Will Jack Wills be here next year? « mason.
University Outfitters, the slogan for the babies on the high-street, Jack Wills. The brand <a href="http://www.vibramksoshoessale.com/"><strong>Vibram Five Fingers</strong></a> which saw a surge in sales of anything with pink & navy stripes on and even more penniless parents. It’s 2006. Jack Wills launches itself onto my local high-street in Cheltenham. I’ve never heard of the brand, which occupies a gigantic two-story store in the centre of town, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Laura Ashley, Reiss, Hobbs and White Stuff. The store used to be a huge Waterstone’s, so you can imagine it’s size. I go in on open day, intrigued by it’s indie music and dark interior. Opening an antique wardrobe, I find a rather nice-looking hoodie, priced at a jaw-dropping £69. Boxers were £19. Socks £14. T-Shirts £29. Without even wanting to travel the 50 metres to the other end of the store, I’d walked out, wondering why the apparel was so expensive? Yes, I’d paid £29 for t-shirts before, but they were from reputable brands such as UCLA, Ralph Lauren or Fred Perry. The problem was, this store had not brand foundations – nobody knew who it was or how cool it was to be – well, except for one target market. The privately educated. Within days, students from local private schools, such as Cheltenham Ladies College and Dean Close, were parading down the promenade with large cream ‘Jack Wills’ bags (often hugging their Fathers for forking out the hundreds of pounds on new clothing for them). It’d become THE place to shop. And that had been caused by us regular people wanting a bit of the luxury. Luxury that was affordable, just. Within six months, if you had a Jack Wills carrier bag, you were presumed rich. Agree with me or not, but that was it. Walking down the high-street, you’d see girls tucking their JW sweatpants into their UGG boots, flaunting one of the stores carrier bags, full of new clothes. Jack Wills was an exclusive <a href="http://www.vibramksoshoessale.com/vibram-five-fingers-classic-c-5.html"><strong>Five fingers shoes</strong></a> brand. A club. If you were regulars, you’d hang out in the games room upstairs, whilst your friends tried on a new shirt. Staff would greet you with “hey there, nice t-shirt”. A product of great staff training, but it felt like they really meant it. I remember going into Jack Wills at 6am on boxing day, ready to buy more of the stock at reduced prices. I’d been given an exclusive extra 20% if I arrived early. I did of course. Jack Wills was beginning to take over my life. I wore it religiously. It was THE thing to be seen in. I’d trawl the forums on its website, talking to fellow addicts. I’d seen the photos of the parties they held at the store, wanting a piece of the action. I’d planned to visit other stores. But then, it all changed. Jack Wills was no longer exclusive. More regular people like me had decided it was worth paying the extra for. The high-street was full of parading preps. I didn’t feel like I was standing out anymore, <a href="http://www.vibramksoshoessale.com/vibram-five-fingers-kso-c-3.html"><strong>vibram kso</strong></a> I was blending in. Then I saw a chav sporting a £79 hoodie with a pair of diadora trackies. I felt sick. I gave away most of my Jack Wills clothes, I’d spent approximately £450 on. BUT WHATS MY POINT? Jack Wills is declining. It’s no longer cool and in retail (or any other business actually), if your products becoming THE thing, your sales will rocket. But when that trend ends and the followers move onto another brand, you may as well call it a day. I can’t see Jack Wills being around for much longer. It’s target <a href="http://rooyee.org/view.php?id=19940"><strong>A single polyurethane upper memory comfortable | Supra Men Shoes Price</strong></a> market has changed and the fashion-obsessed 13-22 year olds have moved on and realised that individuality is the key to their style. The one thing Jack Wills has FAILED to establish is that their target market was always University students. University students famously live on a ridiculously low budget and cannot afford the sky-high prices of JW clothing, and if they can, they’d rather spend their money on a bottle of Vodka than a new hoodie. Jack Wills’ consumer base has lowered and will diminish. Are there any JW shoppers still out there? Not many, I’m guessing. It’d be a huge shame to see it go, but JW needs to radicalise it’s self and make it more affordable for everyone else, if it’s to see it’s sale rise. People no longer can justify the high-prices for it’s clothing, especially when it’s no longer THE trend. The branch near me would make a nice H&M or Topshop, maybe I’ll be shopping in it next year.
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