OAKENGATES – A THRIVING COMMUNITY
Wear better, look better
£3,500 High street diversification grant awardee
Kings Menswear and Suit Hire, 13 Market Street, Oakengates, TF2 6EL www.kingsfashion.co.uk
Mal Johnson launched his Kings Menswear formal suit hire business a decade ago, moving into 13 Market Street in Oakengates five years ago. Last year, backed by a £3,500 Telford & Wrekin Council diversification grant, he moved into retailing and tailoring suits for female and non-binary customers as well as men under the name Kings Fashion. Q: How has diversification changed the business? A: We have expanded into sales of suits and accessories, such as ties and shirts, as well as launching a tailoring service for female and non-binary customers, so we can take the suit of their choice and change its masculine nature, giving it a more feminine cut and style. Given the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic we also expanded our website to handle orders and operate Zoom appointments. My daughter has joined myself and my wife, so we are a real family business now. And we use a couple of seamstresses based nearby so we are bringing more work to Oakengates. Q: What has been the customer response? A: It has proved extremely popular, with a lot of return business. We have served all three daughters in one family and it has become clear there was a considerable amount of demand just waiting to be tapped into. I’m not aware of any business like ours, certainly in Shropshire, so we are getting customers coming quite some distance – even people from Australia and Thailand attending family events here.
As things slowly get back to normal we have seen a
lot more people coming in; customers enjoy the personal service, the friendly banter and the relationship that is formed. This is why we see customers returning to us time and again, not just for suits but for socks, shirts and other accessories. We aim to provide a VIP service without the VIP price tag and our growing customer base seems to show that is what people increasingly want. Q: Does that mean more people are shopping locally? A: Yes. People seem to be rediscovering the enjoyment of shopping within their local community, meeting their friends and establishing relationships with traders on their high street. It is hugely rewarding to provide a service customers clearly appreciate and Oakengates is seeing the benefit – I think there’s only one high street premises that is empty in the town at the moment and that is the pub, the Black Horse. With the railway station, it is very easy to get to Oakengates so we are not just seeing a growth in local customers but also people travelling in as it becomes an increasingly popular and lively shopping destination. Q: What’s next for Kings Fashion? A: We are very keen to be more sustainable and move towards being a more ecologically friendly shop. One of our suppliers is now making suits out of recycled plastic bottles. You would never know, because the material is so soft and comfortable, and we believe there will be a lot of interest in this kind of product.
TOTALLY TELFORD
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