The Gentleman's Shop

The Gentleman's Shop has tried three different approaches to ecommerce: web-based, bespoke and boxed software. Robert and Charlotte Johnston are now keen advocates of the control and value offered by a web store based on their PC network. Robert has run a successful barber's shop in the market town of Hungerford since 1988. In 1997 his wife Charlotte set up The Gentleman's Shop as a physical shop, and two years later as an e-store. It sells luxury shaving and grooming products as well as accessories and gifts for men from the top brands. Orders are shipped worldwide, with the Americans being especially keen customers. Online trade now accounts for 40-50% of the rapidly growing total turnover.

Selling online started in 1999 with what proved an expensive mistake using a web-based shopping mall. They could see themselves spending up to £2,000 p.a. while being locked in to the site and having to start again from scratch if they moved hosts. Updating was out of their hands too and at Christmas the programmer went on holiday and the site disappeared.

A spell with Actinic's boxed software came next and worked for several years, giving them their best 12 month trading period ever with 50% growth in web sales. But in 2003 Robert was seduced by the promises of a new media company. He agreed to pay about £45,000 over two years for a bespoke website, with the aim of increasing the number of visitors and the order value. The result was well received by customers, but unfortunately it took less money. After 2 more expensive years, in April 2005 the couple were told that the website would no longer be supported and they could not find anyone willing to take it on.

Then the couple turned back to Actinic and now have a site that has the looks of a custom-made site but yields the sales they expect. The Johnstons invested in the latest Actinic Business Multi User product because they wanted to maintain the site and process orders from two separate networked machines. The software also enables them to entice customers with various types of special offers and in the first two weeks' online sales beat the previous performance by 40%. Having tried web-based, bespoke and boxed ecommerce solutions, Robert and Charlotte are now confident that their present approach has the right balance of cost, flexibility and functionality. The case includes lessons learnt/advice to other e-tailers.

Website: www.gentlemans-shop.com Location: Hungerford, Berkshire.

(Full story is 1425 words)