Founded by Chrissie Rucker in 1994, The White Company is a multichannel lifestyle retailer. Starting out selling designer-quality bed linen and related household accessories, gradual range extension has been central to its strategy. It now offers clothing, fragrances, children’s and babywear, toys and gifts. While the anchor colour is white, this is increasingly being supported by a limited number of products in grey, black or navy. Some signature colour pieces are also introduced on a seasonal basis. The online operation accounts for more than half of group sales and is supported by a network of just over 50 UK stores, including around 10 concessions. The US market has become an increasingly important priority of late. The retailer launched its first international website in the US in 2014 and opened a flagship store in New York in 2017. It has since extended its presence in this potentially lucrative market through a multichannel wholesale agreement with upmarket department store group Nordstrom.
Shoppers have had a tough time of late. Leaping from a global pandemic to an economic crisis has meant many have had to take a closer look at how much they spend and who they’re spending it with. For retailers, that means yet another obstacle course, forcing them to roll up their sleeves and navigate their customers through it.
The White Company chief creative officer Mark Winstanley, Matalan omnichannel marketing director Jeff Howarth and ProCook chief marketing officer Angela Porter have spoken to Retail Week about why offline marketing remains critical in a new report out today
The White Company reported rising profits despite the closure of its bricks-and-mortar stores during lockdown last year.
After a year that saw ecommerce accelerate like never before as consumers flocked online, Retail Week asks CEOs to name their favourite retail websites and tell us what they love about them.
The White Company has posted an uplift in full-year profits as investments in IT and its infrastructure helped it navigate the “turbulent retail environment”.
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