The Cotswolds-based homeware design company’s first foray into the Chinese market has allowed it to double the business of its first clients.
Abode Creative’s new Chinese business model has proved so successful that one of the company’s clients took in orders of $4.5 million in just one month.
The company was born from the idea of giving its Asia-based factories designs to give to the retailer, as opposed to the other way around, where the retail company would engage a large design team and then go to the producer.
Founder Gary Birks, commented: “A lot of the manufacturers we work with, or I had previously worked with them with high street retailers, did not have experience or knowledge of the taste and fashion of the UK market. Not only are we looking at the UK market, but our designs are now part of the domestic market in China.”
Gary, who has previously held position with Wedgewood, LSA International and Whittard or Chelsea, as well as Marks and Spencer, Next and River Island, is now heading up a team of designers and creatives who are now looking west with projects coming up in the US.
He continued: “We have gone from a select couple of factories and manufacturers to being sought after, which is a tribute to my team. We have five in-house designers at present, but will be expanding soon with a completely new project and design concept, outside of ceramics.”
