Meet the Scottish business celebrating fifty years of American Express
What’s the secret to keeping a business not just surviving but thriving – for more than 150 years? For John Kinloch Anderson, CEO of tailors and kiltmakers Kinloch Anderson, attention to detail is key: from the skill which goes into the creation of their made to measure Highland dress to the superlative customer experience they provide. “One of our kiltmakers was interviewed by my grandfather: they have worked here for over 60 years,” he says. “That sort of knowledge is hard to replicate!”
And American Express is part of this proud tradition of service. It’s been accepted here for 50 years – and even has its own Kinloch Anderson-designed tartan. “American Express has had a long association with Scotland, starting in 1903,” explains John. “In 1920, they purchased a company called WA Williamson, based in Glasgow and Edinburgh. So, when, in the 1990s, we were asked to design an American Express tartan, it was based on the Williamson Clan tartan, to tie it back to its origins.”
Kinloch Anderson’s own origins began back in 1868, at No 15, George Street, Edinburgh. This is where John’s great-great-great grandfather, William Anderson, founded the company as a bespoke tailoring business. But then, as now, the business grew and adapted. In the 1920s, William Kinloch Anderson successfully expanded into ready-to-wear clothing. Half a century later, in the early 1970s, Douglas Kinloch Anderson recognised the potential of the Far East market and began to export to Japan. Today, Kinloch Anderson has more than 300 shops in the Far East, and these international brand partnerships are a vital part of the business.
But the beating heart of the business is undoubtedly the Edinburgh store. It’s a treasure house of exquisitely made kilts, tartan trousers, jackets, kilted skirts for women, and accessories such as sporrans and sgian dubhs: ceremonial Highland daggers worn in the sock. There’s even a special Kinloch Anderson whisky. Every clothing order is made in-house. Through a viewing window, customers can watch the company’s highly skilled craftspeople working away on the complex and precise process of creating a kilt. Each has their own area of expertise: from measuring through to cutting, sewing, and pressing the kilt’s distinctive pleats.
No two kilts are the same, so every customer journey starts with a conversation. “We will research your name to find the most appropriate tartan for you, and for the occasion,” says John. “Then the exacting details move through to production, where we make a bespoke garment for every single person.” Those customers come from all over the world – and from all walks of life. “There is no one exact type of person, but what they all have in common is they're looking for a high quality of product and also a high quality of service,” says John.
One well-known family have been loyal customers since 1903. “We’ve been fortunate enough to supply various members of the Royal Family over the years and have supplied them with many outfits of Highland dress,” says John. “We hold Royal Warrants of Appointment to the HM The Queen, the late HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, and HRH The Prince of Wales. One of the most special tartans is the Balmoral Tartan, which was designed in 1857 by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, and can only be worn with permission of the reigning monarch.”
Keeping up the company’s exacting standards every day is a complex and challenging business, and John appreciates American Express’ ease of use. “In fact, since it went digital, we’ve only had to have a small amount of communication with American Express, which is a good thing! It just runs along in the background of your day-to-day business, which is exactly what any business wants. We’ve taken part in Shop Small, which seems popular with customers and merchants alike. And while we have a whole variety of customers from different places: the American Express ones are perhaps higher spenders. I think taking American Express offers more choice and more flexibility. And, of course, working with a trustworthy partner is important in today’s world.”
Much has changed since that first American Express transaction back in 1971 – and Kinloch Anderson has embraced the modern world’s rapid shifts while staying true to its principles. John’s looking forward to the new opportunities that digital brings. “Every generation in the business adapted to the world that they found themselves in,” says John. “You have to adapt your business to a degree – but not lose hold of the things that made you special and your business in the first place. Taking American Express has worked for us for 50 years – it might well work for you, too.”
Interested in accepting American Express in your small business or want to learn more about benefits of accepting our cards? Visit the website today to find out more.
