This upmarket ladies handbag and luggage brand was born in 1984 when its founder Lowell Harder began designing handbags and selling them in Camden Market at the weekends. As Harder recalls: “All my bags were unique as they were made from vegetable-tanned leather, which I had manufactured in India – you couldn’t get that kind of thing anywhere else.” They soon attracted the attention of retailers who were asking if they could sell them in their shops. “Then, one day, John Lewis rang and asked if it could send a buyer around. That was when it took off.” Today Radley – best known for the West Highland Terrier logo on its bags – is sold in 500 independent retail outlets and department stores. The company now has three brands: Radley, Tula and Hidesign, and its handbags are the clear market leader with an estimated 14 per cent market share. Latest figures show Radley hitting a turnover of £42.3m, with compound growth at 100 per cent over the past four years. The company was sold to Exponent, a private equity firm, at the end of last year in a £130m deal. However, Harder remains the creative director. Exponent will provide the financial muscle to further expand Radley into international markets. The first overseas Radley flagship store opened in Dubai in September 2007, and the handbags are already being sold in major department stores in South-East Asia, as well as the States. www.radleyandco.com
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.