Fifty-year-olds in pink pom-pom sweaters: how the White Stuff boss plans to tap into quarantine trends

“I've only just started,” says Jo Jenkins, the 55-year-old boss of casual clothing brand White Stuff. Founded by two ski enthusiasts selling T-shirts door-to-door in the Alps, it grew with its customers and is today a supplier of floral tunics, utility jackets and other everyday essentials for moms and dads.

Jenkins, a polished retail industry veteran, was poached from Marks & Spencer in 2017 to help get White Stuff back on the slopes . Known for its colorful prints and comfortable fits, the retailer has foundered amid the rise of online shopping and a few fashion faux pas.

Since its arrival , she runs the company. through big storms. It survived the pandemic, while rivals Joules, FatFace and Cath Kidston faced financial difficulties and returned to profitability in 2022, becoming a hit with shoppers at Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and Next. The three retail giants have adopted an online department store model, with websites selling their own and other brands, and White Stuff is present in each of their virtual storefronts.

In bricks. Main Street, it has 114 stores and 46 concessions in the UK and 28 stores and concessions in Germany as well as 575 wholesalers worldwide.

There have been rumours. which founders George Treves and Sean Thomas plan to sell as the brand grows.

There are plans to open up to 30 additional standalone stores over five years, while the number of M&S outlets in which the brand is sold has doubled to 20. Jenkins also wants to expand the accessories, footwear and men's ranges.

The M&S deal brings Jenkins back to the business full circle. where she started as a “Saturday girl”, then as a management trainee from the baccalaureate, before returning several years later, after a long stint at Next, to become beauty and clothing director.

By partnering with bigger names, White Stuff believes it has found a way to connect with its core customer of fifty-somethings. This is a demographic underserved by retailers, despite being one of the few spending more on fashion during these difficult times.

Jenkins says the market is ripe for new ideas, such as what are now being called "middle-aged" people are re-evaluating where to shop after many of the department stores they would have turned to in the past closed. This generation is also increasingly engaged and comfortable with social media, turning to TikTok and Instagram as well as old favorites such as Facebook for ideas.

"At the age of 50, I think people have more confidence in what they are happy to wear and know what they are looking for. Our unique, more independent take on style appeals to customers who are just looking for something a little different and don't want to follow the pack, the usual fashion trends, and be slaves to what we read and see, and all the others. image," says Jenkins.

"These are women and men who still want to express themselves through style, who still want to spend money and to enjoy the clothes. And I think it's a great opportunity. It is the best sector of the clothing industry in a difficult market. »

As an elegant and savvy middle-aged woman, Jenkins embodies the customer she is trying to serve. “How much is 50 today?” It's nothing, is it? I feel like I’m just getting started and embracing the next chapter of my life. »

While the British fashion industry went through a difficult period, with a warm autumn and then a cold and wet spring, White Stuff continued to grow, benefiting style improvements, new routes to market and steady revenue from good quality basics such as chinos and cardigans, which are less dependent on seasons.

The brand, which employs more than 1,200 people, grew sales by 13% to £151 million in the year to April 2023, although pre-tax profits fell last year to £47,000, up from £8.3 million the previous year. as costs increased. This year, the group expects full-price sales and profit growth. Sales in April were up 12% over last year.

It has already come a long way from its roots. Founded in 1985 by Treves, a catering student, and his friend Thomas, a tour operator and handyman, the duo first sold their "Boys from the White Stuff" T-shirts out of a suitcase at upscale resorts like Méribe. .