Burberry

History

Beginnings (1856-1915)

All begins with one day of winter of 1856, where Thomas Burberry, an apprentice clothier, consults his doctor for a problem of early rheumatisms. The expert highly recommends to him not to more carry his impermeable out of rubber, which protects from the rain but does not allow to evacuate perspiration. Thomas Burberry, opens a few weeks later his first shop on Winchester Street with Basingstoke. Old with hardly 21 years, the young creator then equips the notable ones with his area, assisted of Messrs. John Ponds, Gerrish, Hearts and Simpkins, whose wire will become later collaborators of the company. In a few years, it fidélise its customers, her shop becomes extensive and becomes, as of 1870, a department store, or, like wants it the British terminology, a " Emporium ", employing more than 80 people. Specialized in warm clothing and more particularly in the coats of rain, Thomas Burberry creates in 1880 the Gabardine , a fabric protecting from the cold, resistant to the rain and of very good use, made impermeable before his weaving. The young creator would have created this fabric at the time of a meeting with a shepherd of his area, whose jacket had the astonishing characteristic to resist the rain. The man allotted that to the products used at the time of the baignage of the sheep, which have the property to protect wool from the animals of bad weather. Persuaded of the potential of this discovery, and strong of the desire to innovate, it makes patent the raincoat dice 1888. It develops for the occasion five different thicknesses for its fabric: Airylight (“Leger Like the Air”), Double-Weave (“Double Weaving”), Karoo , Wait-have-Bit (“Wait a little”) and Tropical .

Selling from now on under the name Thomas Burberry & Sounds, the provincial creator opens in 1891 his first shop London to the 30 Haymarket, his company then capitalized with more than 2 million sterlings. Twinned with a large workshop, the large shop of London exists still nowadays and contains the head office of the company. 10 years later the company is charged by the ministry for Defense, the War Office, to draw new uniforms for the British, impermeable and resistant officers. The same year the logo of the rider, the Equestrian Knight , appears for the first time, accompanied by the Latin term Prorsum , which means " to go from the avant". The armor symbolizes protection, the safety of the clothes, the rider reflects the standards of integrity of the firm, and finally the Latin currency represents the desire of innovation of Burberry. It becomes a Registered trademark in 1904 and accompanies since all clothing by the mark. The April 17th 1905 the store of Basingstoke is tiny room of ashes by the Large fire of Basingstoke causing more than 30.000 £ of damage. They are only four years later that the first international store of the mark opens its doors on the Boulevard Malesherbes with Paris. In 1915, the first boat charged with impermeable leaves for the Japan. With the turning of the century, Burberry seems a true institution, with the the United Kingdom like abroad, while continuing its search of innovation.

Dedication and decline (1915-1990)

Its reputation growing, the house obtains the title of supplier of great polar forwardings, sponsor of Roald Amundsen in 1911, first man to have reached the north pole, and Ernest Shackleton in 1914, first man to have to cross the north pole, then British armed , at the time of the First World War. To this occasion, Burberry gives rise to the Trench-coat , modifying its old tielocken , drawn 13 years earlier for the Guerre of Boers, in order to adapt it to the new kinds of combat; from where the name: literally “coat of the trenches”. Equipped initially with shoulder pad S and legs of resserrage, of the rings are then added to attach the grenades in front. The dedication intervenes, whereas the king Edouard VII makes pass the name of Burberry in the current language by taking the practice to pronounce this sentence: " Give me my Burberry! " (" That one gives me my Burberry!) It is then with the turn of the king George V to pay homage to the mark by making of Thomas Burberry his official dresser in 1919. The range widens famous scarf in printed papers form Scot as well as new Parapluie S, Chapeau X, pants S, Veste S and behaviors conceived especially for the sport, as for example the Chasse, the fishing, the Golf, the Tir with the arc or the Tennis. This dedication marks the one era end: Thomas Burberry dies out a few years later in 1926 91 years old, leaving with his 2 sons, Thomas Newman and Arthur Michael, the care to perpetuate the family tradition. The innovation, however so expensive to Thomas Burberry is then relegated to the second plan: the house camps on its assets. It is true that the sign is carried by its success. With Hollywood initially where many stars of the cinema raise house creations in mythical Blockbuster S such as Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca , Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany' S or Gary Cooper and Marlène Dietrich in Cœurs flarings . Without forgetting the lieutenant Columbo played by Peter Falk or Peter Sellers, hero of the adventures of the pink Panther . In Great Britain then: in 1955, Burberry becomes official supplier of its Majesty the Queen of England Elisabeth II and benefits from this recognition to make of Nova Check a claw deposited official (1967) present on many accessories (umbrellas, scarves, luggage…). In 1989 is with the turn of the Prince Charles to grant the Royal Warrants to the mark. A great number of personalities of the political world and famous writers get dressed with from now on celebrates trench coat: critic musical George Bernard Shaw like Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Norman Schwarzkopf.

