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Freemans is a British online and catalogue multi-channel retailer headquartered in Bradford, England. Freemans offers a range of products, predominantly clothing, footwear and homewares.

Key Information

History

[edit]

The company was founded as Freemans & Co in 1905 by four partners, A.C. Rampton, W.E. Jones, S.C. Rampton and H.A. Freeman and began life with only twelve staff out of a terraced house based in Clapham, south London. Each member put up £100 as capital to get the business going,[citation needed] equivalent to £13,564 in 2023.

Freemans specialised in selling clothing items and distributed its catalogue each month throughout the United Kingdom. The initial catalogues were made up of black and white illustrations that reflected the available products. Of the product range the "made to measure" suits were a success, offering a cheap tailored opportunity for customers at the time, costing only 30 shillings, equivalent to £203 in 2023.[1] The company used agency representatives in local areas as a form of credit control and to manage sales, with most goods being sold on credit. Women, however, were restricted by law as they could not negotiate credit arrangements and required a husband's signature to purchase goods. Therefore, the majority of agents were men.

A year after it was founded, the newly named Freemans of London moved to larger premises at 215 Lavender Hill, Wandsworth. Company staff are affectionately nicknamed "The Lavender Hill Mob", some 45 years prior to the famous British film of the same name being made.

In 1914 the company was forced to direct its efforts towards the war effort and, ceasing expansion plans, focus on buying blankets and selling them to the Government and the armed forces.

The 1920s saw the introduction of colour photographs in the Freemans catalogues and the company continued to expand, with 200 people being employed by 1922.[2] This led to another move, into a converted cinema that was formerly known as "the Gem", but saw the company remain in the Lavender Hill area of London.

Freemans grew to dominate the mail order landscape in the 1930s, being the largest mail order company in the UK, with over 30,000 agents. Expansion also meant that the company needed to find larger premises; it moved to 139 Clapham Road, London, in 1937.

By 1937 Freemans had expanded its product line to include important labour-saving household service items such as vacuum cleaners and washing machines. Now in new offices, it also became a privately held company.

Being situated so close to London had unfortunate consequences during the Second World War as the Clapham offices were bombed, killing 23 members of staff and destroying all company records. However, the company continued to trade, now limited to a much smaller range of products due to the scarcity of suppliers and more essential use of raw materials. In fact the catalogue featured only clothing items, but these could now be purchased using the newly introduced coupon rate system. By the end of the war as rationing had taken full effect, clothing coupons were the only way to pay for clothes.

Despite the staff count reducing to less than 300 by 1945, the 1950s was a period of boom for the mail order industry. New levels of disposable income as part of a "post-war" boom led to increased levels of consumerism and Freemans capitalised on this by producing a fully colourised 1000-page catalogue that was distributed by mail and featured a much wider range of products. The credit proposition was also giving Freemans a USP that wasn't available on the high street, and was also perhaps the primary reason catalogue shops such as Grattan, Littlewoods and Empire Stores did so well during this period.

In 1963 Freemans PLC was floated on the stock market as it became a public limited company, and it installed its very first computer, being the first mail order company to do so. This was just one example of how Freemans built a name as the most pioneering mail order company in the UK, followed by the introduction of telephone ordering.

Looking further afield, Freemans opened a new international division, with the aim to break into the worldwide marketplace. The venture eventually made Freemans one of the 140 recipients of the Queens Award for Export Achievement[3] in 1995.

In 1969 the company required more warehouse space and opened an automated distribution centre in Peterborough, England. It became the first company to post goods in plastic packaging and was also the first UK company to generate heat from waste packaging[citation needed].

Once again Freemans looked at an innovative way to progress its business as it introduced a telephone ordering service for its agents. This was further developed five years later as a telephone system was introduced to deal with both customer and agent queries.

Tony Rampton, grandson of one of the founders, served Freemans as Managing Director (1964–1965), Chairman (1965–1984) and President (1984–1988).[4]

Sears PLC

[edit]

In 1988 Freemans was purchased by Sears PLC, whose other investments included bookmakers William Hill and the controlling arm of Selfridges, turning it into one of the country's largest retail organisations. It also meant that Freemans could now easily source and stock popular high street brands and promote them in its catalogue.[5]

Innovation

[edit]

In 1994 the Freemans range was produced and distributed on a CD. This was an innovative stage at a time for a business which over the past century had relied heavily on its catalogue consisting of paper. The idea won many awards for creativity and ingenuity, but was subsequently superseded by the presence of an online catalogue in the form of a company e-commerce website which was created in 1997. By then, Sears had sold Freemans, leaving it an independent company once again.

