Q&A: Christy head of sales Nancy Loukota on reimagining British heritage for Gen Z

Few retail brands still standing today can claim that something they launched is now in almost every household across the globe, but linen brand and inventors of the original terry tea towel Christy, is certainly among them. 

At 175 years old, the retailer boasts an enviable heritage and wealth of archive that few brands can match, but that alone wasn’t enough to allow it to escape the pandemic unscathed and it has now embarked on an ambitious renaissance plan to maximise its digital potential, in stores and across the globe.

What was missing from the retail proposition that the group has had to implement now?

“Like a lot of brands, Covid-19 hit hard to the store network. There was a lot of reimagining and rationalisation. I came in with a bit of a clean slate, so now it’s reimagining what that will look like. In the next 12 months, we want to open the flagship store in London, which will allow an area where we can host people and be experiential. 

“There’s so much around the product we offer that is engaging. We can personalise, embroider and really want to have a stage where we can share that with the customer. We had a digital-first approach, and our website is amazing. It’s just been re-platformed and looks incredible. Now it’s building up the physical retail to support that rebranding moment.

“We partnered with Wimbledon in 1987. This summer we’re doing some really fun pop-up activations to engage the customer. That will become more of a mainstay going forward – more out-of-home, experiential pop-ups around towels.

“We sit with brands like Ralph Lauren in the US, but our aesthetic is so different. There’s no one else in the market at the moment with that printed design, look and feel”

What’s the US expansion been like?

“There’s absolutely market demand. Having gone to market only at the end of last year with the brand as a proposition – we were in the US previously in the 90s – we went to market to test the appetite, and we’ve had a really positive response. We’ll be opening for autumn/winter with Bloomingdale’s – 12 stores, which will be amazing. We’ve launched with Nordstrom online. With those big retailers, there’s absolutely the appetite.

“We have a really interesting USP there because we’ve got that quite unique, very British cottage aesthetic, which isn’t as prevalent over there. We’ve really felt the demand from the market.”

You’re making the most of that British personality. What’s the appeal of British brands?

“As a leadership team, we’ve got a lot of new faces, so everyone’s very keen to push boundaries. That’s quite a nice environment to be in when a lot of people are erring on the side of caution. We feel like it’s our time to go.

“The US market has always really liked the British sensibility. They feel like there’s quality – an unspoken quality that comes with it. There’s definitely a big trend in the US at the moment. As that preppy US trend is mounting, it’s accompanied by this very traditional British look and feel.

“There’s also a gap in the market. If you look at the positioning, we sit with brands like Ralph Lauren in the US, but our aesthetic is so different. There’s no one else in the market at the moment with that printed design, look and feel. I think at a time of economic uncertainty, buying into heritage and quality is very appealing.”

Premium homeware retailers have generally been performing more strongly, why do you think that is? 

“People are more considered about their purchases, which actually really plays into our favour. If you’re considering your purchase, whether it’s a sofa or towels, you become much more discerning. If you’re just making knee-jerk purchases without consideration, maybe you might go for cheaper towels. But if you’re thinking about your bathroom, you’ve just spent money doing it up, you’ve considered the whole purchase, so you probably want quality items because you really care about look and feel.

“People want things that last. The premium sector has that cachet of “buy once, buy well.” People are increasingly interested in that, not just from a nice-to-say perspective, but also sustainability. The perception is you can buy something that will last a lot longer, which everyone cares about. They don’t want something they’re going to use for six months and then it’s ruined.”

Could the London flagship be the beginning of a few more?

“I think we would look at it. We’d have to do one in Manchester – that’s our home. We’d be quite deliberate in our approach, not just retail for retail’s sake. They would have to be all experiential.”

“Their values are entirely different. They don’t think getting on the property ladder and getting a mortgage is achievable – it’s unrealistic”

What else can you see in the brand’s future?

“We’re planning for the next 75 years! There are definitely other markets that will be key focuses. UAE is already a great market for us. It’s very much about brand and product expansion. We’re focused on the full-price retail proposition, but also expanding our outlet proposition. Anyone who works in homeware knows outlet is a good channel to market, a good channel for acquiring customers.

“We’re launching at the end of this month with McArthur Glen in Ashford. In five years, I’d love to say we’ve got customers ranging from 25 to 75 – that would be the biggest win for me.”

What’s the plan for marketing to younger consumers?

“There’s a piece around looking at collaboration, so showing up as Christy in places they already are. That’s a really relevant way to help them understand the brand. We’ve got a very robust social media plan, but it’s very overwhelming with new information all the time. We’re using collaborations to engage with them – working with key hospitality partners where those people are already going.

“From a marketing perspective, it’s as simple as not so much Facebook, but looking at Instagram and platforms more relevant to that customer. We’ve collaborated with Camp Kerala, Glastonbury, for example. There are smaller activations we’re starting.

“This next generation is an entirely different audience. Due to the pandemic and other factors, they haven’t had the traditional trajectory in their careers and lives. Their values are entirely different. They don’t think getting on the property ladder and getting a mortgage is achievable – it’s unrealistic. They think they’re going to rent, like a generation in Europe. So you’re speaking to a different society with different values.

Tell us about some of your recent collaborations.

“We’re working with SoulCycle. We’ve got three products going into their stores across their flagship stores, quite predominantly US-based, but will be in UK studios as well. It’s SoulCycle by Christy – a really nice way to engage with a customer that’s perhaps a little bit younger.

“We’ve been the Wimbledon partner for almost 40 years, but now it’s not just about the championship towel. We’ve got a range around it – gym towels, guest towels, face cloths, gifting. We’ve also got the “Last Season” collection, where we take back any towels that have been used at the end of the championship and reimagine them into robes.

“It’s about pushing the boundary and speaking to that brand’s identity piece. The most exciting thing about this moment is bringing in people from different places who want to reimagine. We’ll always be a homeware brand, but not just doing the things that homeware brands do – thinking outside the box and showing up in places that are sometimes unexpected and fun.”