Focus on Middleton: John Migael

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John Berry

John Migael is a men’s clothes shop situated in the heart of Middleton.

The business was set up by John Berry almost 40 years ago. At that time the shop sold shirts, trousers and ties now it sells everything you could possibly think of including boys wear and shoes.

Mr Berry opened his shop close to the Middleton bus station in 1971, and he is still in the very same building today. However, it has expanded from one unit to three.

When it comes to price Mr Berry would describe the items on offer as “middle of the road” however he insists that having “lots of arrows to the boat” is what makes his shop stand out.

“This is what is missing in lots of town centres. We are a family business, but that doesn’t mean everything, it is the ingredients that we put into it, which are value, quality and service.”

Of course, because the shop has been there for so long it has built up a great reputation with the people of Middleton, but customers from even further a field also keep on coming back. “It is great to see the grandchildren of our customers come in as adults. We don’t go for the one off sale; we have lots of repeat business.”

Mr Berry is a lover of people and conversation and he thinks that is why he loves his job and his business so much, “I like having interaction with people, I enjoy it. I couldn’t do this job if I didn’t like it.”

After many years in the trade there is a reason customers return to John Migael, one which stands out is that Mr Berry knows the measurements of a person without actually measuring them. “Somebody can walk in and I can look at them and know their size.”

Mr Berry appears to run his business by the following motto, “To be perfect isn’t good and to be imperfect isn’t good but to be in the middle is good.”

Surely there must be a tip to running a successful business? “I never felt that I was going to fail. I am a born optimist. Even if I lost everything I think I could hack it in another job!”

On a more serious note, Mr Berry said: “It is the ability to market, from the dressing of windows to the sale of a suit to the very fine details.”

Many people know the shop and the family behind it, which is a nice feeling according to Mr Berry, he said: “I feel part of the community – you can’t beat it.”

When asked what the future holds for the shop Mr Berry said: “I would hope we have plenty more years. Our ingredients of service will hopefully keep us going for another 40 years. I would like it to carry on past my lifetime.