One of the great things I love about living in London is contrast.
I walk out my front door, turn right, and I walk towards a fancy neighbourhood, with fancy restaurants, fancy bars and the like. If I walk out of my front door and turn left, it’s a completely different story.
There’s plenty of examples of contrast in London, as there probably is in all major cities.
Retail shops is another example. The Apple store on Regent St is my favourite store in the world, and arguably one of the greatest stores on the planet. This is a big call, but the store is amazing. They run continual product workshops, give you good advice, and create such a strong customer experience. I could spend a week there.
By contast, have a look at these pictures of my local DIY store. For starters, you have to press a doorbell to get into the shop. If the shop owner actually hears you – he’s about 80, and a little hard of hearing – he’ll open the door for you. But he will look geniunely annoyed about it.
Once you are allowed in, the place is a mess. If you have a close look at the front wondow, you can see a mountain of old hammers, nails and other sad-looking tools. And the whole shop is like that. Literally mountains of stuff in absoloutely no order whatsoever. The aforementioned owner is rude and has no desire to serve you. It’s almost laughable.
If you are looking to create a world class retail store, you should definately come to London and see the Apple store.
By contrast, check out this DIY store while you are here as well (132 Balls Pond Road, if you’re truly interested). It’s a comical example of what not to do.
