Boden is a British clothing retailer founded by Johnnie Boden in 1991. It started as a mail-order business.[1] In 2022 Boden reported annual sales of £351m, predominantly in the US, the UK and Germany, 1.8m customers and 1,034 employees.[2] Although Boden sells its clothes online, the printed catalogue that first brought the brand to the attention of British families still plays a part in its marketing. Boden has a large international following. In 2022 the business made 70% of its sales outside the UK, the US being the largest market.[3]
After working as a stockbroker in the City of London and on Wall Street – a job he reportedly spent years "loathing" [4]– Johnnie Boden decided to go out on his own. He identified a gap in the British market for an upmarket mail order clothing catalogue of the kind he'd seen during his time in New York.[5] The brand’s launch catalogue in November 1991 was a hand-drawn affair conceived on the founder's kitchen table with just eight menswear products.[4] Womenswear launched in 1992. The Mini Boden childrenswear range followed in 1996. The UK website was launched in April 1999. Boden started selling clothes online in the UK in 1999 and entered the US market in 2002 with a dedicated website. It also launched dedicated websites for its customers in Germany (2007), France (2011) and Australia (2014).
Products
Johnnie Boden has described Boden customers as being “interested in fashion” without being obsessed with it.[6] The brand is known for its bold colour and attention to detail. Products often feature spots, stripes, printed fabrics and checks.[7][8] As an entrepreneur Johnnie Boden has championed British creativity. These efforts were recognised with the award of a CBE for services to fashion and the retail sector in the New Year Honours List, announced on 30 December 2022.[9]
Impact on the planet
Boden reported in 2022 that the business had become carbon neutral for Scope 1 and 2. In packaging the business reported that it was using 100% recycled cardboard boxes,100% recycled clothing bags and dispatch bags with 80% recycled content (and 100% recyclable).[10] In 2022 the business also reported the following developments in fabric sourcing: 100% of its Cashmere fabric was Good Cashmere certified; all outer fabric on its swimwear was made using 100% recycled nylon or recycled polyester; and recycled cotton made up 20% of the composition of its women’s denim. Boden’s Sustainability Report of 2023 reported further developments in fabric sourcing. All of Boden’s 100% linen fabric was made with 20% recycled linen content and all Mini Boden polyester outerwear style outers and linings were made from recycled polyester.[10]
