SPONSORED PROFILE: CATCHING UP WITH DENIM BRAND JACK OF SPADES

Q: How’s business?

Daniel Mann: Terrific! Our company has seen tremendous growth from when our family took it over in 2011.

Q: Why do you think that is?

Gabe Mann: There are several reasons. First of all, we keep our prices below the $200 mark; the core of our jeans retail between $165 and $185, giving retailers 70%+ markups.

Daniel: Another success secret is the extraordinary fabrics we’ve developed that stretch to perfection. While there’s lots of stretch fabrics in the denim market, few of them retain their shape whereas the shape retention of our denim is exceptional. Men today want denim that’s both clean and comfortable. What’s great about our denim is that it can be worn all day: from a breakfast meeting to a cross-country flight to a business conference to a night on the town. These jeans look great dressed up with a sportcoat but they’re also incredibly comfortable.

Gabe: Not to brag but great specialty retailers like Don from At Ease on the West Coast has pronounced our denim the best there is, proclaiming “Jack of Spades is the best-selling brand of denim I’ve ever carried in my store. My gentlemen customers love the High Roller fit, or for a straighter leg, the Jack fit. You cannot go wrong with either of these two styles: once guys wear it, they come back to buy more. Another huge asset: I have the Jack of Spades brand as an exclusive in my region.”

Daniel: It’s true: we give retailers exclusivity, we do not sell on the same block, we do not sell online or to off price stores, so our retailers can have complete control of our product without worrying that their customers are buying follow up jeans or discounted jeans online. We’ve also created a fabulous ad campaign with Joseph DeAcetis, former fashion director of Forbes magazine, who’s incredibly creative with a true passion for men’s fashion.

Gabe: Another success secret is our in-stock programs in four different fits. Retailers love the consistency of our replenishment program as well as our seasonal fashion. Going into our seventh season, we also added Big and Tall to our collection, something that was lacking in the market at our prices for luxury fabrics. Big and Tall has turned out to be a surprise hit, now generating a nice portion of the business.

Q: Anything else that’s really hot?

Daniel: Our Joker (tapered cut) is doing really well right now, especially in some of the more contemporary stores we now sell.

Q: Finally, what do you think retailers should be doing to improve denim business in their stores?

Gabe: Be creative with display; offer a limited number of great brands that are not overly distributed; make sure basics are on replenishment and test new fashion in time to jump back into it. And maximize your exposure on social media, whether or not you sell online.

Stop by Jack of Spades at Project Las Vegas and check out this very cool collection, booth 33228.