Mothercare
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mothercare | |
|---|---|
| Mothercarelogo.gif | |
| Type | Public (LSE: MTC) |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Headquarters |  Cherry Tree Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 6SH |
| Industry | Retail |
| Revenue | ▲GB£498.5 million (2007) |
| Operating income | ▲GB£22.6 million (2007) |
| Net income | ▲GB£ million (2007) |
| Employees | c. 5,000 |
| Website | Mothercare.com |
Mothercare is a British retailer which specialises in products for expectant mothers and in general merchandise for children up to 8 years old. It operates online, on the high street and out of town, and has over 200 shops in the UK.
The company also operates outside the UK, and as of November 16, 2006 had 307 stores operating in 38 countries.[1]
In 1986 Mothercare along with Bhs and Habitat merged to form Storehouse plc. It bought Childrens World from Boots in 1996, and rebranded all of their superstores Mothercare World stores. In 2000 Bhs was sold and Storehouse reverted to the Mothercare brand.
Mothercare agreed to buy the Early Learning Centre (ELC) in April 2007 for £85 million.[2]
Mothercare now has a sister website called gurgle.com
Mothercare was founded in 1961 when a market was identified for specialised shops offering everything for the parent-to-be and their children under one roof. Today
Mothercare is a multi-channel retail business employing around 5,000 people, and offering the widest range of clothing, hardware and toys for parents-to-be and pre-school children.
The UK store portfolio has in excess of 230 stores, with sizes ranging from 1,400 to 32,000 square feet. Over the last few years Mothercare has made significant investment in the development of our High Street and out-of-town stores, with new formats designed to enhance our customers' shopping experience.
Through their Direct channels, Mothercare ise also able to provide customers with wider access to our range of products and services, through the web site [http:/www.mothercare.com], which is available in all of our UK stores, and for customers who prefer to shop from home, as well as our catalogue, for telephone ordering.
The successful International business operates in 39 countries with 340+ stores, through successful franchise partnerships and is a rapidly expanding part of the business.
Mothercare also runs the Mothercare Charitable Foundation Background. Itwas registered with the Charity Commission on 16th June 2004 and was created in order that Mothercare could have a more focused approach to charitable activities.
The Mothercare Charitable Foundation aims to help parents in the UK and worldwide meet their needs and aspirations for their children and to give their children the very best chance of good health, education, well-being and a secure start in life.
Mothercare plc has made donations to the Foundation from its annual pre-tax profits. The Foundation focuses its donations in the following way:
* Charity of the Year/national donations - the Foundation selects a national charity each year to receive a significant individual donation and supports a number of other national charities that are appropriate to its objectives. Long-term strategic partnerships are also considered with donations being made on an annual basis (subject to review). * Chairman’s fund - this is a fund held in the Chairman’s name that is donated on behalf of the Mothercare team that proposes the most deserving or inspiring charity beneficiary.
Trustees
The trustees of the Foundation are: Karren Brady (chair) Ian Peacock, Ben Gordon and Clive Revett.
