White Stuff Clothing
 | |
| Industry | Retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | Val d'Isère, 1985 as Boys from the White Stuff |
| Founder |
George Treves Sean Thomas |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Products |
Clothing Casual Menswear and Womenswear Accessories |
| Website |
www |
White Stuff is a British fashion and lifestyle brand that sells women’s and men’s clothing, accessories and gifts in over 90 shops in the United Kingdom, via mail-order catalogues and through its website. The brand has become known for its traditional British styles, idiosyncratic boutique stores and innovative marketing campaigns. White Stuff was founded in 1985 when two friends, George Treves and Sean Thomas, decided to form a business to fund their love for skiing. Starting under the name “Boys from the White Stuff”, their printed T-shirts and sweatshirts became instantly popular in the alpine region of Val d'Isère. The pair opened the first White Stuff Clothing store in London in 1991.
History
White Stuff was founded in 1985 by two friends, George Treves and Sean Thomas. Keen skiers, the pair decided to work together to find a way of funding their passion. They devised a business plan to sell T-shirts with abstract motifs that would appeal to skiers. They thought up the name "Boys from the White Stuff" – a play on the title of the popular film and TV series “Boys from the Blackstuff” by Alan Bleasdale. Sean Thomas sold the initial batch of 100 T-shirts very quickly in the company’s inaugural year, whilst George Treves stayed at home in the UK to work on a course at catering college.
The brand became an instant hit, prompting Treves and Thomas to expand their production for the following season. They began printing sweatshirts as well as T-shirts which, according to Treves, “started to gain Alpine kudos as a grass roots level; it had an aspirational value for holidaymakers who had seen ski workers wearing it”. Treves and Thomas toured the French Alpine ski resort town of Val d'Isère, selling their products in hotels and bars from a suitcase. During the off-seasons, when they could not sell their garments, Treves worked as a decorator and Thomas as a driver.[1]
In 1991, the first White Stuff shop was opened in Clapham, London. This remains the company’s largest and flagship store. In 1993 White Stuff started selling via mail order catalogues. Over the following decade the label developed into a lifestyle brand, introducing womenswear, home shopping and wholesale. In 2005, White Stuff opened its 25th store in the UK town of Chester. The company was acquired by private equity firm Phoenix Equity Partners in 2008.[2]
At the turn of the 21st Century, Treves and Thomas were continuing to design White Stuff’s clothing lines. In February 2004 Thomas and Treves hired Sally Bailey, former Brand Director of Miss Selfridge, to help develop the brand. Over the next five years, Bailey moved the White Stuff label away from its original image as a winter wear retailer to begin focusing on a more bohemian, urban audience. Today the brand has become renowned for its offbeat casual clothing and accessories, reminiscent of traditional British country styles. White Stuff promotes the use of high-quality materials in the manufacture of its garments and adds whimsical flourishes to its designs, such as contrasting trims, patterned stitching and embellished buttons. The fabric designs and patterns are all designed in-house. White Stuff reflects these quirks in its tagline: “Happy-ness in Every Stitch”.
Bailey stepped down from her position as CEO in 2013 and was replaced by Jeremy Seigal, formerly of Watson and The Perfume Shop. By 2014, the company had grown to have more than 85 stores across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including stores in Guernsey and Isle of Man. White Stuff is also available in many House of Fraser and John Lewis stores in the UK, and in Germany as part of Karstadt.
Marketing
White Stuff is known for its capricious, non-traditional approach to marketing. Calling itself one of the "best kept secrets" on the high street,[3] the company does not advertise. White Stuff instead chooses to appeal to its customers with eccentric store frontages, mail-out catalogues and through its engaging website.
White Stuff has earned acclaim for its innovative marketing techniques. In 2006, White Stuff stores began running their own cake-baking competitions in local shops, and to this day White Stuff still publishes recipes on its website. In 2008, White Stuff won the Draper's Marketing Initiative for their Spanish themed El White Stuff customer nights.
White Stuff is known for having a loyal fan base. Regular shoppers and members of the White Stuff mailing list are invited to seasonal, in-store customer event days, where they receive free food and drink, discounted items and freebies.
White Stuff Foundation
The White Stuff Foundation[4] was founded in May 2010, in celebration of the company's 25th anniversary. Today the foundation is based in Lambeth, London. White Stuff Clothing stated their aim to fulfil 25 pledges to show White Stuff's social and environmental commitments, and in particular aims at helping disadvantaged young people. The first of the White Stuff’s pledges was the creation of a charitable foundation, into which White Stuff donate 1% of their annual profits.
Currently the White Stuff Foundation supports more than 85 small and local charities in the UK.[5] These are predominantly in the urban areas close to White Stuff's stores and distribution centres, and every branch of White Stuff is partnered with its own charity. The White Stuff Foundation also supports two charities in India and two in Denmark.[6] Donations accepted by the White Stuff Foundation go towards supporting these partner charities.
White Stuff stores are responsible for hosting their own fundraising events. This has led to the creation of many interesting campaigns, including Surf Relief, Give a Gnome a Home, National Wear a Tea Cosy on Your Head Day and Charity Flip Flops, as well as local events, such as bake sales and raffles throughout each year. White Stuff stores will also sell the props used as part of their window displays at the end of every season, with proceeds going to the White Stuff Foundation.
Stores
White Stuff boutiques are, according to the company website, “more than just shops, they are places where people can meet and socialise.” White Stuff regularly hosts events inside its stores (including the regular White Stuff Book Club), allows customers to bring pets inside with them, and has dedicated areas for children with colouring books and dens. Some White Stuff stores include their own cinemas, pick ‘n’ mix counters and bespoke changing rooms decorated in themed styles.[7]
White Stuff has more than 150 stores including Edinburgh, Nottingham, Manchester and Battersea.
References
- ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/student/postgraduate/mbas-guide/me-and-my-partner-george-treves-and-sean-thomas-638443.html
- ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/2791671/White-Stuff-founders-set-to-reap-cash-avalanche.html
- ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/mar/29/white-stuff-sally-bailey
- ↑ http://www.whitestuff.com/about-us-foundation_about/
- ↑ http://www.whitestuff.com/partner-charities/
- ↑ http://www.cplondon.org.uk/support-us/corporate/the-white-stuff-foundation/
- ↑ http://www.whitestuff.com/shops/