Shoppers on “staycation” have boosted sales at Seasalt to a record £100 million this year as the founding family considers selling the Cornish fashion and homeware business.
While store sales fell during the pandemic, the 40-year-old company grew its online business by almost three quarters, with the web now accounting for 56 per cent of turnover.
Paul Hayes, chief executive, said that Seasalt had benefited from the surge in vacations being taken in this country rather than abroad, which helped drive footfall to the retailer’s coastal and market town shops when they were open.
The Chadwick family who founded the business four decades ago recently hired advisers at PwC to explore selling a majority stake in Seasalt.
The business was started when Don Chadwick, originally from the Midlands, went in search of a rain jacket while on holiday in Penzance and bought a local workwear shop.
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Neil, his son, relaunched the business in 2005 with Sophie, his textile designer wife. The brand, which sells raincoats, pottery aprons, painting class dresses and greeting cards, has 69 shops, a warehouse in Redruth and 1,000 staff, making it one of Cornwall’s biggest employers.
Hayes said that during lockdown the brand tried to build loyalty with its customers by running book clubs and online craft workshops.
Seasalt has spent more than £2.5 million on new technology to allow online orders to be filled from stores.
It has also offered shoppers virtual and private appointments, so they can have the shop to themselves if they are cautious about mixing with others during the pandemic.
