SPEAKER_00 0:10

My great pleasure to welcome back Nick Reed from Neem London to the podcast. Nick, good to see you again, my friend.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

Thanks for having me back. Yes, I I think it it it might be um the third time as the as the journey of Neem evolves. So yeah, great to be back.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

All right, great. And so maybe just a quick recap for our listeners, please, on you, Nick, and Neem London, but also now you're in Conduit Street. Were you in Conduit Street last time I spoke to you?

SPEAKER_01 0:39

Probably not. We're probably in pig, yeah. Okay. So yeah, I um Neme's been going for four and a half years. We set it up with with an aim of creating a product that was that was circular, so we use recycled materials, then we take that product back and uh re-rework and recycle uh that uh and then uh uh uh an aim to create an elegant casual product, serving really the the the the the sort of older demographic Gen X market. So 45 to 65 year old is our sweet spot, or as we call them at the moment, dad's uh and then um I myself um yeah set set the business up four and a half years ago. Uh we um we we previously for a little while we had two shops. We had the Lamb's Conduit Shop, which is a lovely little gem of a street uh between Hoburn and uh Russell Square. I'd recommend it for a sort of afternoon out. There's sort of cafes and restaurants and lots of other uh nice shops, both menswear and otherwise. Uh, but it it it's a really sort of um hidden little street, uh that the people that know it love it, and then but still very many don't don't know of it. But it's it's a great street. And then we also had a store for a couple of years in Pigdilly Arcade, which was a sort of different vibe, uh sort of up sort of Mayfairy, St. James style, so so much um uh much high footfall, uh many more tourists, uh, and then we we closed that uh in April 24. Uh and then yeah, we've just been trading uh out of the Lambs Convent as well as online.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

Right. And would you mind telling me why you decided to move out of Piccadilly Arcade? Because I've always been intrigued by these arcades. That's the one that's south of Burlington Arcade, is that right?

SPEAKER_01 2:31

That's right, yeah, it runs between exact exactly right, pretty much opposite um Burlington, running between Piccadilly and German Street. I mean, it's just rent. So uh I my my sense is that in order to run at this stage in the brand's development, a menswear brand uh in uh a good location. So a good location for us is somewhere that uh is around uh or next to brands that are in our area but ideally bigger. So they are the sort of the sprat that catches the mackerel, really. So um uh so we're next door to Grenson and Sunspell here uh on Pigadilly Arcade. We were we were near New and Lingwood and and Bud and uh and Simon Carter and then of course um uh all the other menswear brands that are around the area. But we had a very good rental deal at uh Piccadilly Arcade, which was a pop-up deal that kept being extended. And then eventually uh we uh we we we we spoke to the landlord about um signing a five-year lease uh and uh we agreed terms, and I think at that point the terms were a little bit risky for us that that fixed cost every month um of rent uh was a bit risky. It's one of those decisions that you all sort of wonder whether it was the the right or the wrong thing with hindsight because we've grown quite a lot since then. Uh and Lamb's Conduit um is a good um location. But I mean my advice is uh anyone looking and thinking of opening up a store is you've got to really try and find a landlord that is supportive and uh able to sort of offer 10, 20, 30 percent below uh the market rate. So we continue to offer um and look for uh a new store uh around uh various locations, but but the location is is key, but also the rental deal uh is also extremely significant in in the economics of making it work.

SPEAKER_00 4:32

Interesting, thanks for that. Well, I've I've always been interested in the shops in those arcade, going up from Burlington down to Piccadilly, because it's like you say, it's got great footfall, it can be quite touristy as well. But then I've always wondered whether the shops that are in there can get any kind of subsidies for being open, because obviously it's not in the interest to have closed shops along such a popular part of London. So if like if no one could meet their rent, for example, you'd have a whole like row of seven or eight shops within the arcade that would be closed.

SPEAKER_01 5:05

So I think yeah, but there was a short period where we were very lucky actually to get into that arcade post-COVID where there was still a nervousness around physical retail, but the there's an excitement around physical retail. So, for example, Prince's Arcade, which is the next um arcade along from sort of narrower, slightly narrower, lower ceiling, uh more modern um uh design. We we offered on a store there a few weeks ago, and there were four other bids on the store. So I think at this point um there will always be other categories, uh whether it's food and beverage, or it's stationary, uh, whether it's jewelry uh or or other otherwise uh interested in those uh good locations. Uh and then uh also um there are international brands that are increasingly coming to London, whether that's Australian or American or European. Uh, and of course, other brands are seeing some success with physical. So a bit like us, we want to open up a second store because it's a it's a really good uh and and successful channel. It's hard work, extremely uh um uh tiring as a channel, but but also very successful and lots of fun.

SPEAKER_00 6:21

Yeah, and just a small window into that. So Nick and I were gonna speak last week for the show, I think it was on a Friday, and you had an alarm go off like through the night, I believe. One of your members of staff had to come in, kind of oversee what was going on, just so that you guys could have an opening on that morning. And then by the time we got on the call, it was all a bit of mayhem. So just all these things that happened behind the scene with retail that people don't actually get to see goes on, and it can be quite fatiguing.

SPEAKER_01 6:50

Yeah, I mean it carried on a bit actually. Because I I I'm not sure if the alarm's a bit sensitive or there's an issue, but well, I also had a uh a um a text message to do like I come to at 5:30 on Sunday morning, so I had to come in here on Sunday morning at six uh just to check that uh the alarm had gone off because of a fox or someone had touched the door or something, um, or whether someone had tried to break in. Um and of course it was it was it was nothing, it was just a um uh I don't know what set the alarm off, but yes.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

Yeah, so it's it's never a nine to five gig people. No, just remember that. Um but listen, uh Nick, you mentioned uh just about your your marquee demographic there, the dads, and you have a new campaign, the hot dad style that I saw on the website. Would you mind talking about that and the influences and how that came together?

SPEAKER_01 7:47

Yeah, good. Uh so we up till now, I mean our the basis of our brand is that we're sort of ecological, really. We we we um uh uh we use product that we can either uh trace back to farm or it's recycled materials, uh, and then we track the supply chain, and then uh as I said earlier, we take the product back. So uh we are extremely um sustainable and ecological in the way that we establish and set up the brand, which causes some challenges uh and some interests, but that that's for another time. But we predominantly have led with either very um uh sort of vanilla um brand messaging, like you know, spring 26 or or or Christmas or New Inn or the Winter Collection, or we'd run with very um sustainable messages, um as you know, the circular climate conscious brand or slow November, which is our our message to sort of slow down and consider your purchases. And then we did a bit of work with a guy that I uh was very lucky enough to work with when I was at Moss. I was at Moss for four four or five years. Um I helped them uh go private, uh, but that that's for another story for another time. And I whilst there I we worked with MNC Sarchi uh and we did a sort of brand campaign at most elevating and getting their brand out of a sort of red ticket volume, uh value driven, and more into a sort of fashion product uh uh focused brand. Uh and then the guy that I worked with uh there um uh was uh uh we got on very well, and then he's now doing a bit of freelance. And he he he and I sort of took a look at the brand and we decided that actually, uh and more led by him, that it was better to lead with non-ecological messaging. So ecological sort of sustainable messaging is the secondary motivation, but the primary motivation needs to be built on customer resonance uh and humor and a bit of irony. So as a consequence of that, we launched the uniform of hot dads, uh, which really speaks to the the the age group that we target. They're not all dads, some are granddads, some aren't even dads, uh, but it's that sort of 45 to 65 year old age group who um who sometimes fashion have forgotten uh because uh they that that they're too busy sort of presenting the product on 25-year-old models, uh so we purposely use older models. Uh and also that that when the the they come into the store or when they're spoken to online, um uh that we speak to them in a way that they're really f feeling sort of listened to. So it it it created a whole arena of of uh of of of um an explosion of of messaging, of playlists, of photography. But the core tenant was yeah, we're a brand for dads who possibly have lost their style a bit and want to regain it, uh, hence the irony of the uniform of hot dads.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

Yeah, that's interesting. Yeah, I mean that's I was looking at some of the imagery with the campaign and I saw one of the models like holding an album, maybe a Bowie album, a David Bowie. I thought, oh, I haven't listened to that in ages. And I'm like, yeah, I could just get back into that and re-revisit my playlists. And also, because so I'm uh I'm 47 as well, and I feel like I might be one of your staple uh customers that has that mindset where the the fashion has somewhat taken a backseat because other things are getting on in life. But now I've had a renewed look at my wardrobe and realized none of this stuff really suited me in the first place, yet it's been sitting on my shelf for a couple of years. So I've I've completely taken out half of my wardrobe, the other half I'm now trying to get tailored so it fits me to my new shape, and then I've left about I don't know, about a third ready for some new opportunities. So I think speaking to what you were talking about with uh the the dad and that age group, there's certainly a market there for guys that want to get back into style, but do they know where to start looking? I mean, is this like when they when they have this area now that they want to upgrade their wardrobe to, but obviously there's you, but do you offer any consulting as well when when they come into the shop of what would suit them of where their journey is in their wardrobe up to now?

