Dorothy Perkins
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Dorothy Perkins, whose trading name was inspired by a pink scrambling rose of the same name, is a large British women's clothing retailer, active mostly in the United Kingdom.
It is often known informally as "Dotty P's".
[edit] History
In the 1960s, Dorothy Perkins was controlled by the Farmer family. Staff in the branches could expect regular visits from Alan Farmer, whose avuncular picture was printed in a booklet handed to new employees. Best known for its lingerie, tights, and sleepwear collections, its other clothes had a hard time competing with the more trendy Lewis Separates and Peter Robinson.
One newspaper advertisement for management trainees asked: 'Will curls come in? Will maxis make it?' However, the stores never really got to grips with sixties boutique culture. Author Margret Geraghty who worked there for a while in the late sixties remembers that all the sales staff had to wear nylon uniforms: 'They were cerise with a zip up the front. Forget dolly birds. They looked more like canteen assistants.' The exception was the store manageress, who was permitted to wear her own clothes.
The company ran regular management trainee courses at its head office in Bracknell, Berkshire, where prospective manageresses were taught 'introduction', a mild pressure-selling technique designed to entice customers into buying more than they'd intended. In 1973, British Land bought Dorothy Perkins, and Group Managing Director David Roxburgh took over the company. DP is now owned by the Arcadia Group. It has many retail outlets nationwide.
[edit] External links
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