A 56-year-old Elgin menswear store is now looking to secure its future with an always ongoing evolution.
Esquire Clothing was founded in 1968 as The Elgin Drapery by Ghulam Rasul, specialising in denim brands such as Levi’s, Wrangler and Pepe.
Now on High Street, it has since turned its focus on premium bands across the floor, including Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, and Calvin Klein.
After launching online 12 years ago, manager and director Faiz Rasul has continued to focus on the relationship between its customers and products.
He talks about how Esquire tailors to customer needs, keeping up with competition and continuing to evolve.
Quality over quantity for family business, says manager
Faiz grew up as part of the family business helping out at the store at the weekend.
He quickly progressed from the stock room to a salesman in his teens before becoming a buyer and manager.
Faiz said: “I cut my teeth dealing with the major designer brands of the 2000s such as G-Star, Y-3, Armani and Stone Island.
“Esquire has evolved over the decades. We launched online in 2012, relocated to High Street in 2015 and refurbished in 2016.
“The focus remains on product and people, and the relationship between the two.”
Faiz said the business has “thrived” on returning customers over the years due to its quality of staff and product.
He added: “Having a great sales team who are welcoming and pay attention to customers has been vital.
“We have a wide range of options, fits and materials from our brands. The sales team are essential in picking out items for customers.
“We have always put in a lot of effort when it comes to putting together the ranges in the showrooms.
“Just because an item is from a respected label does not automatically qualify it to be stocked at Esquire.
“We will look at the fabric construction, ease of use and compare it to similar styles from other brands before deciding to put it on our shelves.”
Keeping up with the competition
Competition from the large national online operators is intense, according to Faiz.
He believes in order to stay successful, Esquire Clothing has to offer a “unique” experience.
Faiz said: “Large national retailers tend to only take in items which they can sell thousands of units of.
“This means they often don’t stock the best items and shoppers can end up dressed like everyone else.
“As an independent we can take a risk on offering something different. Customers can also try on items and take them home straight away.”
Faiz believes the product and people of the business are what make it unique.
He added: “We let our quality do the talking.
“When it comes to product, we are able to offer a wide range of looks and styles. The business stocks the well known brands and also have more unique, edgy labels.
“Our customers are also what sets apart. Elgin and Moray has such a great mix of people and it’s always good to see that reflected in the shop.
“We have customers who have been shopping with us since they were teenagers in the 1980s and 1990s who now come in to shop alongside their own teenage children.
“It’s a real community and it’s great to see the generations pass through the door.”
Esquire Clothing also has a loyalty card which offers customers £40 off of any full-price item.
Esquire Clothing app-y to help customers
Faiz wants to make sure Esquire always introduces “new and exciting brands” as part of its evergreen evolution.
He believes it’s “vital” to keep updated in order to secure the next 56 years of the business.
Faiz said: “I remember when Bootcut jeans were popular, only to be taken over by skinny jeans — and then they were replaced with straight leg and tapered jeans.
“We are always on the look out for new brands or deciding when to take back brands we have stocked in the past.”
Esquire Clothing is also paying more attention to its online as it expands it audience.
Faiz added: “Our website will be the main focus of investment. It originally launched in 2012 and then we re-booted it in 2021 during lockdown.
“We have recently appointed a new website hosting company who are helping us prepare the site for the future.
“We are also planning to launch an app for the shop, which will give customers quick access to our items.
“It will only ever show them styles that are related to their body shape and preferred colour schemes.”
Conversation