Joules Branches Out & Buys Garden Retailer

Market Harborough-based clothing giant Joules is branching out into gardening and outdoor furniture after buying retailer Garden Trading for £9m.

Oxfordshire-based Garden Trading designs its own range of home, garden and outdoor products that it sells on-line and to more than 1000 stockists across the UK.

Joules chief executive Nick Jones said: “The acquisition will help to increase the Joules customer base, broaden our product offering and strengthen our digital platform, which are three of the Group’s key strategic growth pillars.

“The Garden Trading brand shares similar design-led principles to Joules and, as has been demonstrated through its stand-out popularity on the Friends of Joules digital marketplace over the past 15 months, is highly relevant to our customers and their lifestyles.

“Garden Trading has a fantastic team and culture, which is closely aligned to Joules’. I am delighted to welcome Garden Trading’s team to the Joules family and look forward to working with them all over the coming years.”

Joules’ takeover comes after Garden Trading enjoyed rapid growth in its ecommerce revenue over recent years as it has broadened its product range and increased its customer base.

Joules has been expanding its non-clothes ranges in recent years, launching more furniture lines including sofas with DFS, as well as toiletries with Boots and spectacles through stockists such as Vision Express.