BaronJon.com Flagship Store is now Virtual BaronJon.com Sales Boost Group’s Presence in the Men’s Fashion Marketplace

Innovative menswear retailer BaronJon sees its online store, BaronJon.com achieve a 300% annual sales increase putting its sales ahead of its largest stores in Westfield, The Trafford Centre and Lakeside.

In October 2008, BaronJon cautiously established their first trading presence online. With a strong high street investment in shops across the UK, BaronJon were sceptical about the web’s ability to deliver the brand ideals, and defensive of the impact it could have on the established stores. Like many in the fashion industry, their entry to the online market was late and it has taken a considerable investment to take the lead back in the market.

In the words of BaronJon Partner, Lewis Selt, the effect of the web on the retail landscape was underestimated “We had the retail knowledge, logistics and sourcing in place but, by our own admission, we delayed our Internet investment by far too long.”

Certainly BaronJon.com, now considered the largest store in the chain, has grown from strength to strength and in the past 12 months alone - online purchases on BaronJon.com increased by over 300 per cent.

“Having put a skilled and dedicated team in place, our only regret today is that we didn’t see the opportunities earlier,” Selt explained.

Consumer confidence on the high street may be waning in some sectors due to the economic slowdown, but online fashion sales are proving highly resilient.

" BaronJon.com has allowed us to understand our market better than before, with keen insight into customer purchasing behaviour. We recognise that customers perceive the products differently online – products with detailing are more popular, 25% of our customers are now female and specialist niche branches of the business are proving to be very popular also such as SoulLeather.com ."

BaronJon.com customers are frequent return purchasers via the website, as well as visiting the stores, proving that the initial fears that an online presence would divert sales, has in reverse, supported them, and extended sales to over 40 different countries.

Customers familiar with the high street stores may perceive BaronJon.com differently, but this perception difference is a positive move for BaronJon, ensuring its niche markets are brought to consumer focus through the website.

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) recently revealed that the Internet contributes around £100 billion to the UK’s economy every year, of which around 60 per cent was found to be from consumption of online shopping and subscriptions.

Paul Zwillenberg, partner with BCG in London, said “Whether they are driving international expansion, improving their interactions with customers or the efficiency of their supply chains, UK companies are increasingly embracing the Internet’s potential. Several industries – including media, travel, insurance, and fashion – are being transformed by it.”

In response, Lewis Selt commented “As an example, only the very largest high street stores could ever stock and sell 300 leather jackets of the same size and colour in a single week. For BaronJon.com this level of turnover occurs ever more frequently as the site grows and develops our brand online.”

Ends

December 2010

Notes to Editors

For more information, please see www.baronjon.com or contact Jason Higgins Jason.Higgins@harmony.co.uk at Harmony www.harmony.co.uk on +44 1767 317614.

BaronJon is a cutting edge UK menswear retailer, founded by the Selt brothers, Lewis and Wayne, in 1977. BaronJon has grown to 30 stores UK nationwide, including Lakeside, Westfield and The Trafford Centre, featuring collections from multiple high profile international designers, alongside their own popular ranges. BaronJon’s flagship store is online at BaronJon.com, and is supported by niche outlet SoulLeather.com.

BaronJon.com head office is based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire.

BaronJon
Unit 5, Woodside Industrial Estate
Works Road,
LETCHWORTH
Hertfordshire
SG6 1LA

For more information, please see www.baronjon.com or contact Jason Higgins Jason.Higgins@harmony.co.uk at Harmony www.harmony.co.uk on +44 1767 317614.

Harmony
3, The Granary Buildings,
Dunton
Bedfordshire
England
SG18 8RH

This release was published on openPR.