Best chain over 20 stores - WINNER: General Pants
General Pants defies the received wisdom that being a large chain means being corporate or formulaic. Despite operating over 30 outlets each store manages to retain a unique identity, with fit outs often featuring the work of local artists or fun touches such as a "make your own Havianas" thongs area, a recent stroke of genius launched for summer 2007/08.
One point of difference for this retailer - and there are many - is its impressive brand offering, which includes exclusive international labels and edgy local ones, many of the latter in the form of timely, well-priced designer collaborations such as Gracie by Alice McCall.
General Pants is also kicking goals behind the scenes, having spent recent years rationalising its back-of-house efficiencies in terms of logistics and inventory and planning and buying functions, as well as conducting in depth consumer research into its customer base.
The revised vision and values statement ensuing from the latter project has paid dividends as a recruiting tool in terms of attracting the right people to the company and allowing General Pants to identify and fill gaps in its product offer. With strong and steady growth signalling further store roll-outs over the mid-term it would be tempting for any company to sit back and "let 'em roll", but General Pants' ability to stay at the edge commercially and creatively while keeping a weather eye on the wants and needs of its staff and customers, makes it a leader among large scale retailers.
General Pants' real point of difference is that it is much more than a good retailer with a loyal customer base; it's a community. General manager Christian Wais puts it like this: "General Pants sells youth culture, not just clothes". A number of vehicles - such as in-house magazine Our People, music and dance events and a state-of-the-art website, complete with blog and MySpace page - help foster this idea, but the real point of difference in this company boils down to something almost intangible. We're not really sure how General Pants weaves its magic, but whether you're a shopper or an employee, this retailer stands out from the crowd as a uniquely happy, inspiring place to be.
At a glance
STORE General Pants
OWNER Jointly owned by the Victor Smorgen Group, Jacquie Vidor and Phil Staub
FOUNDED 1972
STORE TYPE Men's and women's youth fashion
LABELS Too many to list but here's a snapshot: 'Arvust, Nudie Jeans, Modern Amusement, Don't Ask Amanda, Insight, Ben Sherman Lee, Nike, Converse, Stussy, Havianas, Ksubi, One Teaspoon, Gracie by Alice McCall, Milk and Honey, Agent 99, Alice in the Eve, Mimi loves Jimi (footwear)