The Yella Manifesto
Disclaimer, this is a fair old beast of a thing to read. Feel free to skim the titles or read the whole damn thing. We can get a little bit carried away sometimes.
Here are our pledges. We will always...
Look after our customers
Yella opened in 2009 and as of writing this manifesto in 2021, we’re still very much here. But we wouldn’t be here without you, our magnificent customers. We will continue to place an emphasis on customer service and put our customers at the centre of everything we do. With this in mind, we will never stop our in-store and online loyalty point systems that offer us a great opportunity to say thanks with rewards.
Make every order special with free gifts and more
Whether you’re buying in store or online, we want to make your bag or parcel opening an exciting event. We’ll never have the spending power of the biggest companies in the world who can strip the price down to its lowest level, but we can use nice packaging and always pledge to give a free gift with every order. This may just be a couple of Twizzlers, it may be a cup of coffee when buying in store, it may be a pin, it may be more. Better than opening a boring brown box right?
Be inclusive of size, age, gender and disability with no judgment
This should be without question a commitment that every retailer makes. We will never discriminate, we will never judge and we will cater our products to absolutely everyone wherever we can. If petite or plus sizes are available on a style in our range, then we will get them. Everyone should be free to wear what they like and this will be the hill we die on.Make fashion fun
Sometimes fashion can be too serious. From our merch to our dungarees, from our smart-casual to our streetwear and beyond; our women’s and men’s wear is enduringly fun but always with bags of style. Brands including Run & Fly, Dangerfield, Cakeworthy, Joe Browns, Hell Bunny and Hot Chocolate design are all serious labels, without taking themselves too seriously.Put smiles on faces
As of writing these promises in March 21, we’re looking back at over a year of the Coronavirus ravaging the UK and world at large. There’s not been all that much reason for cheer and we’ve done our best to make people smile. We’ve sent cheer up packages, offered discounts to many of those effected worse, initiated charitable projects and more. This is not to toot our horn, but to emphasise a commitment to the community and our customers that we will always try to offer some cheer wherever we can.Remain committed to bricks and mortar and Rotherham Town Centre
We started in bricks and mortar in Rotherham town centre, and that is where we will finish. We’re fiercely proud of our town, our shop and the people who people who work within it. While many are abandoning the high street, we are doubling down and investing more in our physical shop than ever before.Be independent and proud
We know our customers. Our customers know us. We are quick. We are agile. And we can make positive changes at the drop of a hat. These things are all possible due us being an independent. We’re never going to dominate the world and that’s quite alright by us. We’ll still be here in 10 years time talking to Bex in our Facebook group, Laura via Instagram and Jamie in the shop.Make your trip worthwhile
Destination, destination, destination. Long gone are the days when a clothes shop was a set of rails, changing rooms and a till. And while this has never been our approach even from our first day of doors opening, we’re now determined to make shopping at Yella Brick Road a more memorable experience than ever before. So, as you walk through the passageway you’ll see a poppy field on the ceiling. Upon opening the door you’ll be confronted by a stunning blossom tree. Want to rest your feet? Take a seat on our yellow Chesterfield sofa. And this is the very tip of the iceberg. Destination retail will now be with us forever.Fans for life, not just when it’s cool…
Were you wearing Grateful Dead t-shirts before they hit the mainstream? Are you still a fan of Breaking Bad now the high street has stopped selling Heisenberg t-shirts? Is Deadpool your hero and not just a logo on a hoody? Have you always adored unicorns and will continue to do so when they stop being a kitsch print? Look, it’s cool to be on trend, but the things you love should always be available even when the mainstream stops loving them. Wear your passion; whether it’s fleeting or forever.Keep variety the spice of life
One customer once referred to us as “a perfectly formed small department store”… and well, we LOVED that… partly because it was a neat turn of phrase, and partly because that’s exactly what we’re aiming to be. In one shopping trip (online or in-store) here’s what you would be able to purchase; a pair of Run & Fly dungarees for her, a Merc Harrington for him, some American candy for the kids, a Lilo and Stitch tee for gran, a bottle of root beer for Grandad, a Stranger Things mug for Uncle Dave, a pair of gummy bear earrings for Aunty Sharon, a rude birthday card for a colleague and a Dr Who pop vinyl for a nephew. And we’ve skimmed the surface. We have thousands of products on the shelves and believe us when we say that the range will only grow. As of writing we have test tube trees, freeze dried ice cream and cereal bowl candles coming in soon.Let us hand you over to our friend Chris Martin to take us out…
Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah, they were all Yella
I came along
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called Yella