Cath Kidston Limited

Cath Kidston Limited is a British international home furnishing retail company headquartered in London, with a focus on handicraft and vintage themed items that embody a quintessentially British lifestyle.

Cath Kidston Limited
TypeLimited company
IndustryHome furnishing
Founded13 April 1993 (1993-04-13)
FounderCath Kidston
Headquarters
London
,
England
Websitewww.cathkidston.co.uk

Designer Cath Kidston opened her first shop in London's Holland Park in 1994,[1] selling hand-embroidered tea-towels and brightly renovated furniture. She later described it as a "glorified junk shop". In April 2011, there were 41 shops and concessions in the UK, two in the Republic of Ireland, eleven in Japan and three in Korea.[1] Less than three years later there were 136 outlets, including a flagship store on Piccadilly next to Fortnum & Mason, and four stores in China.[2] Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs programme, she described her shops as provoking a 'Marmite reaction': "People either love it and want a little bit of it very much, or want to stab us."[3]

The company's profits jumped more than 60 per cent from £2.9m to £4.6m in the year to March 2009. Sales rose to £31.3m during the period, compared with £19.3m the year before, partly due to new store openings.

In 2010, Cath Kidston sold a majority stake of the company to private equity investors TA Associates,[4] retaining a minority stake and remaining the company's Creative Director.[4]

In October 2016, TA Associates sold its stake to Baring Private Equity Asia for an undisclosed amount. The transaction saw chairman Paul Mason replaced by William Flanz, former chairman and executive of Gucci Group.[5]

In April 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, the company underwent a "pre-pack" administration.[6] This resulted in the closure of all 60 UK stores on 21 April, with the loss of over 900 jobs. Under the arrangement, the company planned to continue trading online and via its wholesale and franchise businesses including overseas outlets.[7]

References
  1. "About Cath Kidston". Cath Kiston Limited. Archived from the original on 2 January 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  2. Garside, Juliette (6 December 2013). "Cath Kidston could fetch up to £250m". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  3. "Desert Island Discs: Cath Kidston | BBC". BBC. 29 April 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  4. Hall, James (5 December 2010). "Cath Kidston plans Far East push - Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  5. Vandevelde, Mark (3 October 2016). "Cath Kidston sold to Baring Asia". Financial Times. ISSN 0307-1766. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  6. Kleinman, Mark (4 April 2020). "Coronavirus: Vintage retailer Cath Kidston lines up administrators". Sky News. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  7. Butler, Sarah (21 April 2020). "Cath Kidston to close all 60 UK stores with loss of 900 jobs". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
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