Inside the UK’s best independent department store – it’s miles better than John Lewis | UK | News
With six restaurants, a beauty treatment room and its own cheese room, it has been named the UK’s best independent store, winning the title for the second year in a row. While many independent traders have come and gone over the years, Jarrolds has remained in the same Norwich premises for an incredible 210 years.
It had been operating for 45 years when it moved to its iconic London Street store, the same year as Napoleon’s final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. That year, John Nash had just begun designing another iconic shopping centre, London’s Regent Street, and Jarrolds had to contend with the introduction of the Corn Laws, the first of many economic shockwaves. John Adams, Jarrolds’ chief retail officer, says the company’s 255-year survival owes much to its ability to “reimagine what we do”.
“What we’ve been doing for the last five or six years is trying to reimagine what the department store is,” says Mr Adams, who won the best independent store award at the Drapers Independents Awards for the second year in a row.
While the store still sells a range of iconic brands, including Charlotte Tilbury and Trinny London beauty products, Amazon’s answer to the boom in online shopping has been to deliver experiences like no other.
In addition to its own dining hall with wine bars, a seafood restaurant and a restaurant serving wood-fired pizza and fresh pasta, it has converted old offices into beauty treatment rooms.
It has made the most of Norfolk’s famous produce by stocking its deli with the best home-grown food, provides pop-up space for local entrepreneurs and offers a loyalty program with over 200 members.
The changes mean it arguably offers a much greater experience than John Lewis; some even call Jarrolds’ five-storey building the “Harrods of Norwich”.
One of its biggest successes has been its “create your own gift basket” service; The £165 Pamper Yourself package includes a one-hour massage, 30-minute facial and manicure and pedicure.
Mr Adams says the dramatic changes have increased footfall in store at a time when many businesses are struggling to attract customers in the modern internet age.
“I think the challenge for some larger stores is actually keeping footfall high,” he says.
“We’re trying to somehow blend shopping and experiences. Things like hospitality, food and delicatessen have brought a lot more visitors into the industry, and it’s through that number of visitors that we’ve been able to attract really good partners to work with.”
Judges of the Drapers awards praised Jarrolds’ commitment to innovation, describing the store as “a jewel of the city with a dynamic and experience-led destination that blends heritage with forward-thinking retail”.
Mr Adams adds: “One of the challenges you face when running a store is the need to constantly renew and invest.
“I think the reason some businesses struggled and failed in the past was because they didn’t continue to invest in them.
“We’re lucky enough to have a very supportive family stake in the business and they’ve made really strong investments in the business over the last five to 10 years.
“Doing these things requires significant investments, but in fact, if you don’t do this, you won’t survive.
“We’re always looking for the next thing to do there. We call ourselves a 250-year-old start-up; we have a very entrepreneurial spirit and are always looking for something different and new to do.”
