ZEE & CO

Q&A

F R O M A T O ZEE

Karen Sebley, Zee & Co’s Loughton Ladies and Junior Store Manager, reflects on 35 years for the business, the lure of Essex and big plans for the future

Q Who started Zee & Co and what inspired its launch?

A Zee & Co was started by two good friends back in 1985. Spending their time outside of work, travelling into London and shopping at some of the most iconic stores, they had a dream to one day own their own multi–brand fashion store. They saw a gap for a luxury designer fashion store within the East End of London, for fashion-conscious consumers, and pursued the vision of making designer labels more accessible within the locality. Due to the success of Zee & Co in their original stores, they decided to open in several other areas. Still to this day, Zee & Co is owned by one of the original owners, and the DNA of the company’s original launch is maintained within the business.

Q Was Loughton your first store? Why do you love having a store there?

A Loughton wasn’t our first store. However, it has been recognised as our flagship store for many years. Zee & Co’s first store

was actually located in Waltham Abbey, Essex. We then made the decision to close the doors at Waltham Abbey and move into Loughton, a bigger space, where we developed our loyal customer base. We also have stores located in Islington, Bethnal Green, and Ilford. We love the accessibility of Loughton. With its many neighbouring communities and being so close to London, we have an extremely diverse customer base that is forever growing through the generations.

Q What kind of experience do you want to o er anyone visiting Zee & Co?

A At Zee & Co, we take pride in our reputation for great customer service. Our long-standing managers and their teams will always make sure that each client walking through our doors is o ered faultless service. Being a local independent business, we take pride in our uniqueness in the service we can provide. Our customers also have the option to shop in-store, or shop from home and collect in-store using our Click & Collect service, which provides a seamless retail experience.

We also stock a large selection of brands and designs that cater for a wide age group, meaning that anyone can come into our store, whether they need an outfit for the weekend, or a tracksuit for more casual days.

Q What do you look for in the designers and fashion labels you stock?

A Placing sportswear alongside contemporary fashion has always been important to the image of Zee & Co. We o er collections that are exciting, considered, wearable, sophisticated and classic enough for everyday wear. Looking towards the future, we are more conscious about sourcing sustainable and recycled materials such as brands like Veja, Redone and Birkenstock.

Q As we approach S/S22, which designers or labels are hot right now?

A A super-hot label at the moment is Stand Studio; a contemporary fashion brand who design colourful faux fur coats for stylish women at a ordable prices. They also have a great accessory collection. Also Redone Denim, which is an LA-based brand that celebrities such as Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid are wearing. It’s a sustainable jeans brand, and each pair is upcycled and completely unique.

Q How have you coped during the pandemic?

A Like most independent retailers, navigating through the pandemic was not an easy experience. Being on the high street for over 35 years, it was the first time we have ever closed our doors for a long period of time. However, due to our loyal client base, our customers still made purchases through our ever-growing online store, so that we could still provide a shopping experience to both our returning and new customers.

Q Finally, what are your hopes for the future of Zee & Co?

A The aim for us as a retailer is to maintain the high standard of trading we have already achieved throughout the years, and at the same time growing our global customer base through e-commerce and international ventures.

Internally, Zee & Co have discussed designing their own brand, and this is a project that the company are keen to pursue. We feel with our experience in buying some of the best global collections, our fashion forward-thinking, and loyal customer base, we have all the fundamental ingredients of giving us the best chance to succeed. Investment would be key, and we are yet to decide whether this would be sourced internally or externally.

ZEE & CO

221-225 High Road, Loughton, IG10 1BB zeeandco.co.uk