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Cath Kidston as a business has seen many changes over the years, such as a new chief executive, new print designs, new collaborations, and global expansions. DFS and Cath Kidston are excited to announce their new exclusive collaboration, bringing together DFS’ 50 years of expertise in comfort and furniture craftsmanship, with Cath Kidston’s iconic, striking patterns. Launching online on 7 September, the Cath Kidston collection available exclusively at DFS features a range of upholstered sofas, beds, accent chairs, chaise longues and footstools, each designed to bring a pop of colour and joy into any room. However, experts have told Retail Gazette that the reasons behind Cath Kidston’s declining sales were not primarily due to the coronavirus pandemic. If anything, its problems were evident before the crisis – but the pandemic accelerated and exacerbated them.
Cath Kidston opened its first store outside of London in Bath. The retailer had its first collaboration with outdoor retailer Millets.
Cath Kidston reopens 180 Piccadilly flagship
I’ve had that thought process from day one whilst at Cath Kidston. Print is at the core of the business.” Cath Kidston, launched in west London in 1993, is known for its prints.
The Cath Kidston collection goes beyond traditional sofas alone and encourages you to introduce personality to any corner of the home - from living rooms and bedrooms through to secondary spaces such as hallways, conservatories, nurseries and guest rooms. Our customers sit at the heart of our new strategy, and Holly’s experience and vision will ensure that we can maintain Cath Kidston’s role of inspiring the everyday optimist with our hand-drawn prints and joyful products. Particularly as we all face our new normal world, the role of bringing moments of joy to every day is even more relevant.” That sense of old juxtaposed with new is evidently something she enjoys. Another quality Kidston emphasises is visual punch: “clean, strong pieces of art work”, which is why she is drawn to printmaking media. “What I like about prints is that there’s often a crispness. The older I get the more I appreciate more graphic things. That’s where it’s coming from. I am a floral person, but I like very graphic flowers.” Cath Kidston Creative Director, Holly Marler, comments:s: “ Working in partnership with DFS during the last year has been a truly magical experience, Home is such as important part of the Cath Kidston brand and our heritage, it has been an absolute pleasure starting the exciting journey reigniting the brand through a new interiors launch. I am so proud to co-create a collection truly unique in pattern and colour, inspiring lovers in furniture and interiors just enhances our ethos of bringing joy through our print design. The Stargazer chaise longue in Forever will add wow factor to any space, combining a traditional shape with one of Cath Kidston’s best-known print designs, while the Poise Wing Chair in the whimsical Painted Kingdom print is the perfect addition to a nursery or children’s room.A new collection of upholstered beds, sofas, accent chairs, chaise longues and footstools in striking patterned fabrics, designed to bring joy to any room in the home We would print rolls and rolls of fabric that we had created, vignettes, storytelling all night, and beautiful flowers going from small to large. The retailer has struggled in recent years and it states that following its restructure in April it has realigned its cost base and structure to create what it calls an “economically viable operating model as a brand-led, digital first retailer”.
Collaborations are integral to our overall growth strategy in terms of innovating the brand, keeping it fresh, attracting new customers, as I said we do have a very loyal fan base, but naturally we want to keep that fan base growing and attract new and young customers,” she said. Cath Kidston reopened its London flagship store in early December.The reopening of its flagship store in the heart of London’s West End will be the brand’s only high street store and will become an “experimental” concept to showcase the brand’s 27 years of British design and print heritage.
Lexington London Pottery Myddfai Newgate Nibbling Orange Tree Orla Kiely Paddington Bear Parlane International Peter Rabbit Portmeirion Portmeirion Cymru Despite these changes, Cath Kidston became one of the latest retailers to feel the impact of the Covid-19 crisis after it filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators earlier this month.Laura Morroll, senior manager at management and technology consultancy BearingPoint, said store closures have resulted in a significant drop off in sales. Although some customers may have been successfully diverted to shopping online, the cost of online channel fulfilment significantly outweighs that of stores, eating away at profits. Piccadilly will also focus on beauty and wellness, as well as home entertaining, and have a bespoke haberdashery that offers home décor options and fabric by the metre, as well as a Christmas gift emporium. Cath Kidston reopens 180 Piccadilly flagship
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