People Focus: Tom Joule

Having left school aged 16, Tom joined his father in selling country brand hats and waxed jackets at country fairs and events including Badminton and Burghley. It wasn’t until 1999 that the joules name began merchandising a small range of own brand clothing and in 2001 the first collection was complete employing just 16 staff. Tom now owns an impressive 43 own bran stores and concessions across the UK with the flagship store in my home town Market Harborough. Joule supply to over 700 independent stockists and concessions across the UK including high end stores John Lewis and Harrods with a further 600 across Europe and still sells at over 300 country shows. He has since expanded across the pond to North America and Canada and Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland. Joules.com was launched in 2002 and has become a vital part of the business. The brand has huge lifestyle appeal; turnover in the last financial year were £51.1 million (up from £35 million) with a net profit of £3.6 million (up from £1.2 million). The key driver behind this growth was down to the extension of the Joules range including the February launched of Baby Joule and in 2009 the launch of the women’s Boutique range. So why is it so successful and popular? Tom Joule himself puts it down to a wealth of equestrian heritage whilst broadening their appeal to the fashion forward.

Tom Joule and children outside the Market Harbourough flagship store