But this dedication is accompanied by its batch of nuisances. In 1955, Burberry is repurchased by the British giant of large distribution, the group Great Universal Stores (GUS). The sign loses there its family independence but also its image of innovating house. During a few years, Burberry sommeille.

Problems of image and new rise (1990 -)

At the end of the Years 1990, the house is in crisis. Severely touched by Asian economic stagnation, little considered for its creations, accumulating the licenses in all kinds, the sign seems to touch the bottom in 1997, its turnover reaching a maximum then to only 700 million euros. Vis-a-vis the decline of the mark, GUS alters the direction of the house, sharpening the New York ease Pink Mary Bravo at the station of chairman.

The leading news then sticks to give a new creative breath to the house, allocating the services of Fabien Baron - former collaborator of Calvin Klein - of the photographer Mario Testino, of the topmodels Stella Holding and Kate Moss but especially of 2 famous designers: Roberto Menichetti then, as of 2002, of Christopher Bailey. Cheer divides then by three the number of licenses, giving again its identity with Burberry: it does not remain about it any more that 13 for the perfumes, glasses etc the bet are successful; the turnover of the company increases of more than 275 million euros. These years of success mark also an economic turning of size: GUS, majority shareholder of the house since nearly 50 years, withdraws capital of the house, leaving the free track for a quotation out of purse. From the points of view economic and creative, the Années 2000 seal the revival of the British house.

And yet, this return in strength does not mask the crisis of identity which Burberry with the beginning of the year 2000 knows. Rather preserving house of luxury considered since its creation, Burberry becomes Outre-Manche the sign of predilection of fashionistas not very advisable: " Chavs". Fans of rap raising conspicuous claws proudly, these young people seize the cap into printed Nova Check of the mark and make an open sign of membership of it. The mark is seen forced to withdraw the article of the sale and to reduce the visibility of its official reason on its products. Also associated with football casual cult (movement of violences in the stages privileging the wearing of clothes of luxury in order not to be noticed and associated with the houligans) and shown by the Peta of abusive use of the fur, the mark becomes little by little an object of rized national. If it is only one epiphenomene there, Burberry meets a time many difficulties of regaining its gallons of nobility in its country of origin.

Burberry knew today to impose an brand image resolutely renovated thanks to a complete reorganization of the collections. The house divided its offer into 2: Burberry Prorsum, its targeted Milanese collection high-of-range and Burberry London, a line more " large public" who posts prices much more reasonable than the Prosum line. Later came to be added Thomas Burberry, the young line of the house. And it is without counting the multiple variations of the mark to the image of its line child or its ranges of perfumes and watches. Burberry made an entry in Bourse in 2002 and counts from now on 61 shops throughout the world, a turnover bordering the billion euros for 2005 and a clear benefit of 150 million euros for the last exercise 2005 - 2006.

Products

Lines of clothing

Burberry divides its offer into 3 distinct collections. Each one meets a different positioning and a need, and is addressed to a well defined public.

Burberry Prorsum :

Burberry Prorsum is the collection High-of-range of the Burberry house. It contains the creations presented at the time of the processions of the Fashion Week of Milan. Each part is produced in very small quantity and is proposed at very high prices. The major target of this type of products is restrainte since made up almost exclusively of personalities of the cinema world, the mode or the sport. Its visibility and its importance for the group are not reduced for as much: sight on stars and thus largely diffused in the media, it is placed like the carry-standard of the ensign on the level of the general public.

