The husband and wife team behind Auchterarder-based Robertsons of Scotland have sold their company after more than a decade producing Scottish-made garments.
Directors Mark and Hana built the brand from scratch, competing against some of the world’s biggest fashion houses.
The firm has been bought by a private investor, Mark said, who will be able to develop the brand beyond its current iteration.
Robertsons used Scottish factories including Halley Stevensons in Dundee and Johnstons of Elgin in the production of their goods.
They specialise in tweed, cashmere and waxed waterproof country-inspired clothing.
The company built a loyal customer base across the globe.
And Mark said it was bittersweet to hand over the reins, but that the family would still be involved in an advisory capacity.
Robertsons of Scotland to get new owners
More than 80% of Robertsons’ sales are exports to countries including Canada, USA and Japan.
Developing relationships with overseas customers was one of the highlights of building the brand, Mark said.
“We worked with all of the large textile manufacturers in Scotland.
“These included Halley Stevenson in Dundee, Johnstons of Elgin, Lovat Mill, all the major ones to build a brand and create a product we could ship all over the world.
“In the last few years we have achieved a number of accolades, including Scottish Textile Brand of the Year in 2023, met Princess Anne and shipped our branded goods across the globe.
“The export part of the brand was very exciting. We shipped to Japan, USA, Canada, Switzerland, around 80% of our sales were export.
“And building relationships across Scotland and the UK, at trade shows and other events, was one of the highlights of the last decade.
“Our customers in Canada were really engaging. They wanted to know the story, the history of our products. And they would even come across so they could visit and physically pick-up the products. They have a passion for Scottish products overall.”
Big brands push competition
And while Covid and Brexit played a part in limiting brand expansion, increasing lead times led to difficulties in planning ahead.
This was exacerbated, Mark noted, with the use of Scottish manufacturers by brands like Dior, Hermes and Chanel, who are able to place much larger orders which affected priorities.
While this was a positive for the manufacturers, it added problems for small, less liquid companies like Robertsons.
“Difficulties we encountered were with the large fashion houses, Dior, Hermes, Chanel, Burberry, they all worked very closely with the factories we use,” he said.
“In Scotland there are not many factories remaining which have the craftmanship to produce the products we sell.
“This has had an impact, the lead times on goods become delayed. When we started, these were around six months, now they can be as long as 24 months, because the size and quantity and spend these big brands have. They are prioritised.
“Unless we had a couple of million in the bank, we could not grow the brand. But this new company who have bought Robertsons do.
“Of course Covid and Brexit had an impact, and it can be easy to blame these, but you have to adapt and there are so many variables that made it difficult.
“But we were one of the few brands who were able to keep going.”
Mark and Hana are confident their beloved brand will continue to grow under new ownership and thanked the many businesses who have worked with them over the last 10 years.
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