I was in Leeds city centre today and looking in menswear retailer Burton’s window I noticed that they were offering ‘free shoes, shirt and tie with selected suits’, as per the web offer below:
This is dead interesting (honest!). Burton must know that the majority of their suit customers do not already own a suit when they buy one from Burton. Because Burton’s customers are in need (i.e. do not currently own, because they have no need) of a smart pair of shoes to go with their new suit.
Which would lead me to hypothesise that most suit purchases in Burton are prompted by an event – job interview, wedding, funeral or even court appearance.
In fact, a bit of googling reveals that in 2001, during an interview with trade magazine Menswear (the mag where my Dad hijacked his weekly column to announce my birth, see I know my menswear!), Topman (which shares parent company Arcadia with Burton) brand director David Shepherd said: “Very few of our customers have to wear suits to work. They’ll be for his first interview or first court appearance.”