Burberry London :

Burberry London represents undoubtedly the principal margins of the company in term of collections, so much its target broad and is varied. It is indeed about the collection general public of the house, which associates at the same time products tendencies and others more traditional, at prices much more accessible. Developed at the origin for the Spanish and Japanese markets, the line applies today to Europe as a whole. Two principal collections are produced each year, Automne/Hiver and Spring/Be, as a majority in Italy.

Thomas Burberry :

Thomas Burberry is the young line of Burberry. She proposes collections of advantage centered on the fashion that Burberry London . The line addresses to a public teenagers and young adults (between 15 and 25 years) and was sold until in 2001 only in Spain (since 1997). One can from now on find certain elements of the collection to the the United Kingdom, the Japan and the Portugal.

Burberry in the world

Burberry structure its activities in five geographical areas: the Spain, the remainder of the Europe, the North America, the the Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world (gone emerging). Although often present in the form of official shops, the principal margins of the group come from its many concessions in the shops of clothing of the whole world.

It is difficult to precisely know the full number of places in which the Burberry products are sold, so much the franknesses establishments are many and wide. The group however estimated in 2003 at 3.162 the number of sales outlets in approximately 90 countries. Burberry stresses the Retail sale which was distributed with the March 31st 2007 (tax end of the year) in the following way: 77 Burberry shops (against 66 in 2006), 182 concessions (against 164 in 2006) and 33 sales outlets direct with the factory ( outlet blind ) (against 30 in 2006).

Europe (except Spain)

Cradle of the mark, Europe since always was for Burberry the market at the more strong potential. Attaching a very great importance to his historical heritage, the sign was always concerned with his image inside the Old continent. It is thus naturally that Burberry opened its first international store to the 8 Boulevard Malesherbes in the European capital of the luxury and the mode, Paris.

The European market generated in 2007 229,8 million books of turnover, that is to say 27% of the total sales of the group.

Spain

" Keep Burberry British! "

In September 2006, little time after American Angela Ahrendts took the station of CEO of Burberry, the mark announced closing in March 2007 of its factory of sports shirts with Treorchy, small town located in the Wales of the South, thus delocalizing 309 stations in China. The company affirmed that the factory " was not viable any more on the level commercial" although a rise of the profits of 22% was listed in January 2007. This decision, very badly accommodated by the whole of the British population, caused many demonstrations in front of the principal stores of the chain located at London, with a slogan one cannot more explicit: " Keep Burberry British! " ( Leave Burberry in Great Britain! ).

The campaign, conducted by the Welsh deputy Leighton Andrews who preaches " British identity affirmée" mark, involved a very important press coverage by the international press, and supports it of a great number of celebrities. One notices in particular head of the procession the Welshman Loan Ruffudd, actor of the film the 4 Fantastic and one of the faces of the mark, the singer Tom Jones, Alex Ferguson and the presenter of television Charlotte Church. The Église of England has, on its side, threatened to sell its 2,5 million pounds sterling (3,7 Million Euros) in actions of the company. She thus hopes to make fold Burberry and make him preserve her statute of mark of luxury Made in London . But it is especially the royal family which interfered itself. After the Prince Charles, it is the Reine which announced its concern to the ministry for the trade and industry. Buckingham would threaten to withdraw in Burberry its label of supplier of the royal family ( Royal Warrants ). At least it is what a spokesperson of the Prince Charles made it clear declaring with the British daily newspaper The Telegraph that " the royal guarantees are granted for five years but they can the being for less longtemps" and that " they are revised with intervals réguliers". In February 2007 the company was summoned to justify its decision before a committee made up of British members of Parliament.

But after months of protests to London, Paris, New York, Burberry did not refute its decision and closed oldest of all its factories the March 30th 2007 with Treorchy. Although the workers obtained company which it reclassifies part of the employees (175), pours allowances (3 000 £ by employees, they do not remain less not dismayed by the act of the mark of luxury and find in this delocalization an occasion about it to start again the debate relating to the Mondialisation

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