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New West End Company launches first ever West End Knowledge Quiz

July 28 2008

An innovative new marketing scheme is being launched in London’s West End. 100,000 shop floor staff are being targeted by many of the 600 retailers on Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street to become West End experts by undergoing “The West End Knowledge”.  A fact-laden trivia test, The West End Knowledge embraces the London cabbie’s concept of “The Knowledge”.

New West End Company’s initiative has been embraced by some of the streets’ leading retailers including Selfridges, Boots, Debenhams, House of Fraser and Banana Republic. The West End Knowledge scheme requires retail staff to swot up on the competition, with the shop floor team at Liberty now required to learn facts about Selfridges, and equally staff in John Lewis Oxford Street being required to “gen up” on Aquascutum.  

Jace Tyrrell of New West End Company said: “We realised that our greatest marketing tool is the shop floor staff so, together with the retailers, we put together a scheme that could embrace “Shop Word Of Mouth Marketing” or SWOMM. In this economy, every shopper counts so a scheme that promotes the wider benefits of the district and that encourages cross shopping and return visits seems a shrewd thing to do.”

Tim Danaher, Editor of Retail Week added: “It’s almost unprecedented to see retailers in an area this size come together on a marketing initiative like this. We forget that the West End is a retail community like any other, although on a much larger scale – exceeding Paris and Rome’s retail combined! Encouraging retail staff to engage with their customers about the West End, will not only improve their experience of the West End but also inspire them to stay longer and ultimately spend more.”

The West End Knowledge was put together for New West End Company by London experts including Kevin Braddock, Contributing Editor of GQ magazine, Alexa Baracaia, London Arts & Entertainment Expert and Christopher Winn, author of “I Never Knew That About London”.

To test your West End knowledge and win prizes visit www.newwestendknowledge.com


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