Cotswold Co delivers growth during festive trading period

The Cotswold Company, the digitally-led premium handcrafted furnishings and homeware model, has reported robust progress by way of the Christmas interval.

In line with its newest buying and selling replace for the 9 weeks from 28 October to 29 December 2024, The Cotswold Firm continued to materially outperform the broader house and furnishings market in the course of the necessary Christmas buying and selling interval, attaining year-on-year gross sales progress of twenty-two% (+£3.6m) to £19.9m.

This robust efficiency, alongside attaining B Corp Certification, displays the strengthening model and product proposition and efficient advertising initiatives driving elevated on-line site visitors, retail footfall throughout the Firm’s 10 showrooms (2023: 8 showrooms), and progress in energetic prospects (+20 y-o-y).

E-commerce gross sales have been up 13% yr on yr, representing 77% of whole gross sales within the interval, whereas showroom gross sales rose 66% yr on yr (+35% LFL) supported by its new upholstery proposition and geo-targeted digital advertising.

Gross order margins additionally elevated by 590bpts year-on-year reflecting the energy of The Cotswold Firm model in addition to rising buyer demand for high-quality furnishings and homewares which might be constructed to final, aligning with its B Corp values.

Along with the robust monetary efficiency in the course of the interval, the Firm continued to make necessary progress in opposition to its long-term progress technique. Constructing on the opening of two new retail showrooms in Stamford (September 2024) and Tub (December 2023), the Cotswold Firm turned a really omni-channel model with the launches in November on Next.co.uk and with John Lewis (in-store at Peter Jones and on-line).

Each partnerships have carried out nicely up to now, contributing to gross sales progress while additionally introducing an growing variety of customers to the model.

Ralph Tucker, Chief Government Officer of The Cotswold Firm stated, “Firstly I’d wish to thank everybody at The Cotswold Firm for his or her laborious work over the necessary Christmas buying and selling interval. The dedication and talent of our crew has as soon as once more been central to the Firm delivering one other very robust efficiency which was considerably forward of the broader market.

“An increasing number of customers are transferring away from ‘throwaway’ furnishings in favour of high-quality, made-to-last merchandise, and I’m delighted that an growing variety of them are selecting to carry The Cotswold Firm into their properties. This can be a reflection of the energy of our model and its timeless design aesthetics, our repute for distinctive high quality and our unwavering dedication to creating sustainable merchandise that stand the check of time. As a newly Licensed B Company, this recognition underscores our dedication to being a pressure for good—delivering furnishings that aligns with our values of sustainability, craftsmanship, and constructive affect.

“Along with delivering a powerful buying and selling efficiency in the course of the Christmas interval, we have now continued to spend money on our formidable long-term progress plans. Our latest showroom in Stamford has carried out nicely in its first few months of buying and selling, and we have now thrilling plans to open a number of extra showrooms over the approaching months, together with in Marlow in mid-January. We’re additionally very inspired by our preliminary buying and selling with each Subsequent and John Lewis. We’re extremely assured that these necessary strategic partnerships will contribute to future gross sales progress in addition to introduce new customers to our model, strengthen model loyalty, and encourage extra folks to change to high-quality, made-to-last furnishings.

“Underpinned by our robust model, distinctive buyer proposition, and expanded multi-channel mannequin we’re assured that The Cotswold Firm is nicely positioned to attain additional important progress as we work in the direction of attaining our strategic purpose of being the UK’s main and most cherished premium handcrafted homeware model.”