Staying power

With a polarized demographic on its doorstep, and 100 years in the business, menswear boutique Mitchell McCabe knows a thing or two about keeping customers happy, as Belinda Smart reports.

You might expect a menswear retailer that has been around for over a century to be, well, a little crusty.
But Mitchell McCabe, founded in 1901 in the heritage drenched environs of Clarendon Street South Melbourne, is doing its darnedest to stop that from happening.
For one thing, it's hard to pigeon-hole a store sandwiched between housing commission flats and the affluent suburbs of Albert Park and Port Melbourne. Yes, Mitchell McCabe's is a middle market offer, but it also tickles the higher and lower and of the market, claims owner Andrew Scawen.
"We stock quality suiting at a shade under $1000 as well as affordable casualwear. We definitely see ourselves as a value for money offer and basically we try to be all things to all people, in the positive sense."
The store's staying power may be partially due to its pricing strategy, which is philosophically opposed to the idea of gross margin.
"It's more about customer loyalty and getting people through the door, so we're pretty fair in our pricing; customers these days have access to a lot of information. They are not stupid and it doesn't pay to treat them as such."
Servicing a broad demographic can all too often lead to identity crisis, but according to Scawen (the name is pronounced to rhyme with 'coin') and wife and co-owner Robyn, Mitchell McCabe has two things going for it; a standout heritage and its owners' passion for retail.
Andrew Scawen stumbled upon the opportunity to purchase the store nine years ago while selling for renowned label Blazer. His rag trade experience - which included a UK degree in fashion design and respectable stints at iconic Aussie companies that read like an honours list of the apparel world; Sportscraft, Pelaco and Gloweave - allowed him to recognise an opportunity when it arose.
"I didn't think of retail as a career at that point, but I did like the idea of being able to work for myself, to work hard and reap the direct benefits of that work."
At that time he was a retail novice, but an insider's knowledge of most other aspects of the rag trade stood him in good stead.
"A lot of people think retailers just go to this great big magic warehouse and Without radically changing the heritage character of the store, Scawen proceeded to inject vitality into its offer in the form of brands with contemporary relevance. The current season's crop includes Oscar Jacobs, Studio Italia and Bossini suiting, as well as Blazer, Mossimo, high-end New Zealand casual label Cutler and local streetwear label Bauhaus. Ganton, Abelard and Brooksfield business shirts are also staples, with the store planning to expand its Brooksfield offer into casualwear next season.
Stock is replenished on a monthly basis and the store is not afraid of discounting slow movers, confirms Robyn Scawen, who is all too aware that keeping a weather eye on the shifting whims of the consumer is crucial to a small boutique's survival. Small can be beautiful, however, she says.
"The beauty of being an independent store is that you do have the flexibility to The other, she claims, is Mitchell McCabe's flair for service. The Scawens don't employ staff and maintain a strong rapport with many of their regulars.
"It's very personal. Everyone knows us and if they don't know us when they walk through the door they definitely know us by the time they've left. You don't get that kind of personal service in the bigger stores."
In the past the Scawens have advertised in trade magazines and local press, but it's the newsletters regularly sent to Mitchell McCabe's live database of 800 customers - as well as the word-of-mouth endorsements - that keep business strong. Even the store's recent decision to introduce a small selection of women's casualwear for girlfriends, wives and partners is primarily designed to keep its male customers happy.
"We don't go big on the womenswear but it is good to have some in store, particularly as there's no women's casualwear elsewhere on Clarendon Street."
With a history dating back to the birth of department store Myer - Mitchell McCabe is undoubtedly something of a South Melbourne institution. It still attracts elderly gentlemen who remember visiting for their first school uniform, says Andrew Scawen, who clearly regards this sense of continuity as an invaluable asset.
"I hope Mitchell McCabe will be around for a long time to come. It's nice to think that we are custodians of something that will very possibly outlive us."