Personality Profile: Kate Giles


Room for this crew in your shop?


Alex Fordham speaks to Kate Giles, Crewroom co-founder; specialists in technical performance clothing.


W


ith a gruelling twice-a-day training schedule as a competitive rower alongside juggling a career in the electronics industry, Kate Giles is well placed to assess the quality of rowing kit on offer to prospective athletes. What she found was a lack of quality kit available for those constantly on the go and nowhere to re-fuel and relax in between sessions. From this Kate had her ‘eureka’ moment and decided to leave her job. The foundations for Crewroom were born.


“There were no facilities for rowers looking to chill out between sessions and the standard of kit I used looked as if someone’s mum had knitted the products” said Kate Giles. “Whilst training I contracted severe pneumonia and I am convinced the cotton layers were a major influence.” With the backing of family and friends, Kate converted a building in Putney, the UK’s rowing hub, into an upstairs juice bar/ hangout and the downstairs into a shop. Although the juice bar proved to be popular,


impressive product sales meant that the bar had to be sold and efforts concentrated on kit. The business has grown from strength to strength and Crewroom managed to secure some impressive contracts including the GB rowing team and the Leander Club. It was however


28 www.sgboutdoor.co.uk


the call from the Royal Parks Foundation that has seen the company really foster its identity. “The foundation needed 13,000 t- shirts for a London half marathon using sustainable products and their idea was to recycle the shirts after the event” said Giles. “ I felt this was a short term option and instead came up with a suggestion to manufacture a shirt which participants


would want to use after the event made from sustainable resources.” Needless to say the Foundation loved the idea and with positive feedback from runners, the gamble on quality, sustainable products paid off. With the desire for ‘green’ products becoming more and more prominent in society, the product ranges for running, cycling and rowing that Crewroom offer are certainly worth considering for retailers


The sustainable products combine a mix of bamboo, charcoal and recycled polyester and all the components from fibre to the finish are produced in a small trade area to minimise the impact on the carbon footprint. Kate Giles comments “We have a common


sense eco business model from the forest to the port. We have a 200 mile radius of manufacturing which leads to simple and transparent sustainability!” With a year-on-year sales growth, Crewroom is a rare breed of a British company that has managed to thrive in an industry ravished by the impacts of the worst recession in 30 years. Retailers looking to benefit from the new desire for sustainable products in society need look no further than


Crewroom. There is also the added bonus of 2012 being an Olympic year so


sports such as cycling and rowing are likely to


to be popular with consumers wanting to try out new activities.


Is there room for this crew in your shop?


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