Petite shop owner finds designer clothes to fit.
A JEWELLERS has had a makeover and has branched out into selling clothes for petite women. Janet Field Jewellers, in Green Lane, made the move after the owner experienced frustration in finding clothes to fit her correctly in the High Street.Measuring just under five feet, Janet Field saw a gap in the market and decided to add a petite clothing range to the jewellery and watch repairs available at the shop.Miss Field said:"Having struggled for many years to find clothes that fit properly, and becoming fed up with always having to turn up sleeves and hems and shortening straps, I found somewhere where the clothes fitted me without any alterations"I knew I was not the only petite person in Derby and decided these were the clothes I wanted to sell in my shop," she said.The clothes are specially designed for women who stand under 5ft 3in and range in size from six to 16.Four different designers have developed the range, which is branded Petite Affair. It will be available exclusively in Derby through Miss Field's shop.She said: "The feedback we're getting from customers is how good it is to have somewhere that specialises in petite wear and there is a good selection to choose from."My jewellery is different from the High Street stores and so are the clothes," she said.
Big future in thinking small
NEW VENTURE: Janet Field, in her Green Lane jewellers premises (also pictured below) which is being refurbished to make room for a new range of clothing for petite women. She is currently holding a sale.AFTER 40 years in business, a Derby jeweller is refurbishing its premises in order to start selling clothes for petite women.Janet Field Jewellers in Green Lane is investing in the shop in order to devote half of its retail space to clothing.The move comes after owner Janet Field got fed up looking for properly proportioned clothes for petite women and decided that there was a big gap in the market for petite clothing.Measuring just under five feet tall herself, Miss Field was inspired to her shop's new move after becoming frustrated in her search for clothes for women of small stature on the High Street. She said: "There is nowhere in the city that stocks clothes exclusively for petite women and, on the High Street, the measurements for petite ranges are often wrong."For most clothes shops, petite means tall and skinny, so you still have to have alterations made to clothes so that they fit."I've had a number of people in the shop who have experienced similar problems," she said.The clothes in Janet's shop will be designed for women who measure under 5ft 3in tall and range in size from six to size 16. "What most clothing retailers don't realise is that shorter women come in a variety of different shapes and they want clothes that fit properly," said Miss Field.Jewellery will still be available and watch repairs will be carried out at the shop."But a number of display cases are being removed to make way for the rails of clothing."Four different designers have developed the range which is branded Petite Affair and will be available exclusively through the Janet Field's shop. A changing area will also be created at the shop.The business is currently holding a refurbishment sale prior to the work to accommodate new clothing range being carried out.This is the first time in five years that the jewellers has had a makeover, the last time being when Miss Field took over from her father, John, and gave the shop a more modern look.Mr Field first started operating the Green Lane shop in 1970 after manufacturing jewellery for a variety of city jewellers.He retired in 2004 after working as a jeweller in Derby for some 60 years.Miss Field said: "Dad is quite excited about the changes being made to the shop because it represents another way forward for the business."You have to do things differently to keep business moving forward and to stay one step ahead," she said.When jewellers John Field and Daughter became Janet Field and Father just before Valentines Day this year, it wasn’t just the name that was turned around. Rarely has a shop undergone such a metamorphosis as 54 Green Lane.
Gone are the bars on the windows and the buzzer to gain admittance. Gone too is the sombre interior, replaced with a light, colourful and attractive space that customers are warming to.
“Virtually everyone who comes in has a positive comment to make about the shop,” said owner Janet Field. “The main difference between the new outlet compared to the old one is that it’s so much easier to look around and there is much more on display for people to see,” she said.
There are a couple of easy chairs and a coffee machine in the corner and the shop has a very contemporary and relaxed feel. However, the philosophy that has underpinned the success of the family business for so many years remains unchanged. “What we have always done is offer an exclusive range of jewellery that cannot be found elsewhere. “There is no sense in offering the same stock as big high street jewellers so that what we carry has to be original and interesting,” said Janet.
In fact, she is so protective of her exclusivity that it is her policy to stop stocking ranges that become available elsewhere in Derby, even when they have proved popular. Janet understands that the success of her business depends largely on being able to offer items otherwise unavailable on the high street.
