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White Stuff will be officially launching in the US this summer as part of its international expansion plans to double the size of its wholesale business over the next four years.
The fashion retailer’s entrance into the US will be through several wholesale partners in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
In addition, some 18 independent US retailers will feature a curated selection of White Stuff’s womenswear.
The news follows a successful trial in Michigan and Illinois, with Chicago-based partner Showroom Code delivering “strong sales and positive feedback from customers”.
According to White Stuff, by keeping the expansion small it would be able to “test and learn”, and work up to offering menswear and expanding into major US department stores.
White Stuff’s wholesale business currently represents roughly 8% of its overall sales, with 410 existing partnerships being located in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Greece, Canada and New Zealand.
Jo Jenkins, CEO of White Stuff, said: “The US is a big market with a meaningful opportunity for a distinctive British brand like ours, and we’re confident that our thoughtfully created designs in quality fabrics will resonate with US customers across the pond.
“Our wholesale business has helped us learn and adapt to new markets like Canada, New Zealand and the Czech Republic in the past few years and has significant potential in the US. As we continue to scale White Stuff into an internationally recognised fashion and lifestyle brand, we see wholesale playing a bigger role in our strategy.”
