All Sweaty Betty articles
British activewear retailer Sweaty Betty was founded by husband and wife Simon and Tamara Hill-Norton in 1998, opening its first boutique store in Notting Hill, London. The brand now has over 60 stores in the UK and more in the US and Hong Kong, as well as concessions in department stores Harrods and Bloomingdales. Sweaty Betty’s flagship Carnaby Street store features a café, blow-dry bar, and exercise studio.
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NewsSweaty Betty announces job cuts as it looks to fuel long-term growth
US-based Wolverine Worldwide, which also owns Merrell, Sperry and Hush Puppies, has announced job cuts at Sweaty Betty to safeguard its long-term growth.
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NewsSweaty Betty bosses Julia Straus and Mark Smith to step down
Sweaty Betty chief executive Julia Straus and chief operating officer Mark Smith are set to step down this summer following the brand’s takeover, Drapers has reported.
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AnalysisRanking: The top 20 retailers to work for in the UK in 2022, according to employees
Recipe box subscription business Mindful Chef, which focuses on healthy eating, has emerged as the top retailer to work for in the UK, according to employee reviews.
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AnalysisRetail 100: Three lessons from the sector’s most inspiring leaders
The 17th annual Retail 100 is a celebration of the individuals transforming the sector, disrupting traditional retail models and being a voice for the industry. Retail Week explores some common trends shared by the leaders featured
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AnalysisRetail 100: Jack Monroe, Alessandra Bellini and Dame Sharon White celebrated for industry impact
Twenty-seven female and non-binary leaders have been recognised in Retail Week’s Retail 100 index of the most inspiring individuals driving change across the sector.
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DataData: The 15 most improved retailers for gender pay equality 2022
Retail Week ranks the top-performing and most improved retailers for gender pay equality this year.
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Retail VoiceBrewDog, Sweaty Betty and John Lewis on creating stand-out human CRM strategies
While they may be an unlikely trio with very different strategies, Inkpact chief executive Charlotte Pearce reflects on what these UK retailers have in common – and what can be learned from their approaches.
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NewsSweaty Betty acquired by US firm Wolverine in $410m deal
Sweaty Betty has been purchased by US footwear manufacturer Wolverine Worldwide and will join the company’s portfolio of footwear and lifestyle brands, including Hush Puppies and Keds.
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Prospect AnalysisSweaty Betty (Overview)
Sweaty Betty is an aspirational multinational sports retailer that combines activewear for women with on-trend fashion aesthetics. With a domestic presence of around 65 stores, it also has a growing online presence and concession partnerships, including John Lewis, Selfridges and Harrods in the UK and Nordstrom in the US and Canada.
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Prospect AnalysisSweaty Betty (SWOT)
In 2020 Sweaty Betty was a brand that gained prominence as it benefited from home working and exercise trends during lockdown. This has set it up for strong growth. Despite its rapid sales growth, the business remains relatively small, in both sales and store terms. International expansion will therefore need to be slow and steady and take advantage of partnerships to ensure it doesn’t over-stretch the still relatively slim UK-based management team.
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Prospect AnalysisSweaty Betty (Strategy)
Sweaty Betty is an aspirational sportswear retailer that was launched in the late 1990s by Tamara Hill-Norton. Its mission is to “inspire women to find empowerment through fitness” by offering performance sportswear for a range of activities coupled with on-trend fashion aesthetics.
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Prospect AnalysisSweaty Betty (People)
Melissa Mullen joined as global brand president in June 2023.
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Prospect AnalysisEcommerce at Sweaty Betty
Sweaty Betty has successfully implemented an online strategy that combines high-quality content with a strong social element, including making its Instagram content shoppable. It aims to create a women’s fitness hub using social and editorial content, alongside its in-store classes, which can be booked using software from Instabook.
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Prospect AnalysisSupply chain at Sweaty Betty
Sweaty Betty has outsourced its distribution and logistics activities to Torque Logistics. Its Leeds distribution centre is used to replenish stores in the UK, the US and to fulfil global ecommerce orders, however third-party carriers are sometimes used to supplement capacity.
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Prospect AnalysisCustomer and marketing at Sweaty Betty
Sweaty Betty’s mission is to “inspire women to find empowerment through fitness” and a distinctive aspect of its brand proposition is its community focus. Marketing activities are focused on this, through free in-store exercise classes and promoting workout videos via its social channels.
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Prospect AnalysisStores at Sweaty Betty
Sweaty Betty has steadily expanded its store network since opening its first store in London’s Notting Hill area in 1998 and now operates around 60 UK stores, as well as concessions in Selfridges.
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Prospect AnalysisTechnology strategy at Sweaty Betty
Sweaty Betty prefers to use off-the-shelf software, which require minimal bespoke configuration, have quick deployment times and thus keep costs minimal.
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Prospect AnalysisSweaty Betty (Financials)
Sweaty Betty delivered a formidable performance with sales rising 44.9% to £183.2m in the year ending 2 January 2022 (FY2021). Government enforced lockdowns had temporarily shuttered stores from January to April 2021. It credited its digital channels which “continued to trade strongly”.