Content area
Full Text
Sainsbury's head of clothing is determined to prove that supermarket value doesn't mean disposable fashion.
Walking into Sainsbury's new concept store in King's Lynn in Norfolk leaves you in no doubt about where clothing lies in the grocer's grand retail scheme. Out of a total 70,000 sq ft floor space, a sizeable 30,000 sq ft has been dedicated to non-food, of which clothing is dominant. Clothing isn't quite centre stage of course, but it is certainly playing a major supporting role.
With fully accessorised mannequins, themed collections, fitting rooms and a handful of shop assistants, you could almost forget you are in a supermarket. And that's exactly what James Brown, head of clothing at Sainsbury's, is hoping for.
"We are creating what you would expect to find in a high street store," he tells me. "We are not just creating the dream at the front of the section, we are following it through."
He counters that food remains Sainsbury's number one priority, but adds: "More than 20 million people a week come to Sainsbury's for food, but the compelling non-food offer, and clothing in particular, is paramount to growth."
Visiting on a cold February morning, I've been invited in to talk through Brown's plans for Tu, Sainsbury's clothing own brand, and they are impressive, as you'd expect from a division that has been growing three times quicker than the wider business for several months now.
Much of the changes being introduced have come from extensive customer research - both through the supermarket's Nectar loyalty card scheme and via customer focus groups and forums - as well as Brown or store staff just chatting to customers informally.
The day Drapers visits also marks the launch of another Gok for Tu collection - the supermarket's collaboration with TV personality and stylist Gok Wan - which this time takes its influence from the sports luxe look. Sitting alongside it is Sainsbury's own nautical and monochrome collections, as well as basics, lingerie, a denim bar, accessories, swimwear, footwear and further...