HOWZAT

Bailey also imported many of the techniques that she had learned in previous roles, which included a nine year stint with Arcadia (owners of Top Shop), such as music to suit the mood. On Sundays, for example, when customers might be nursing a hangover, the music is soft, while on Saturday, when customers appear to be more rushed, there is a faster tempo.

But Bailey’s real skill was to reposition the retailer away from its spiritual home in the urban and active lifestyle sector, once the fastest growing sector on the high street. She saw that combat trousers and fleeces were destined for the fashion dustbin, while smarter fashion was the growth market for middle class clientele.

Its direct rivals then were seen as Fat Face (another company founded by ski enthusiasts), Mambo and Quiksilver. Today, its rivals are viewed as yummy mummy favourites’ Boden, Jigsaw and Gap.

White Stuff’s core customer was once identified by co-founder Thomas as ‘tertiary-educated, 20 to 40 something’. But whereas he and Treves had targeted those customers in coastal resorts and affluent university towns, Bailey made the decision to move inland and away from the beaten track.

She identified cathedral cities and affluent towns, such as Muswell Hill in London, Marlow in Buckinghamshire and Sevenoaks in Kent, as prime locations. White Stuff also moved north to towns like Chester and Harrogate. But Bailey eschewed shopping centres or malls, preferring out of the way locations, perhaps next to an organic butchers. She also improved White Stuff’s online offering, and expanded its presence in department stores, such as John Lewis, which introduced an older customer base.

The design of the stores’ interiors has changed, from a sporty urban retailer to a look more akin to a Victorian home. Fake fireplaces were installed and chintzy wallpaper. When shop fitters uncovered tiled walls when transforming an old butchers shop into a White Stuff branch, Bailey could not have been more delighted and immediately updated the plans to incorporate the feature into the design. Original features are in, while chrome and bright lights are out. Indeed, she asks store locators to actively search for quirky downtrodden buildings that can be brought to life.

As the look of the stores changed, so too did the retail offering. While leisure wear is still available, Bailey introduced an expanded womenswear section and the slogan ‘Lovely clothes for lovely people’. Loyalty is inspired by quirky competitions, such as cake baking or the chance to win a week long holiday in a camper van.

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