A case in point is the highly original range of Venetian glass jewellery she has on display. Lovely chunky rings and bracelets with attractive patterns in vibrant colours have proved popular and Janet has increased her stock in time for Christmas. As a contrast to fun pieces such as the Venetian glass, there are delicate earrings and necklaces in sterling silver. Likewise, traditionally hand-crafted jewellery in gold or silver, diamonds and other precious stones happily share the shop with pieces in less conventional materials such as fabric, stone or enamel.
“There are finer pieces for which you could pay anything up to £10,000, but one of my main aims is to make attractive jewellery more affordable and accessible for everyone,” said Janet.
“The Swarovski crystal sets in silver are stunning and you can be wearing around 18 carats in diamonds for a fraction of the cost,”explained Janet. Although Janet shies away from stocking items from well-known manufacturers, Swarovski and watchmaker Junghans are notable exceptions. “Swarovski jewellery and Junghans watches are something of an exception. This is not a brand shop because if it were we would lose our exclusivity and be like everyone else. Having said that, these watches are really original, solar powered, scratch proof and are very affordable,” said Janet. The Swarovski jewellery and Junghans watches do both epitomise the kind of original and desirable products that the business has made its speciality.
For the uninitiated, Junghans manufacture radio-controlled watches, meaning that they adjust automatically via a radio signal that sends the time, as told by one of the world’s most accurate caesium-based clocks, directly to your wrist. A microprocessor in the watch decrypts the radio signal and a stepping motor adjusts the time accordingly. The upshot is that Junghans watches boast a deviation of only one second in a million years. This makes them one of the most accurate wristwatches in the world and an appropriate gift for anyone who is either a stickler for punctuality or, alternatively, has serious time management issues.
There are other high quality timepieces including ladies’ and gentlemen’s Skagen watches, designed and made in Denmark. “What makes these watches different is the contemporary design and how thin the case is, making them very stylish and easy to wear,” said Janet. The eclectic stock arrives from numerous sources, but much of what is available at Janet Field and Father comes from closer to home. “There are pieces that are produced in the region and are unavailable anywhere else in the world,” said Janet
The Independent on Sunday 13th February 2011
More companys find a break with the traditional '& Sons' helps them stand out
By Jessica Winch
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Jason Alden
Davies & Daughters are a building contractors
Robert Duffy can think of 30 different occasions on which people have stopped him in a London street. Tourists approach him holding cameras. Americans, he notes, are particularly fond of having their photograph taken with him and his van.
Mr Duffy, 47, has not appeared on Big Brother, in a film, or as a colourful character in EastEnders. Instead, it is his van that attracts the attention. Or rather, the company name printed on its side: R Duffy & Daughters Ltd. "Since I set up this company, I can't tell you how many people ask about the name," he says. "I pick up work from it. People see the van in traffic and remember the name, then give us a call."
Mr Duffy chose the name for the personal touch – he has two girls, aged eight and 12, at least one of whom he hopes will one day join him in the business – and because he thought it was unusual. He's right – figures from Companies House show that in December last year there were 15,184 companies with "& Son" or "& Sons", compared with 156 names ending with "& Daughter" or "& Daughters".
The reasons for this startling difference are a mystery, especially as it is often easier for women to thrive in family firms than in large corporations. Research from the bank Coutts & Co in 2005 showed that women are 50 per cent more likely to achieve board-level success in their careers within family businesses. The Government Equalities Office (GEO) is mystified (the issue is such a fresh one that it has never looked into it), as are leading businesswomen in the UK.
While the number of companies that include daughters in the name remains small, they have increased 32 per cent over the past four years. The types of business vary, from breakdown recovery to building restoration to the UK's leading provider of gourmet salad dressings. Some daughters are co-founders or employees of the firm; other companies, like R Duffy & Daughters Ltd, are named in honour of young daughters who may join in the future. Suzanne Hearnden-Smith, who established Hearnden & Daughters Funeral Directors in Middlesex, chose the name to emphasis a feminine, sympathetic element that she believes is crucial to the company's success.
The scarcity of daughters in company names has the added bonus of attracting noticeable consumer attention. "I recognise the marketing value," says Ms Meaden. "You do register the '& Daughters' because it's different."
And Bethany Morgan, from W Morgan & Daughters Recovery Services in Kent, says: 'One of the main reasons we decided on our company name was to stand out. We thought it would help people remember us."
Janet Field & Father
Jewellers (used to be John Field & Daughter Jewellers), Derby. Owned and run by Janet Field, 50, father John Field, 81, still involved. He owned the business previously
Janet "Dad started the business over 50 years ago. We have been in the same location for 40 years. I got involved when I was 12, when I had a Saturday job. I went to college, learning jewellery design and manufacturing, then worked in Bond Street and Knightsbridge. In 2000, I decided to come full-time into the shop. It seemed the right time. The name changed when Dad retired six years ago; I totally revamped the shop. I'm surprised there are so few parent-daughter firms. If you've only got daughters and you want the business to carry on, you don't think about it, it's natural."
Bryan Williamson & Daughters
Restoration and preservation for listed houses. Owned by Bryan Williamson, 57; two of his four daughters, Kelly (26) and Lauren (23) Williamson, work for him
Bryan "I set up the business 20 years ago. When the girls were young they'd come into the workshop and ask to help. They left school and went to do other jobs. Then one called and asked to come for a few weeks and earn a bit of money, and never left. We renovate Grade I and Grade II listed buildings. People tend to have a macho image of the building industry, but I've got another apprentice girl as well. Two of my daughters have worked with me for about four years.
"Lauren does painting, decorating, brickwork, and plastery. Kelly has taken time off because she's had a baby but her speciality is restoring doors. To be honest, there's not a lot they can't do. We've always been a close family – my wife does the accounts. We employ eight people full-time, and business is going well. People ask me if I wish I had sons, but I was blessed with four daughters and I get on with them."
Davies & Daughters
Building contractors, London. Run by Trevor Davies, 60. Two daughters work for him full-time: Ashley, 25, and Lauren, 23
Trevor "I've been running the firm for some years now but I changed the name about five years ago when my daughters started working for me. It used to be Davies & Sons – I took over from my dad. Building is not normally something that girls go into, but you see a difference now."
Lauren "I've been working for my dad since I was 19. We're family, so he knows we can be trusted. Ashley's usually on site, and I work from the office at home. People are surprised at the name – they ask if it's a gimmick."
Ashley "Often I'm the only woman on site, but I think the clients like it. One day my dad was desperate for a painter. I loved it so much I carried on, and learnt wallpapering and spraying cornices. I'd like to take it over from my dad, but I can't see him retiring any time soon."
Hearnden & Daughters
Funeral directors, Middlesex. Established by Suzanne Hearnden-Smith in 1998 with financial guidance from her father. Suzanne, 33, now runs the business with her husband, Lee, and they have two small daughters
Suzanne "Hearnden sounds like my father – I wanted some history. But the daughters give it a feminine touch. A lot of funeral directors are male-oriented businesses, and we find we are a lot more sympathetic. I have three sisters who were also going to join, but they went different ways. I set the business up with my father in 2007, but I bought the company from him and I run it. Now I have two daughters, which works well with the name. My seven-year-old, Charlotte, has shown an interest in the business, and Rebecca is four. If they took it over that would really be amazing.
"I think it's a big risk to put '& Daughters' – it's always '& Sons'. But it has actually served us well. A lot of people have chosen us because of the '& Daughters'. We have men that carry the coffins, but women run the front end of the company and see everything through from start to finish. We provide a sympathetic arm around the shoulder, and often occasions end with a lot of the family hugging us. It is an honour to be part of their day."
Mary Berry & Daughter Ltd
Buckinghamshire. Salad dressings and sauces. Set up and run by chef Mary Berry, 75, and her daughter, Annabel Bosher, 39
Mary "My husband always said my salad dressing was the best and asked why didn't I make it commercially. I was doing a television programme at the time and was terribly busy, and Annabel said she would do it if I gave her the recipe. She went off to the Royal Show with 300 bottles, rented a stand, and sold the lot. Now our products are available nationally in supermarkets and farm shops. We make salad dressings, sauces, chutneys, and now cake mixes."
Annabel "I've always loved Mum's dressings, I made them in the kitchen and designed the labels. We work from my parents' house. I've just had my third child so juggle the business with my children. My son is interested in the firm, but my husband has a six-generation building company and the boys might join him. It's up to them."
