The Rise and Fall of Department Stores: Three Customer Experience Lessons from Busbys’

The days of the department store are drawing to a close. While great reminders of such retail establishments still exist—and big names like Harrods are known throughout the world—it’s interesting to remember that every city and town once had its own department stores back in the 1930s.

I was brought up in Bradford, at one time a prosperous city built on the woolen trade. The city boasted two large department stores: Brown Muffs and Busbys’. Busbys’ holds a special place in my heart because that’s where I met my wife, who worked there as a window dresser.

The story of Busbys’ is interesting in another way. It offers a great example of building a business on customer experience. Department stores had their origins in the first part of the twentieth century. They were Aladdin’s caves, especially for women who wanted a safe place to shop and stroll, perhaps meeting friends in the store’s café for a chat and a bite to eat.

Ernest Busby was born in 1870 in London and learned the trade of a linen draper. With this background, he moved to Liverpool, where he expanded his experience into furs and haberdashery. From there, he spotted potential in Bradford—a city with a significant number of affluent residents. In the early 1900s, he opened a store in Bradford and put into practice everything he had learned about retailing, especially the provision of service. His business was so successful that in 1930, he built a huge department store on Manningham Lane, managed by himself as chairman and his three sons as directors.

The family of four managers inspired a logo that became part of the firm’s success. Ernest devised an image of a marching busby bandsman energetically followed by three soldiers. The dynamic logo, with its red jackets, couldn’t fail to attract attention.

In those early days of the 1930s, two types of haberdashery businesses were emerging. First, there was the huge superstore, which depended on efficiency, publicity, and scientific salesmanship. In this model, transactions were automatic—the customer and salesperson were simply cogs in a gigantic machine. The second type was the smaller business, which positioned itself as more homely and personal, supported by a loyal clientele who appreciated personal interest and kindly attention. Service was the mantra of these smaller businesses. Indeed, across the front of the Busbys’ store were emblazoned the words: “The Store With A Friendly Welcome.”

Service was a key element in ensuring the store’s continuous prosperity. It gave the business a personality. Departments within the store were encouraged to develop their own characteristics, creating a particular atmosphere that made each one feel individual. Goodwill was built by paying attention to all customers, as well as by the honorable treatment of suppliers.

In its newsletter, Busbys’ publicly stated that goodwill in their store would be created by:

• Courtesy

• Sincere interest

• Faithful execution of promises

• The just treatment of complaints

• Truth in advertising

• The trouble taken to execute special orders

As with all successful service-based businesses, there were many stories that confirmed these principles. One customer remembered buying a dining table and chairs from the furniture department; a wardrobe mirror had a chipped back. The manager personally replaced it, bringing the new mirror wrapped in a blanket in his own car. Another customer recalled checking a broken watch into the store. The on-site technicians couldn’t mend it, so they sent it to Scotland for repair at no additional cost. Stories like these create legends and legends become an integral part of a brand.

Ultimately, this success sealed Busbys’ fate. In 1958, Debenhams bought the Busbys’ store and continued to trade under the Busbys’ name for the next 15 years. In 1973, Debenhams announced that all its stores would be rebranded with their own name, and the Busbys’ name disappeared. This caused dismay and protests, both in the store and across the city. Predictably, sales declined until 1978, when Debenhams announced it was closing its Bradford store. In a final twist, the building burned down a year later.

So what can we learn from this story about customer experience today? Three lessons stand out:

1. Service is not only part of everything we buy—it is often a key differentiator.

2. Service that involves real people has a much greater impact than service that is mechanical or automated.

3. Large organisations find it difficult—if not impossible—to provide the personal service delivered by real people.