many articles and features in regional glossy magazines.

1. Acquaviva, Joky Toppe Striped Blazer, £269.99 2. Acquaviva, Joky Check Blazer, £274.99 3. Holland Esquire, New Gent Dobby Pipe Jacket, £379.99 (Also available in navy) 4. Farhi by Nicole Farhi, Linen Jacket, £239.99 Gant, Linen Herringbone Blazer, £324.99 WHERE5.CLOTHES SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS 1. HEMLEY - Silk Paisley Tie, £49.99

6. Holland Esquire, New Panel Slub Wash Jacket, £359.99

1. DUCHAMP - Multi-Coloured Stripe Socks, £15.99 2. PAUL SMITH ACCESSORIES - Umbrella, £64.99

2. PAUL SMITH ACCESSORIES - Roller Ball Pen, £81.99

7. Gant Single Breasted, Linen Blazer, £299.99

3. PAUL SMITH ACCESSORIES - Morris Minor Card Case 8. Holland Esquire, New Panel Herringbone and Keyring Gift Set, £99.99 4. STETSON - Madeville Vintage Leather Hat, £59.95

3. MICHAEL KORS - Black Chronograph Watch, £238.99

1.

1.

4. ETON - Bold Stripe Slim Fit Shirt, £129.99 HEMLEY - Square Pattern Silk Tie, £49.99

Jacket, £359.99

5. DUCHAMP - Pacific Check Scarf, £69.99

5. MICHAEL KORS - Tortoise Shell Chronograph Watch, 6. £178.99

7.

8.

6. PAUL SMITH ACCESSORIES Insect Cufflinks, £139.99

2.

6. PAUL SMITH SHOES - Leather Brogues, £244.99

7. OLIVER SWEENEY - Black Alex Lace Up Boots, £294.99

3.

2.

Casual Cotton Jacket, £294.99 White Oxford Shirt, £94.99

3.

Salmon Slim Fit Ivy League Chinos, £114.99

4.

THE SPRING / SUMMER 2012 COLLECTIONS AVAILABLE AT:

All by Paul Smith Jeans.

ACORN RD, JESMOND, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE 3.

F I N K L E S T , K E N D A L , C U M B R IA

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

5.

4.

6.

5.

B Bright

6.

4.

7.

Set your wardrobe on fire this spring.

Indulge yourself in this season’s explosive colour blocking trend with eye-catching orange, dazzling yellows and accents of fiery red.

5.

Model: ARMANI COLLEZIONI Camel Overcoat, £698.99

1.

ETON - Classic Fit Formal Shirt, £114.99

ACNE - Raven Straight Leg Jeans, £149.99

PAL ZILERI - Diagonal Stripe Silk Tie, £79.99

PAUL SMITH SHOES - Leather Chuck Brogue, £264.99

BARKER - Grant Leather Shoes, £194.99

SALE STARTS ONLINE 24 DEC 4PM & IN STORE 27 DEC 10AM TH

Model: HUGO BOSS BLACK - Pasini Movie Suit, £489.99

HUGO BOSS BLACK - Roll Neck Jumper, £114.99

TH

HUGO BOSS BLACK - Lucio Laptop Case, £329.00

ACO R N R D , J E S M O N D , N E W C A S T L E U P O N T Y N E , N E 2 2 D J

T : 0191 2 8 1 7855

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

6.

2.

7.

3.

SPLASH the COLOUR

8.

9.

Model: Isabel de Pedro One Shoulder Dress, £248.99. 1. High Self Stripe Dress, £239.95. 2. Marc by Marc Jacobs Lola Cropped Jeans, £149.95. 3. Chie Mihara Bonya Slingback Ruffle Shoes, £289.95. 4. Barbour Vintage International Quilted Jacket, £138.99. 5. Michael Kors Hamilton North-South Tote Bag, £259.95. 6. Bruno Premi Lattice High Sandals, £139.95. 7. Armani Jeans Linen Ruffle Dress, £169.95. 8. Creenstone Zip Trench Coat, £284.99. 9. Michael Kors Saffiano Carryall Purse, £119.95

THE SPRING / SUMMER 2012 COLLECTIONS AVA I L AB L E F ROM: OS B O R N E R D , J E SM O N D , N E W C A S T L E

S T R A MO N G A T E , K E N D A L , C U M B R I A

H I G H S T , YA R M , C L E V E L A N D

T : 0845 835 2 9 0 0

W W W. J U L E S B . C O . U K

Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Kendal, Cumbria.

Yarm, Cleveland.

WWW. JULESB.CO.UK

G AN Y W FF ER DU D N A G EX AN AL L Y T B T MU EL H

VIVIE

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BY A LEX OD AN AND G ER M LOMA NIA cQU EEN

AL MAR ICE BY T C BY E MAR MPERL EY C JA COB S

2 ND D JOS AY BY D EPH AY B J BR IRGER AND

An Exciting N ew Ladieswear Store H IG H AN

E lM C E N D VI M E A S

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& EAP CH OAT INO G SCH MO LOPE A ES RO PED A PETIT DE L BEL ISA CAIN RC MA

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LY MIL RHI FA IC CH ICOLE N BARB ARMAN OUR I JEAN S

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

CURR EN MARC T/ELLIO TT

BY M ARC JA CO

EQUI BS JE PMENT ANS

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

T H E A U T U M N / W I N T E R 2012 C O L L E C T I O N AVA I L A B L E F R O M: 91 - 93 Osborne Rd, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne. T: 0191 281 7855

2 - 6 Stramongate, Kendal, Cumbria. T: 01539 723 874

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK 32 High St, Yarm, Cleveland. T: 01642 785 342

Upstairs the customer will be able to shop hot-off-the-runway clothing, shoes and accessories with fashion heavy hitters such as Vivienne Westwood, Moschino Cheap & Chic, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Milly, Alice by Temperley and McQ by Alexander McQueen all being stocked.