In 1997 Littlewoods plc attempted to take over Freemans but the move was blocked by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission of the Board of Trade. However, within two years the company had attracted the attention of German mail order giant Otto Versand,[6] which had already entered the UK market with the purchase of established mail order name Grattan in 1991.

Initially, Freemans operations remained in London, but it was quickly integrated with the Bradford-based Grattan, not only utilising its head office at Anchor House, Ingleby Road, Bradford, but also warehousing in Peterborough and Bradford and a call centre in Sheffield.

In 2005 Freemans revamped its website. This was the first in a number of moves to react to the increasing online business. By 2008 the brand logo had changed from Freemans to Freemans.com to reflect the doubling in online sales over the previous two years.[7]

A year later Freemans was presented an award by More magazine for "Most Aspirational Mail Order Catalogue" and by Prima magazine for "Best Mail Order Brand", a title it retained the following year.

The parent company, now renamed Otto UK, announced a restructure of the UK-based business in 2009, bringing all its home shopping brands together under the brand Freemans Grattans Holdings (FGH) and utilising the popularity of the Freemans name in the UK.

To this day, customers must order online before receiving catalogues or brochures by post; these are no longer available on request.

Sponsorship and celebrity endorsement

[edit]

Freemans embraced the concept of celebrity endorsement and elicited the help of one of the world's first international supermodels, Twiggy, to promote the brand in the 1960s.[citation needed]

Pop icon Lulu began modelling for the Freemans catalogue in the 1970s and early 1980s as the brand looked to capture a boutique atmosphere but within the catalogue format. Lulu's brightness and bounce were the selling points for its young fashion.[8] At the same time the catalogue offered Lulu the chance to promote her exclusive fashion range produced by Lenbry Fashions.[9]

The 1970s also saw star of the BBC sitcom Butterflies, Wendy Craig, model for the catalogue company.

In the early 1980s, model and actress Lorraine Chase promoted the "Lorraine Chase Collection" through the Freemans catalogue.[10] It also gave supermodel Yasmin Le Bon one of her first major modelling campaigns in the 1980s.[11]

TV presenter Des Lynam was chosen to promote the catalogue company's leisurewear in the early 1990s, securing a five-year deal. From 2007 to 2009, television and West End star Denise Van Outen promoted the catalogue's new "One Collection".[citation needed]

Other celebrities associated with the brand include British swimmer and Olympic silver medallist Sharron Davies and Liverpool-born TV presenter Keith Chegwin.[12]

Freemans were shirt sponsors for local football team Bradford City AFC from 1991 to 1993; the shirt was made by Bukta in Bradford City's traditional claret and amber colours for the home shirt and a plain white for the away strip.[13]

The company also sponsored the Celebrity Mum of the Year Award in 2006, an award which was won by Sharon Osbourne.[14]

[edit]

The Clapham Road home of Freemans of London is featured on themed tours of London as one of the top industry-related places to visit in London.[15]

Alan Davies cited the Freemans catalogue in one of the jokes at his 2012 Edinburgh stand-up show, highlighting how renowned the catalogue's history remains amongst the mainstream population.[16]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Freemans

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Freemans is a British online retailer specializing in , , homeware, electricals, and products, founded in as a mail-order business in Lavender Sweep, , and now headquartered in , [West Yorkshire](/page/West Yorkshire). Originally starting with a 200-page black-and-white and 12 staff members, Freemans grew rapidly during the post-war boom of the , dispatching up to 7,000 parcels per day and expanding its to over 1,000 colorful pages to compete with traditional department stores. In 1969, the company opened Europe's largest automated distribution center in , introducing innovations like plastic packaging for orders, and by 1979, it pioneered the UK's first ordering service for agents. changes marked key phases: acquired by in 1988 as part of a major retail expansion, then sold to German firm Versand for £150 million in 1999, after which it merged with fellow retailer Grattan in 2000 under Freemans Grattan Holdings (FGH), a of the . Freemans launched its , freemans.com, in 1997, transitioning toward digital sales, and by 2020, it rebranded as an online digital featuring exclusive collections from brands like Harry Brown, Threadbare, and . The company discontinued its printed catalogues in September 2023 after 118 years and over 1 billion copies distributed, citing soaring online sales—with customer numbers increasing by 34% in 2023—and a shift to app-based and web shopping with options like buy-now-pay-later. In 2024, Freemans introduced flexible payment plans called Flexi and appointed singer as its brand ambassador to appeal to modern shoppers. Today, it serves millions through its and , emphasizing effortless style, free returns, and monthly payment catalogs for select customers.

