Boden Clothing

Boden

Boden is a London-based clothing company, founded in 1991 by Johnnie Boden. The company sells clothes for women, men, girls, boys and babies that are available through mail order, online and telephone in the UK, US and Germany.

Boden also has two shops in London and Surrey, a warehouse in Leicester and a second warehouse in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA

History

Boden was founded by Johnnie Boden in 1991 and initially launched with eight menswear products. Womenswear was introduced in 1992. Childrenswear (Mini Boden) was launched in 1996. The website www.boden.co.uk was launched in April 1999. In 2002, the company expanded to America, and launched the US website, which now accounts for 30% of sales. Boden’s first shop opened in 2004 in Hanger Lane, London. The company launched a baby range in 2007. Boden’s second shop in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey opened in 2007. The company began trading in Germany in 2007, and launched www.bodendirect.de, the German website. [http://www.http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/fashion/story/0,,2033046,00.html] . In 2007 a survey conducted by The Daily Telegraph found that 1.8% of convicted felons in the UK owned an item of Boden clothing whilst over 86% of the shadow cabinet confessed to owning at least one item of clothing from the catalogue. In an interview for the survey Conservative Leader David Cameron said he "simply couldn't get to sleep without his woolen Boden socks and a fag".

Products

Boden has a reputation for designing bright, attractive clothes for the middle classes < [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/article1474192.ece] >, < [http://www.spectator.co.uk/archive/business/22786/the-hooray-who-became-a-middleclass-style-guru.thtml?SelectedIssueDate=17+June+2006] >. Its collections are made up of the Boden range for men and women, Mini Boden for girls and boys aged between 2 and 14 and Baby Boden for newborns to 2-year-olds. New collections are launched every season.

Financial performance

In the summer of 2007, with more than a million regular customers, Boden announced a 60% rise in profits as its sales increased by 25% to £128.5m. The firm employs over 600 staff. < [http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=422796&in_page_id=2] >

Green issues

As a mail order company, Boden send out catalogues every year All the paper is sourced from sustainable forests and Boden has partnered with Rainforest Concern to protect convert|1200|acre|km2 of Colombian and Ecuadorian rainforest.< [http://www.boden.co.uk/help/about-us/eco-and-ethical/green-issues.asp] >

Charity partnerships

In 2007, Boden ran a charity partnership with the Rainbow Trust children’s charity, and raised about £90,000 for the charity. < [http://www.justgiving.com/boden?page=77] > < [http://www.boden.co.uk/help/about-us/eco-and-ethical/charity-parnerships.asp] >

References

Retail's most influential, Evening Standard, 29/11/2007 [http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23415308-details/Retail/article.do] Accessed 17-12-2007
The dawn of the Boden family, The Journal, 20/08/2007. [http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/lifestyle/fashion/tm_headline=the-dawn-of-the-boden-family&method=full&objectid=19659972&siteid=50081-name_page.html] Accessed 17-12-2007.
‘Tim Nice but Dim’ turned into a tycoon, very casually, The Sunday Times, 29/07/07. [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article2159229.ece] Accessed 17-12-07.
Catalogue king taking on the High Street, Evening Standard, 27/07/2007. [http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=422796&in_page_id=2] Accessed 17-12-07.
You’ve got mail: catalogue shopping comeback, The Daily Mail, 06/08/2007. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=473460&in_page_id=1879] Accessed 20-12-07.
How an old Etonian came to dress middle England, The Guardian, 18/03/2007. [http://shopping.guardian.co.uk/clothes/story/0,,2033047,00.html] Accessed 17-12-07.
Explore best 100 companies, The Sunday Times, 11/03/2007. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/article1474192.ece] Accessed 14-12-07.
Why I get my kicks from a catalogue, The Daily Mail, 07/02/2007. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=434743&in_page_id=1879] Accessed 19-12-07.
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, The Telegraph, 20/11/2006. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2006/11/20/efboden20.xml] Accessed 14-12-07The Hooray who became a middle-class style guru, The Spectator, 14/06/06. [http://www.spectator.co.uk/archive/business/22786/the-hooray-who-became-a-middleclass-style-guru.thtml?SelectedIssueDate=17+June+2006] Accessed 19-12-07.
A middle class catalogue boom, Evening Standard, 09/09/2005. [http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=403568&in_page_id=2] Accessed 17-12-07.
Focus: Johnnie English, The Times, 18/03/2003. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1133352.ece] Accessed 17-12-07.
Boden’s way, The Guardian, 14/05/2003. [http://shopping.guardian.co.uk/clothes/story/0,,955248,00.html] Accessed 17-12-07.
Boden family values, The Telegraph, 28/12/2002. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2002/12/28/fmbod28.xml] Accessed 17-12-07.
All bodes well for Boden, The Telegraph, 10/11/2001. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2001/11/11/ccbode11.xml] Accessed 17-12-07.

External Links
* [http://www.bodenusa.com Boden's US website]
* [http://www.boden.co.uk Boden's UK website]
* [http://www.fashionable-clothing.co.uk/boden/ Boden Sale Website]
* [http://www.bodendirect.de Boden's German website]
* [http://www.rainbowtrust.org.uk The Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity]