Jack Wills

Jack Wills is a British chain of high end retail stores that stock clothing and accessories. The Jack Wills brand is wholly owned by Jack Wills Ltd which is a private UK Limited Company. The Jack Wills' registered office and original store is located at 22 Fore Street, Salcombe, Devon.The chain currently has 29 stores, 5 of which are located in London. The managing director of the chain is Peter Williams, whose grandfather, Jack Wills, gives the name to the company.

Brand

The label is promoted as a ‘lifestyle brand’, like its competitor Abercrombie and Fitch and similarly, Jack Wills has created a lifestyle based on a preppy, public school culture. Their retail outlets reflect this aspirational lifestyle with luxury store layouts and their advertising (such as in the Handbooks), which feature young university-age models participating in various activities stereotypically associated with this lifestyle, such as countryside walks. On the website, visitors who have created an account can reserve copies of classic books recommended by the company, can find out about Jack Wills varsity polo events and can view galleries on Jack Wills’ parties. Account-holders can also post messages on the website’s message board. This shows how Jack Wills' is promoted as a lifestyle, not merely a retailer.

Products

Its products are aimed at the higher end of the market, as many of its clothing and accessories retail at relatively high prices. The chain calls its string of stores ‘University Outfitters’ due to the store locations; many are located in university towns and many of the advertising campaigns feature university-age students to target that particular market.

Jack Wills' retail products can be viewed via a catalogue, either online or in a printed copy. They are named ‘handbooks’ and are released each season, named the Autumn Handbook, the Spring Handbook and the Summer Handbook. Jack Wills’ clothes and accessories are marketed as classically ‘British’ in style, and inspired by traditional British heritage. A wide variety of products are sold including vintage sportswear, beachwear and leisure wear. Typical ranges in ladieswear include hoodies, shirts, polos, knitwear, skirts, blazers, underwear, jeans and outerwear, amongst others. Typical ranges in menswear include similar selections, but also feature rugby shirts.

Jack Wills also sells accessories for both genders, including scarves, belts, gloves, hats and ties. Scarves are more than often striped and mimic academic scarves, similar to those worn in the colleges of Oxbridge.

Stereotypes

Jack Wills’ ranges are similar to its competitor, American brand Abercrombie and Fitch. It is known for its ‘public school’ and ‘preppy’ style, due to its expensive products, which are not usually affordable to everyone. This has therefore led to its connotations of ‘public school’ attire – customers are stereotyped as likely to attend a public school (also called an independent school). Jack Wills’ also has affiliations with polo, a sport stereotypically considered to be played and watched by the upper class.