Henry Poole & Co. : How a 200-year old bespoke tailor have managed to stay modern.

Abstract: Background: During the last decade or so the century old bespoke tailors on Savile Row have become the epitome of luxury brands as far as menswear is concerned. At the same time, the different establishments on Savile Row have started to modernise themselves through various means to better fit into today’s fast paced retail-market. Aims of the research: The purpose of this research is to discover what factors have played part in keeping the founders of Savile Row, Henry Poole & Co., modern and relevant throughout the years. Methods: This research was conducted as a qualitative single case, case study. The data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with upper management and other available published sources and then analysed with the help of former research in relevant areas. Results: It was found that the brand of Henry Poole & Co. stayed true to their origins as a bespoke tailor and that modernising is something that has not been forced upon the company and brand but should more be seen as a continuous process where each new generation bring something new to the company. The company had adapted modern ways of communication such as social media and a responsive website and also incorporated step down line extensions, where they sell ready-to-wear and made-to-measure garments in China and Japan. This is a way to develop their brand into other segments but they still kept their original brand vision intact as being a pure bespoke tailor located on Savile Row and kept their different business operations on a distance. Contributions: This thesis has opened up doors to an area that has not had much interest from the academic world. It hopefully gives way for new research ideas, but it has also highlighted management tools and best practices that has contributed to the success of a more than two century old company.