Slater menswear celebrates 20 years in Bolton town centre

Slater Menswear was originally located on Oxford Street, but moved to the current location five and a half years ago.

Mark Howard, from Bolton, has managed the store ever since it opened.

After working for the company for 15 years first in its Manchester store and then in Nottingham he was thrilled to have the chance to open a store in his hometown.

Slater Menswear on Deansgate (Image: Newsquest) Mark said: "There's customers that I've grown up with. I was 16 when I started with the business and came on through.

"They've come and shopped with us for the customer service, for what we're renowned for, and they've remained loyal.

"They've been our adverts and passed on the word.

"We're not just like your everyday fare store, people recommend us like a good restaurant or a good hotel.

"Genuinely, we do trade on our reputation, and hence why our standards are so exacting, so high."

Mark says that although the menswear industry has changed so much over the last two decades, the business has kept up with the changing world of fashion.

Formal wear on display in Slater Menswear (Image: Newsquest) He said: "We do carry an awful lot of casual wear as well, so the percentage of space granted now has shifted slightly.

"Suit wearers now are more for weddings, occasions, graduations... rather than for an everyday work suit.

"We trade on our reputation, people trust us.

"I've just had a gentleman in today who predates this branch here, he's been shopping with us for 30 years.

"A lot of our customers started life in the Manchester store."

Originally on Oxford Street, Slater Menswear moved to Deansgate five and a half years ago (Image: Newsquest) Looking back, Mark is proud that the business has been part of Bolton for so long and is hopeful for the future with the town centre's redevelopment.

Crompton Place shopping centre is due to be demolished this summer, which he hopes will increase footfall in the town centre.

Mark said: "The close links we've got with the town hall square, the footfall that's going to be frequenting now Primark's being relocated to the Market Place there.

"The hub of hopefully what will be in the Crompton Place there – our accessibility has never been better."

Mark says the Bolton store is busier than the ones in Nottingham, Canterbury and Bristol.

Slater expanded the Bolton store 18 months ago at a time when many other businesses are cutting back.

Slater's Bolton store is one of their busiest and expanded 18 months ago to fit a wider range of casual wear (Image: Newsquest) READ MORE: The Bolton News Best Coffee Shop 2024 shortlist announced

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Mark puts part of their success down to their free tailoring with a suit purchase but, above all else, their customer service.

He said: "My little line to the staff is that the three most important things in Slaters is customers, customers, customers.

"I get a lot of people applying for jobs here, a small percentage make it.

"You just see something within them. Of course, they have to be outgoing, they have to be conversationalists.

"But it's that warmth as well, it's that empathy, empathetic stance that we're really looking for.

"We do not want at all cut throat sales people – it's not what we're about.

"We're customer service and, as a by-product of that, the sales come."