15:17, the new chain of community focused department stores set to rejuvenate the UK high street.

 

British retailing is undergoing the largest change in 50 years. Today’s consumer is demanding a different type of shopping experience and new UK department store chain 15:17 is stepping up to meet this need.

What we’re talking about here is much more than just a concession space. Imagine a store where alongside shopping and browsing, you can also take an exercise class, see your optician and meet friends for lunch. Or attend a fashion show, visit a hair or beauty salon and entertain your children. Even pick-up a weekly veg box from the local farmers’ market.

The 15:17 store concept offers all of these things; bringing leisure, pleasure and service back to the UK high street. What 15:17 is creating is a community within a community, where national meets local and both flourish together.

Furthermore, 15:17 is utilising empty high street units left by retail giants such as M&S and BHS. This means all of its department stores will take anchor sites offering between 40,000 and 100,000 sq ft of space central to town centres with high footfall.

15:17’s origins

The visionary behind 15:17 is retail professional and company CEO, Mercier Mainwaring. With over 50 years’ worth of retail knowledge in high street and retail businesses, Mainwaring’s background includes work with M&Co, Etams and Debenhams as well as being the former MD of MK One.

Prompted by multiple store closures and the subsequent demise of the UK high street, Mainwaring set about creating a store that provided a point of difference; something that would help regenerate the high street and support community growth. (By the way, if you’re wondering where the name 15:17 comes from, that was also Mainwaring’s idea. The answer is it came from nowhere, it means nothing. However, no other business has that name or an association with it, so it carries an air of mystery. It’s a good marketing tactic. It makes you question what it is – and there’s a lot to learn.)

Other key players on the 15:17 team include Julia Reynolds, who is a non-executive board member. You may be familiar with Reynolds as the chair of leading organic childrenswear brand Frugi, but her previous appointments include CEO of Figleaves and Antler as well as director of buying and merchandising at Tesco where she was responsible for the launch of the Florence and Fred (F&F) clothing brand.

Also adding to 15:17’s expertise is head of UK operations Arlene Bovill, formerly store performance and concessions manager for M&Co, regional controller for New Look, and Primark’s regional manager for Scotland.

The debut store opening

The first 15:17 store opened at the end of August in Ayr on the southwest coast of Scotland. Residing in what was previously the town’s BHS store, its formation has been led by store operations manager Linsey McIlwraith who, by utilising her extensive industry contacts, has played an integral role in getting the business off the ground.

“I come from a fashion buyer background and previously worked for a local independent department store looking after ladies’ fashion, lingerie and footwear,” says McIlwraith. “However, in February of this year I was a victim of redundancy when the store I worked for closed down.

“It was at this point that I was approached by 15:17, initially on a freelance basis. As well as understanding concessions and being used to working with wholesale customers, I have a lot of industry contacts – many of which are based on 10-year working relationships.

“Utilising this experience, I was tasked with approaching viable businesses to discuss the 15:17 concept and to gain constructive feedback on the idea. By April I was offered a permanent position with 15:17, taking the role of store operations manager and overseeing the first store opening in Ayr.”

Responsible for sourcing potential concession partners, McIlwraith has been busy bringing the 15:17 concept to life as well as overseeing the general day-to-day running of the Ayr store.

“I provide a source of continuity for partners as they work with me from start to finish,” she continues. “I have worked with a lot of our clients in the past, so that all-important trust factor is already there. Having those strong client relationships makes a big difference, especially in a high-risk sector such as retail.”

How to become a 15:17 partner

As well as approaching partners, businesses are also welcome to apply for a concession via an enquiry form on 15:17’s website. There are currently no restrictions on who can apply; the concept is accessible for all. However, 15:17’s aim is to tailor stores to the local demographic and to avoid any form of saturation in terms of both brands and product.

“The aim is for no partners to clash or compete,” says McIlwraith. “We want to maximise sales and for partners to complement each other. We promote inclusivity and communication, so we will openly speak to partners about other brands and who they are positioned next to. Nothing is a secret.”

What are the costs?

Partners pay a set monthly fee for a concession “space”, rather than a percentage of sales or income. This fee covers costs such as rent, rates, heating, lighting, waste disposal and high-speed fibre optic cabling. Also, guest WIFI, staffrooms and washrooms, store security, marketing and an in-store manager. Sales staff can also be provided, with both manned and unmanned concession options available.

Costs don’t cover fixtures and fittings. However, 15:17 will recommend approved local shop fitters and electricians if a partner requires those services. The monthly fee also doesn’t include stock, staff or public indemnity insurance – 15:17 just covers the insurance for the building and communal areas.

Fees will vary depending on location and a concession’s position in a store. However, they have been set to be affordable for all businesses, especially smaller brands wanting a high street presence.

As an example, the monthly fee for Ayr within Zone A, which comprises the first 250 sq ft of the store, is £25 per sq ft. Zone B, which covers the rest of the store, is priced at £22 per sq ft. As well as being affordable, 15:17 concessions are also designed to be flexible.

“We’ve kept the terms very simple to provide flexibility for both parties,” confirms McIlwraith. “There’s a short-term lease option of six months as well as yearly contracts. If a client wants to get out of an agreement we require notice on the fourth month of a six-month lease and on the eighth month of a yearly agreement.”

Product mix and in-store services

In terms of product, 15:17 brings together childrenswear, womenswear, menswear, footwear and home décor from both local and national brands. Childrenswear partners at the Ayr store include Little Lord & Lady, Ziggle and Jacob Matthews. There is also children’s footwear from London Rebel, which includes the brands Puma, Under Armour and Asics.

“Currently we are working with local and national brands, but a multi-brand retailer would also be welcome,” adds McIlwraith. “As long as there isn’t a saturation of product – a big factor for us – and the fit is right, then a multi-brand retailer concession would also be possible.”

Services offered by 15:17 stores are tailored to the local area; focusing on public amenities that customers can’t get elsewhere. The Ayr store includes a hair and beauty salon. There is also a small-scale food market and a restaurant serving local produce.

As McIlwraith notes, the stores will also act as community hubs, making practical use of space during quieter times. “Lots of community-based groups and charities struggle to find free spaces to host meetings,” she says. “We will therefore provide this service on a weekly or monthly basis free of charge.

“In line with our community store ethos, we also want to provide services for parents and children. We want 15:17 to be a destination where families feel welcome and catered to. For example, we have a non-supervised play area in the Ayr store’s restaurant and we offer face painting at weekends.

“Moving forward we want to introduce more kids’ experiences. Pottery painting for instance as well as running seasonal events for Christmas and Easter. The Ayr store was actually the venue for this year’s Tanfest, Ayrshire’s family Halloween festival.”

The future of 15:17

By offering a fresh spin on the traditional department store concept, it would be fair to say that 15:17 has no direct competition. It is refreshingly unique. It’s also something you may see on a high street near you in the not too distant future; over the next two years, 15:17 has the ambitious target of opening a total of 30 stores. The next opening is in Southport followed by another 10 store openings in early 2020.

“We are providing a department store offering with a twist – expect the unexpected,” concludes McIlwraith. “We are creating bright, welcoming, community stores that are inclusive and offer something for everyone together with a few surprises in the mix.

“Our plans are to continue offering a point of difference that plugs a gap in the market for a community department store. Over time we may make small adaptions, but our attention will always remain on providing a community-focused offering.”