Asbury and Pell is a thriving clothing retailer with over 12 years of experience, known for its commitment to high-quality menswear and exceptional customer service.
Initially catering to the 50+ age group, the company has since expanded its range and customer base, offering a variety of timeless, countryside-inspired attire. With a strong focus on building personal relationships, Asbury and Pell continue to grow, embracing new brands, and technologies like ours to streamline operations.
This interview is with eCommerce Manager, Josh Gribby, who shares insight into the company’s journey and vision.
Can you tell us about the origin of Asbury & Pell, and how the company has evolved?
Asbury & Pell came to life 12 years ago with a clear vision: to create a multi-branded clothing store specialising in classic menswear. From day one, we've taken pride in offering expert customer service, always available to help our customers with any queries or purchases.
Interestingly, a large part of our initial customer base was in the 50+ age bracket, many of whom were new to online shopping. This gave us the unique opportunity to guide them through the online purchasing process, making it as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
Have there been any key milestones across those 12 years?
Absolutely! We've hit several important milestones.
One of the biggest has been the increase in stock at our warehouse, along with the exciting brands we've partnered with. Expanding into womenswear, particularly with the Joules brand, has been a great success.
During the pandemic, we opened a shop in the beautiful Nottinghamshire countryside, near the Vale of Belvoir.
We've also seen strong growth on our website and Amazon, where we're part of the Seller Fulfilled Prime program.
If we take Joules as an example, how do you select the new brands and products you feature? What criteria do you prioritise when building a collection?
Quality always comes first. Ensuring our products meet high standards is key because customer satisfaction is at the heart of what we do.
We choose brands that resonate with our demographic, offering them something new while keeping in line with their tastes. For example, we've introduced brands like Van Buck, which adds fresh accessories like novelty ties and cufflinks to our range.
At the same time, we keep stocking our popular lines to maintain consistency and keep our customers happy.
You mentioned earlier that the 50+ age bracket was your initial demographic. Has this changed over time? Who is your ideal customer and what are they looking for in your products?
Our customer demographic has certainly broadened over time, as we now cater to a wide range of age groups.
However, we still find many of our interactions are with the older generation, who often seek out brands that have become harder to find due to the closure of independent shops.
Countryside attire, like Harris Tweed jackets and Viyella shirts, is particularly popular. Our customers value easy communication and reliability, and we make sure to deliver on both.
How do you build and maintain relationships with those customers, and what role does customer feedback play in your business?
At Asbury & Pell, customer service is at the core of what we do. We make a real effort to add a personal touch by assisting customers over the phone, whether it's resolving an issue or helping with orders.
Our newsletter keeps customers informed without overwhelming them, and we're always eager to hear feedback—whether it’s praise or suggestions for improvement. Both types of feedback are invaluable in helping us grow and serve our customers better.
Do you have any exciting promotions or upcoming collections that you want to share?
Yes, we’re excited about our new arrivals for AW24!
Our Joules collection is already live on the site, along with Gabicci knitwear. We've also added some fantastic new brands this season, including Original Penguin with a range of polos, t-shirts, and jackets, and Olymp's formal shirts in various styles and colours.
Plus, Van Buck's accessories—ties, cufflinks, and even umbrellas—are now available. You can easily find all our latest stock under the "New In" tab on our website.
Is there a particular Venditan Commerce feature or functionality that is useful to you? How does it improve your operations?
Since switching to the platform, our operations have improved significantly across the board.
The picking, packing, and dispatching processes are now much more streamlined, which is essential for managing different marketplaces and dispatching requirements, like Amazon Prime.
Previously, we managed stock levels with Excel spreadsheets, but Venditan has saved us so much time by automating this. We also find the reporting functionalities incredibly valuable for closely monitoring our margins.
What’s next for Asbury and Pell?
We are continuing our growth in the clothing sector by adding more brands to our arsenal and expanding our offerings with existing brands.
We are also in the process of setting up new marketplaces in North America; Amazon and Walmart to name a couple, as we dip our toes across the pond!
This is an exciting opportunity for us to expand our customer reach and create a name outside the UK and EU.
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