Kyron keogh and grant mitchell web

HOT 100 2013: Kyron Keogh & Grant Mitchell, Rox

They are the rock stars of the Scottish watch and jewellery world, whose stores – taglined ‘diamonds and thrills’ – come complete with red carpet events and permanent champagne bars.

Meet Kyron Keogh and Grant Mitchell, directors of Rox, whose quartet of stylish, breathtaking and deliciously aspirational stores in Glasgow and Aberdeen became a quintet this year with the addition of an Edinburgh flagship. For the launch the duo – along with Raymond Weil – persuaded pop star Labrinth to play a set, proving just how tuned in they are to the modern sense of glamour, a crucial ingredient in the Rox recipe.

“We have always tried to do things differently,” says Kyron. “Our aim is to give customers that extra special experience.

We make a deliberate and conscious effort to focus on every aspect of the customer journey – that is what Rox is all about.”

It works. The 2,500sq ft Edinburgh store adds the UK’s only Laurent Perrier bar to its Thrill Room, which was designed by the same company behind Edinburgh’s five star Hotel Missoni.

Along with the new store, this year has seen Kyron and Grant commit to high-end watches and the effect of having Hublot, Girard-Perregaux, Bell & Ross, Bremont and Montblanc in store has been palpable. “The luxury watch market now accounts for a third of business at Rox and our established reputation for diamonds clearly demonstrates a willingness to spend on items which are once-in-a-lifetime purchases,” says Kyron.

As for the future, Kyron fizzes with excitement. The ink is just drying on the lease agreements for two new stores, marking the retailer’s expansion into England. By October, punters will be able to fall into the glamorous world of Rox in Newcastle and Leeds. The Trinity Leeds store is a first for the company as it will be dedicated solely to the retailer’s ranges of own-brand jewels, but Newcastle’s Monument Mall is where the timepiece magic will happen. While the line up of luxury watch brands was still in the making as we went to press, Kyron told us to expect a similar chorus line to that of the Edinburgh store.

Looks like it’s time to roll out the red carpet once again.

The Retail Titans category was sponsored by Bremont.

You can see the full digital version of the Hot 100 here.

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