For more than twenty years Cotton Traders have been a brand synonymous with high quality rugby apparel. Since 1987 their high quality ‘Ruggers’ and shorts have been equally popular with players, fans and snappy dressers alike.
Although of considerable size however, the rugby market has its limits and Cotton Traders realised this quite early on in their development, resulting in the launch of a leisurewear range. From chinos to pique shirts, the brand ensured that they had lines to appeal to all tastes, all of which boasting the same attention to quality as their rugby specific products. In the past few years they have extended their model further to ensure the highest possible level of saturation of the clothing market.
Not only do Cotton Traders now offer outdoor, casual and formal footwear, but also accessories and household textiles alongside their longer established ranges. This diversification of products has helped to cushion them from the impact of the recession and further extended their presence across all sectors of the clothing and fashion market.
The company has also pioneered in the field of sizing, with the creation of their plus sizes range at no extra cost. Co-Founder Fran Cotton stated prior to launch that 'Historically, larger sizes have been badly catered for' and with that unveiled ranges up to dress size 26 for women and chest sizes up to 62-inches for men: sizes which they claimed in 2003 were not being produced by any other retailer.
The culture of embracing new ideas extends beyond products and sizing into revolutionised warehouse systems, increased levels of credit card payment security for online purchases and the roll-out of their fastest ever delivery system.
In short, Cotton Traders perfectly demonstrate the importance of staying current to success in retail, in such a competitive market there’s no success for those who stand still.
