The White Company (retailer)

The White Company is a retailer of bedroom, home, clothing, and fragrance goods, whose 32,000-square-foot (3,000-square-metre) head office is located at London's Television Centre.[1][4]

The White Company
Company type Private
IndustryRetail
Founded1994
Headquarters
Number of locations
70 stores, clearance stores, and concession stores[2]
Area served
Key people
Revenue
  • Increase£278 million (2022)
[3]
  • Increase£27 million (2022)
Number of employees
  • Increase1,725 (2022)
WebsiteThe White Company

It was founded by Chrissie Rucker in 1994. Mary Homer left Topshop in March 2017 to head the company.[5]

History edit

The White Company was established in 1994 as a mail order business selling items through a 12-page catalogue which has grown into a multi-channel, international business. Started up with a small government grant and £6,000 inheritance, it originally had a 500 people mailing list. Chrissie Rucker managed to gather some editorial coverage - including the Financial Times[6] - and press releases which led to it making £80,000 in the first year, just breaking even.

Originally encompassing products including sheets, covers and pillows, it later expanded into home décor, dinnerware, fragrances, candles, furniture and clothing.[7] A children's division called The Little White Company was later added.[8]

In 2017, the company's products were chosen to outfit the business and first class of British Airways' planes.[7]

Locations edit

As of May 2022, The White Company has 70 stores, clearance stores, and concession stores.

They have 61 UK stores, including concessions and clearance stores, 6 US concessions, 2 Irish stores—1 of which is a clearance store, and 1 Jersey concession.

The American concessions are located in Nordstrom stores, while the UK concessions are situated in a variety of retailers, including: Harrods and 3 Selfridges sites—Oxford Street, the Bullring, and the Trafford Centre.

The White Company also has a number of stores in UK shopping centres, including: Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City, Bluewater, Liverpool One, and Meadowhall.

They opened their first shop in London's Symons Street.[2][9]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "The White Company".
  2. ^ a b "Store Finder and Directory".
  3. ^ "Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Period Ended 30 July 2022". Companies House. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  4. ^ "The White Company".
  5. ^ "Topshop loses managing director to The White Company". BBC News. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  6. ^ Homes and Gardens [bare URL]
  7. ^ a b "The White Company (UK) Ltd: Private Company Information". Bloomberg. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  8. ^ "A paler shade of retail: The White Company opens in Short Hills". North Jersey. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  9. ^ "Symons Street".