“The customer is in the detail”

Expert Eye with

John Shepherd

Owner and Managing Director of Partridges

• Is our café a hero or a villain?
• “The battle for optimism and morale in retail”
• “Sustainable confusion”
• “What to do about January?”
• “Is the Christmas boom sustainable?”

In my view, the average Partridges customer would probably fall into one of three categories.

Category 1 (70% ish) – The Regulars: local residents

We are very lucky to have attracted a reasonable quantity of regular shoppers with whom we have built a
relatively long-term relationship.

In some cases they are the children of the children of our first customers in the 1970s. We try to assist them with the basic services we offer, of course, such as the Pensioner Discount scheme, the delivery service and acquiring products that are difficult to get. But it is also the little things that go a long way – being friendly, helpful and honest. This is where the long-standing staff I referred to in my last article play their invaluable role, because it is they that essentially build the relationships.

Category 2 (20% ish) – Lifestyle Shoppers: weekend visitors

Our busiest days in Partridges are Saturdays and Sundays. This is due to the customers who come from further afield to visit the Duke of York Square, spend time in our café and visit our Saturday food market. Both these areas have been very helpful in expanding our customer base. We know that on a good day the Duke of York Square can attract up to 15,000 visitors, and it has become a great place for the wider community to socialise. Here the 60+ small producers on show have done a great job in building connections with local customers. A number of our stalls are becoming real destinations for discerning shoppers.

Category 3 (10%ish) – Visitors from abroad

A growing category. Some of these visitors are fascinated by the story of the Royal Warrant. Some have found out about our own-label products or have even bought them overseas. Some are fascinated by Chelsea in general, a feeling that culminates in Flower Show week at the end of May. Give us a ‘Day’ and we will create an event. One of our most popular ever events was in celebration of Slovenia’s National Day. Tastings, samplings and promotions are very much the way to go.

Finally, a note on the W word (which is weather, by the way)

One of the biggest influences on our customers. Our shop sits about 50 paces from the pavement on the King’s Road. When it rains, even after several millennia of human existence, customers prefer not to get wet or indeed shop.

To cut a long story short, and as tedious and repetitive as it may seem, the old adage for us is always worth remembering: The Customer Really is the King (or Queen).