NOW OPEN ON HIGH STREET YARM

32 High St, Yarm, Cleveland. TS15 9AH

The shop fit will be a combination of contemporary, industrial fittings including timber and leather, complimented with great music, subtle lighting and a vibrant atmosphere.

“I want my customers to leave the store feeling empowered, confident and overjoyed with not only the product on offer but with the unchallenged level of customer service that has become synonymous with the Jules B brand over the past 26 years” adds Rhona.

There are spacious fitting rooms where customers can try on items whilst their children (or partners) can enjoy the games consoles and television that feature all of the latest campaign videos and runway shows from the designer brands stocked in store.

B...DAZZLED!

“I want my customers to leave the store feeling empowered, confident and overjoyed...”

Jules B, now in its 26th year has constantly evolved to satisfy the appetite of its large and very loyal clientele. Husband and wife team Julian and Rhona Blades are constantly on the look-out for the next ‘big label’, travelling for almost four months a year to trade exhibitions, fashion shows and show rooms in New York, Milan, Paris, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen and London with their team of buyers.

The popular market town of Yarm is about to become even more of a destination for those who love designer fashion.

Jules B, one of the North of England’s most respected award winning retailers, have decided that they are not content with their already impressive portfolio of eight stores (and hugely successful website) and have chosen to expand their brand even further by opening another high-end ladieswear boutique in the picturesque Teesside town of Yarm at the beginning of September.

The new Jules B store will not work against but in harmony with the current Conservatory store the company already has on the High Street.

The new store will cater for the fashion savvy customer who demand the designers du jour while The Conservatory is for the woman who is more interested in what they call ‘soft dressing’; subtle layered looks in a unique blend of luxury fabrics and more comfortable fits.

With the huge success of their online store (www.julesb.co.uk) the business now has a growing international clientele so it is important that their needs are catered for as well and that they are constantly pushing the boundaries to stay ahead of the game.

Company Director and Head of Ladieswear Buying, Rhona Blades adds: “Because we have two different customer types, having both concepts in one store sometimes confuses the customer as to what our message is, so we have decided to do what we have done in Newcastle and Kendal, and open two separate shops with different atmospheres and interiors to showcase the brands and products in their respective environments.

The new Jules B store will feature the very best in cutting edge designers and trend-led brands. Situated on two floors, the downstairs will be dedicated to off-duty, laid back basics with an emphasis on quality and a heavy focus on denim and casual styling. An impressive roster of brands including T by Alexander Wang, Armani Jeans, J Brand, Equipment and Vince to name just a few.

The store is situated at 32 High Street opposite The House and right next door to the newly refurbished premises that previously traded as Hide Bar but now has been transformed into the new Pan Asian restaurant ‘Lotus Lounge’.

“Yarm has always been a successful town for us so we feel confident that this new venture will be well received and help introduce more people to what we do.”

“We are looking forward to working closely with the team at the Lotus Lounge by doing a lot of joint promotions to add another dimension to the shopping experience currently offered in Yarm.”

Jules B Yarm 32 Hight Street, Yarm.

T: 01642 785648 Facebook: julesbonline

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

T: 01642 785648

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

IN-HOUSE PUBLICATIONS • B Magazine is our own in-house bi-annual glossy publication, which we use to showcase our collections for the season.

• Sent to over 30,500 of our web and store customers.

• In house production of specialised magazines and booklets to specifically target the different lifestyles from our wide range of collections.

Autumn / Winter Magazine 2012

Spring / Summer Magazine 2012

B for Business Magazine 2012

WWW.JULESB.CO.UK

RE-BRANDING JULES B You may have noticed differing versions of our branding throughout this press pack. This is because we are currently in the process of re-branding Jules B with a new logo. With the company continuing to grow in every aspect the directors felt it was the right time to retire the old Jules B branding, which has lasted us nearly 7 years, and bring in a new branding to help represent this ongoing movement in new directions.

As the new logo is steadily rolled out across the business; including store signage, advertising, packaging and WWW.JULESB.CO.UK online we hope that our customers will appreciate that it represents our sustained efforts to excel and improve in offering the very best in designer fashion in new and exciting ways across the entirety of Jules B.

CONTACT US Womenswear Buyer: Julie Ellis E: julie@julesb.co.uk T: +44 (0)191 211 2330 (Ext.7) Menswear Buyer: Craig Oliver E: craig@julesb.co.uk T: +44 (0)91 211 2330 (Ext.7) Marketing & Press Enquiries: Adam Mooney E: adam@julesb.co.uk T: +44 (0)191 211 2344 E-Commerce Enquiries: Tom Baxter E: tom@julesb.co.uk T: +44 (0)191 211 2339

Head Office Contact Details: Jules B Ltd, Yellow Brick House, Back New Bridge Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 2TY General Contact details: T: +44 (0)191 211 2330 F: +44 (0)191 211 2359

SHOP ADDRESSES JESMOND

Menswear: Acorn Rd, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE2 2DJ T: 0191 281 7855 Womenswear: Osborne Rd, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE2 2AN T: 0191 281 7855 The Conservatory: Acorn Road, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE2 2DJ T: 0191 281 7855

KENDAL

Menswear: Finkle Street, Kendal, Cumbria. LA9 4BN T: 01539 723 874 Womenswear: Stramongate, Kendal, Cumbria. LA9 4BN T: 01539 723 874

YARM

Womenswear: High Street, Yarm, Cleveland. TS15 9AE T: 01642 785 648 The Conservatory: Street, Yarm, Cleveland. TS15 9BB T: 01642 785 342

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