SPEAKER_01 12:12

Yeah, we we do a number of things. Yeah, I mean, I I mean first to say, yeah, you're you're spot on. You're you're the guy that the the uh the type of guy that you know style has been forgotten a bit, you know. Um often um uh there isn't the the sort of the desire or the motivation or or or uh and yeah, we we believe that that person needs to sort of dress based on their their age group. Of course, some people do it naturally, they're good at it, that that they invest in it, that that that they think about it, but lots of others sort of resort to you know, three-quarters um zip necks or a white shirt with a blue suit or you know, a gilet, god forbid, even. Oh and and we think that there is a way of dressing elegantly and and and and and and yet yet smartly with a touch of sort of casual panache uh that that that is is suitable for that uh age group. And yeah, we we we run styling sessions in store. So I mean, in store generally we say we're styling not selling. So uh we want people to be listened to. And sometimes it feels like almost like a sort of therapy center in here. You know, there's sort of divorced men who you know have lost their the their confidence when it comes to style, and uh we don't want to present an intimidating our atmosphere needs to be inviting, comfortable, good music, offer drinks, uh, and whoever you are, um in the way that you look. I like there was a guy on Saturday who came in, you know, he was short, uh a bit overweight, wasn't well dressed, you know, three-quarter length shorts. Oh boy. Uh Pico Polo.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

Mind you, if you're short, Nick, if you're like 5'4 like I am, most shorts are three-quarter length shorts in his defense.

SPEAKER_01 13:59

And he was a bit sweaty, you know, it was hot on Saturday, wasn't it? He was a bit sweaty. And you know what? He he he he he he he he spent, you know, 450 quid with us. Uh and I just listened to him, where he worked, what what he was doing, how he styled, and and he'd lost his confidence in in how to dress. And he had money, you know. This guy was a lawyer working for a for a bank, South African guy. And and there's a lot like that, that they've got a bit of money, but they just they don't know, they just need to be listened to. So yeah, we run styling services uh uh as well with external uh stylists, they come into the store, they book sessions, uh, and then uh the harnessing actually is is online, trying to replicate it online um the the uh in a way that the customer is responsive to. Um so you know 60 uh plus percent of our business is online. Right. Uh so it it it's a it's a challenge that we haven't yet uh succeeded in of how you uh ensure that customers are uh sort of responded to, listened to, and styled online. And there's lots of sort of gizmos, but nothing that really gets close to matching that in-store energy experience. Uh and and this is if you say often in store we say, let's have some fun, you know, let's try some things on and have some fun. And it doesn't matter whether you're sort of old, young, short, fat, you know, um, you know, divorced, happily married, you know, whatever it is, to just you will style you and make make sure you you enjoy the experience, and at the end of it, you um uh you um you you look better, you know, you look sexier as a result.

SPEAKER_00 15:45

Yeah, and then your confidence gets a boost at the same time, the old-fashioned retail therapy. I was I just made a quick note because you mentioned Gile back there. It just jarred jarred a memory that when I went on a date about 15 years ago, I came all the way to London for this date, and the date was going so well, at least I thought. And uh, and at the end I went to you know say we should do this again, you know, that awkward exchange at the end of the night. And she said, Well, look, I I gotta tell you, you know, you've not made enough effort. I said, What do you mean? I came all the way from Huntington. I think you know, this is like an hour and a half here and an hour and a half back. She goes, Well, look, you can see I've dressed up for the occasion and you've come wearing a gile. Brilliant. Never worn a gile since. Yeah, yeah, scarlet to say.

SPEAKER_01 16:37

But that's right, there is a sort of yeah, there's a style that that we're sort of a bit anti, and yeah, Gile's one of them.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

Well, you mentioned the website, um, neemlondon.com, by the way, will put the the website in the show description so people can check that out. I mean, it's it it's very intuitive. I like all the the collections, like just the starter kit, for example. You have all of the the photos. Again, the photos are honest, you know, just drinking a pint outside the pub. They're nothing catwalky. Uh, I just feel like this is uh you know a very easy way to approach the brand because you've got so many of the the staple pieces. I mean, was that also intentional to have like the key pieces that you could play in and out with different outfits?

