Living in Australia isn’t easy for a shopper. It’s quite expensive. It’s even more difficult when you’re from the U.S. and know how much cheaper things are back home. So to say I had a list of things to purchase in NYC was an understatement. On the top of the list was a suit for my wedding in December (No gifts please). I think I researched every suiting place in NYC, before stumbling upon Suit Supply, an Amsterdam-based suit retailer.
While this is only their first U.S. location, I can tell from my experience that there will be plenty more on the way. Let me tell you why:
Design: Think if Apple started selling suits and injected some color and testosterone into their stores. They have tables and computers for cash registers, the tailor is smack in the middle in the store, they use Ipads to take measurements and the collection of ties literally looks like artwork.
Price: I recently worked in suiting and understand that quality comes at a cost. This place is the definition of affordable luxury. Getting luxury suits at around $600 is a steal. Don’t tell me that a place like H&M is affordable luxury. Yes you can get a suit for $300, but it won’t be luxurious. I purchased a suit, blazer, shirt, three ties, two pairs of shoes, and a pocket square for well below the price of a designer suit.
Quality: Since this is blog is about brands and not suits, I won’t go into too much detail about the fabric, but let’s just say it’s as good as a $3,600 Armani Suit. Check out this Wall Street Journal article for proof.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703385404576258671135584478.html
Customer Service: The one thing I didn’t purchase (no I didn’t steal it), was a set of cufflinks given to me by the store. It wasn’t necessary, but gestures like that keep customers returning. I did have a problem with the shoes being a little too narrow for my liking. However, I was able to send them back to the store via mail with no problems at all. A few weeks later I was sent an email with a digital receipt and a quick survey that rates the experience I had with the store as “good, bad, or excellent.” Following up for feedback will only strengthen the company-customer relationship.
Suit Supply represents what a great brand is supposed to be. Not by being desperate and advertising in every medium, but by providing a truly personal and memorable experience for each customer. They hit on every touch-point and that’s what creates brand advocates. Like me.
Check out http://www.suitsupply.com to see what they’re all about…
