Jarrolds’ history as a much-loved Norfolk institution began well over 200 years ago, in 1770. The Baroque-style architecture of the family-run department store is hard to miss as it sits on the corner of London Street and Exchange Street in Norwich. Today the business has evolved far beyond its origins, encompassing a diverse portfolio of assets and properties.
LL: “Jarrolds began as a grocer and draper in 1770, based in Woodbridge, Suffolk. From there the business evolved into agriculture and then, later, into printing.”
In 1840, with the expansion of the printing and publishing business, Jarrold moved to its current location in Norwich. By the early 1900s the retail business had been established.
LL: “Over the years, the publishing side of the business has declined, so now we have the retail stores, as well as Jarrold Training and Jarrold Facilities Management.
“I have always found business interesting in this sense, because there are many hands in different pies. We have a pretty diversified portfolio.”
TB: “The current elements of the company have also changed over time. The closure of the printing industry has freed up a lot of land to develop. So now we have a lot of properties [St James Place], and the facilities management business started from there. Our retail website has also evolved tremendously as consumer habits have changed; allowing people to shop with us in the comfort of their own homes.
“And more recently we bought a logistics business, which was an obvious progression alongside the retail business.”
It’s clear that diversification has been key to Jarrold’s longevity, but there’s an undeniable warmth to the Jarrold name and brand, which fosters a loyal following. What else has kept Jarrolds successful for so long?
LL: “We have very loyal customers; our reputation in Norwich and the county is well known and appreciated. We have invested heavily in making our stores a social hub, a place to meet friends and spend a day, rather than just a shop.”
TB: “Absolutely. The Jarrolds store is moving away from being product-led to becoming experience-led. The store itself is also part of the experience; It’s a beautiful building and people really appreciate it.”
Tom is referring to the range of hospitality offered to visitors to Jarrolds; with four restaurants, a wine bar and a café, as well as regular book signings and beauty demonstrations in their events calendar, Jarrolds is a notable destination. Jarrolds’ e-commerce site has also evolved over time to offer access to more products, allowing customers to shop from the comfort of their own home.
However, achieving diversification requires the support and commitment of both employees and stakeholders. With a workforce of over 360 people, how does the Jarrolds team ensure they are involved in this journey?
LL: “There is certainly an agreement on this among the colleagues who work here [change] Who we are and what we do. Change can be very difficult for some people, but we tend to find that people understand what we are trying to do.
“We always say Jarrolds is big enough that we can be very successful and make our mark in Norfolk, but small enough that they know us and we have that closeness.”
TB: “I think it’s really important, don’t you? We always aim to be fair, transparent and communicate well.”
Jarrolds has always had a strong presence in the community and this still remains a priority for the company. Where did the decision to invest in the local community come from?
TB: “I think it’s rooted in our presence in Norfolk. We want to be part of the community and this feeling comes from the Jarrold family and has spread through the company.
LL: “One of our values here is ‘doing the right thing.’ With StoreFolk, for example, supporting local small businesses to give them a platform to grow seemed like the right thing to do for our colleagues in the city who do retail, and this ties into the charity work too.
TB: “It’s something we’re very careful about; It’s not always about what will bring us the most profit, but what is the right thing to do? It’s one of the reasons Jarrolds is loved as much as he is now, because he’s always had that mentality.
TB: “Retail and other aspects of the business have been relatively separate for quite a long time, but are now run more coherently. Regarding employee benefits, in particular, there were some moments with different brokers, no brokers, or renewals at different times of the year, so it was quite difficult to understand whether we were offering the right things.
“We wanted to look at things more holistically with a single broker and understand whether we were getting value from what we provided. We sent out a formal tender and selected three insurance brokers.”
TB: “There was an energy behind the people we met [from ABG], and you may see that you won’t let things move forward every year. We heard it [ABG] we would be tenacious on our part and make sure you get the right insurance at the right level and not just accept what an insurer tells you.
LL: “The fact that [ABG are] local and also heavily invested in the local community was certainly a differentiator.
When we looked at the panel of brokers, the fact that ABG aligned with our values and cared about the local community was a key element in the decision, along with the fact that [ABG] we can offer all the services we need under one roof, which will help us take a consistent approach to the complexities of protecting our business.
As broker, ABG will manage insurance, risk mitigation and employee benefits for the entire Jarrolds portfolio. By entrusting us with this process, we can take a comprehensive look at the insurance and benefits already in place to create a consistent approach across the Group that ensures Jarrolds is adequately protected and provides employees with adequate benefits to support them.
In 2023, Jarrolds celebrated his 200th anniversary of “Norfolk”. While history shows us that the secret to Jarrolds’ success is the evolution and adaptability of his staff, we won’t ask Tom and Laura to predict the next 200 years! And the next 10 – 20 years?
TB: “There’s no denying that retail is going through a tough time, but we continue to invest heavily in the store to ensure it remains a staple in the mainstream market. The strength of the brand is incredibly high and we are evaluating how to extend it [the brand] in different areas. I won’t reveal anything else, but there’s a lot to be excited about!”