Jean shop adds to retail repertoire

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 388, 28 May 1991, Page 6

Jean shop adds to retail repertoire

New to Ruapehu this winter but with familiar faces to many is Jean City, which opens its doors in Clyde Street Ohakune this week.

Jackie Shera has been coming to the mountain from when Turoa was started as a major ski area and has often thought of the possibility of setting up a branch of her "Jean

City" casua! clothing store. Returning to Ohakune to run the town's new Jean City is Jan Bunn who, as Jan Oakley, was brought up here by her parents John and Irene who used to farm here. Jan has many friends still here including ski instructor and old school mate Ali Thompson who is going to work alongside Jan in the shop in the busy times and will run the shop up until the snow falls. The new Jean City is born out of an 18 year history of Taranaki casual clothing shops. Jackie Shera opened her first store after her children started school and she was looking for new horizons. "That was back at the beginning of the jeans boom and it was such a modern thing to do, to sell jeans for men and women in one shop," said Jackie. "And the idea is still going strong." Jackie has had shops in Hawera, Waitara and New Plymouth and currently operates a store, managed by Jan Bunn, in the New Plymouth Centre City shopping complex. Jan's background is strong too, with seven year's experience and product knowledge, which Jackie says is very important in the business. "We have many people who come back again and again to buy clothing from Jan in our New Plymouth store because she knows the product and what will suit people," said Jackie. She said she firmly believes in staff training on how to help the customer and that includes product knowledge courses as well as courses on dealing with customers and how to help them choose what's best for them. "The days of 'can I help you' are long gone," said Jackie. The main label in Jean City will be Levi's, including the traditional 501 style, with a whole range of Levi products. Also available will be top jean lables Corfu, Lee, Bendigo Blues, Dachet and Part II. Casual/lifestyle clothing is the theme, with jeans, shirts, sweat shirts, skirts and tops and Leisure suits on offer as well as a wide range of accessories.