SPEAKER_01 17:17

Yeah, I mean the the the three key things is that for us are versatility, um secondly transseasonal. So a lot of the products are sort of um uh you can almost wear all year. So we sell a lot of overshirts and and and mid-layer product for winter, but that mid layer product then becomes a top layer for summer. And then and then thirdly, that yeah, it it's we have pops of colour in accessories and and then um the the odd top, but but generally it's a fairly sort of easy wearing palette. Uh and uh so uh it it it it and also it just suits a small brand where you know the the the the sell through on product is is slower as you you can imagine as a as a large brand. So you have to be careful with not buying too deeply into high summer product or too deeply into deep winter product. Um so it has to be a more of a a sort of nine-month product, um, which um and then that nine-month product can be styled in a in a slightly different way in deep winter and and high summer.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

Yeah, I mean, it can be such a tightrope. I mean, I I remember when I was running a closed shop that I've spoken to you about many times, yeah. The the whole sense of season, you know, this spring-summer campaign, autumn winter campaign, and it was really locked into these quarters. And like you say, you you could just miss a spring. I feel like we've even missed a spring now because we had the heat wave just a few weeks, uh just about a week ago, and it feels like that could have been the nice cool part that would lead us into the summer. And now I'm like, well, I've looked at my spring jackets in the wardrobe, I've not even got my spring jackets out now. I'm just straight into camp collar t-shirts and you know, and my free quarter shorts.

SPEAKER_01 19:03

Yeah, I think it's important to as a small branch of design products breathable. Um, and uh, you know, we only use you know natural fibers and and products that don't require a lot of washing and generally are you know odor resisting, breathable, um, and and as a result, because it's breathable, it can be worn for, as I say, nine months of the year. I think as we grow and develop as a brand, and we're starting to do that already, we are buying a few more high summer sort of short-sleeved products and then a few more um heavy knit wear. Um, but that that generally um the the the wardrobe of a man does not change that much for nine months of the year, I don't think. I I think I think when they're on holiday, of course, that that they're dressing in a in a slightly softer way, um, and that sort of average sort of guy wears a linen shirt, um, uh, and then indeed winter that they're they're that they're dressing in a slightly different way. But beyond that, that there's a lot of there's a lot of products uh and styles that are that are that are that are trans-seasonal.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

We're talking of products. Are you is there any product range that you haven't done yet that you might be looking into? Uh I couldn't find any trainers on your website unless they might be hit.

SPEAKER_01 20:21

We sell well, we sell some trainers in the stock from uh from a another brand from a friend of mine called Stefan, who has a brand called Vin, uh and they've been stocked in. I think we've had him in the show. Yeah, yeah. So he he he he he he he's always we've always stocked his product. We like that product a lot. And we've tried other trainers, Sam Martin, um, but I don't think we'll go into trainers. I think that the areas for us that we want to develop are um a coat, a sort of a wool coat, uh that that that uh is important, uh a raincoat, um, some some swimwear, I'd like us to do some shorts, uh, and then heavy, heavy sort of knitwear straight cardigan. So I as I say, it is product that then goes out into that coats, heavy wool coats that you're really wearing for for you know three, four months of the year, and then that they're sort of locked away from the moths the rest of the year. Right. And then the same with the with the with the swim shorts and and shorts, although increasingly dad wears shorts all year, don't they?

SPEAKER_00 21:24

Especially the work from home guys. Um yeah. Well, listen, Nick, great talking to you as always. We're gonna be a little bit tight for time on the Zoom. They like to kick us out without warning, I'm afraid. But just want to give the website one last plug, neemlondon.com. Um where can people find you on the socials as well?

SPEAKER_01 21:43

Yeah, you go uh uh me if if you want to connect with me, if you need any advice or or or ideas or suggestions if you're just thinking of starting or or running a brand, uh I'm Nick Reed on LinkedIn, and then uh on Instagram we're neem Londoner, is is the best way of getting in touch with us there. And then yeah, if you um if you fancy some neem, just just use the code friends of neme15 for for 15% off.

SPEAKER_00 22:12

Nice, excellent. Okay, we'll put all of those in the in the show description. Nick, always great catching up and uh hopefully be in the shop soon next time I'm in town.

SPEAKER_01 22:21

Brilliant. All right, thanks for cheers.

SPEAKER_00 22:23

Thanks, Nick. You've been listening to the Menswear Style podcast. Be sure to head over to menswearstyle.co.uk for more menswear content and email info at menswearstyle.co.uk if you would like to be a future guest on the show. Finally, please help support the show by leaving a review on iTunes or wherever you're listening to this podcast. Until next time.