Burberry

Burberry – registered as Burberry Group PLC – is a British company operating in the fashion industry since 1856. The company’s name is derived from its founder, Thomas Burberry. In 1955, Burberry was acquired by British retail corporation Great Universal Stores (GUS) and was de-merged from the corporation in 2015.

Burberry has been a publicly listed company since 2002. The company reported total revenue of £2,7 billion in 2018. As of 2018, Burberry has 431 directly-managed stores globally in operation. Within the same year, the company appointed Riccardo Ticci as its Chief Creative Officer.

The company also operates a non-profit organization, Burberry Foundation, established in 2008 (burberry plc responsibility), which has provided grants for poverty alleviation and supported philanthropic initiatives such as art education.

In 1856, Thomas Burberry established Burberry’s first outlet in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England when he was 21 years old. He invented a fabric called gabardine in 1879, a light waterproof material he later used to tailor Burberry’s trench coats. By the 19th and 20th century, the product was used by prominent individuals in the entertainment industry, even though the product was first designed for military use. During this period of time, the brand was known as Burberry’s until 1999, when its name was officially changed into Burberry.

Burberry markets five main product categories: Women’s, Men’s, Children, Accessories, and Beauty. Across these categories, the brand offers clothing types from outerwear to t-shirts and accessories such as scarves, bags, and shoes. Burberry also retails makeup as well as women and men fragrances under its Beauty category. The brand’s most recognizable product is its trench coat, available for men, women, and children.