History

Founding and early development

Freemans & Co was established in by four partners—A.C. Rampton, W.E. Jones, S.C. Rampton, and H.A. Freeman—in a modest two-room at Lavender Sweep in , . The venture began with just 12 staff members and focused on mail-order sales of and , distributed primarily through an agent-based network that allowed customers to order on credit terms. This model targeted working-class families, offering affordable options in , , and homewares to meet everyday needs in an era when access to retail was limited for many. Within a year, the business expanded to larger premises at 215 Lavender Hill in , reflecting early demand for its catalog, which initially featured black-and-white drawings of products. By , Freemans had grown to employ around 200 staff, operating from a converted cinema on Lavender Hill, as the company recovered from disruptions and scaled its operations. The agent network proved crucial to this development, enabling widespread distribution without physical stores and building trust through personal recommendations in communities. Entering the 1930s, Freemans dominated the mail-order sector for , with an extensive network of over 30,000 agents—predominantly men at the time, due to credit negotiation restrictions on women—solidifying its position as the largest player in affordable apparel and household essentials. This growth was driven by the economic pressures of the , where the company's -based, agent-mediated sales appealed to budget-conscious working-class households seeking quality goods without upfront payment. By the mid-1930s, staff numbers had reached approximately 1,000, supporting the production and dispatch of catalogs that reached millions.

Wartime and post-war growth

In 1937, Freemans relocated its headquarters to a larger facility at 139 Clapham Road in London to accommodate its expanding operations, following earlier moves driven by business growth. This site became a key hub for the company's mail-order activities until it suffered a direct bomb hit during the Blitz on 27 September 1940, when an explosive struck an air-raid shelter, killing 22 female employees, and subsequent incendiary attacks destroyed much of the stock and records. Despite these severe disruptions, which temporarily halted operations and reduced staff to under 300 by 1945, the company swiftly rebuilt, resuming distribution from alternative locations and adapting to wartime constraints by focusing on essential clothing sales under rationing systems. The post-war period marked a phase of robust recovery and expansion for Freemans in the and , as the end of hostilities aligned with easing and an economic boom that boosted . The workforce grew significantly during this era, with employment rebounding from wartime lows to support intensified operations, including the establishment of a Social Welfare Club in 1949 to aid employee well-being amid rapid scaling. Catalog circulation expanded considerably, enabling the company to distribute over 7,000 parcels daily by and grow its annual turnover nearly fourfold in the decade leading to 1963, positioning it as a leader in the UK's mail-order sector. A pivotal in the was the introduction of interest-free options, which bundled financing into product prices to enhance for working-class households facing limited disposable income. This facilitated higher purchase volumes, with accounting for a substantial portion of , and helped Freemans' catalogs evolve into comprehensive, over-1,000-page full-color editions that rivaled department stores, solidifying its dominance in .

Expansion and public listing

In 1963, Freemans transitioned to a public limited company through a flotation on the London Stock Exchange, leveraging robust post-war expansion that saw its turnover nearly quadruple over the previous decade and pre-tax profits increase from £753,000 in 1953 to £1,958,000 in 1962. This public listing provided capital for scaling operations, including the construction of a new 140,000-square-foot warehouse at in 1960, which was extended by an additional 100,000 square feet in 1968 to handle growing demand. Building on the foundations of wartime recovery and stabilization, the company focused on enhancing its agent-based distribution network, which by the 1980s encompassed more than 800,000 agents across the . Technological advancements drove operational efficiency during this period, with Freemans leading the mail order sector in computerization by installing the LEO 326 system in 1963 at a cost of £500,000; fully operational by 1965, it automated order processing, invoicing, agent accounts, and stock control, with extensions to warehousing implemented in 1967. Catalogues expanded significantly to 500–700 pages by the early 1960s, featuring color illustrations and up to 12,000 items, reflecting rising consumer affluence and contributing to annual parcel volumes exceeding four million by 1968. In 1980, Freemans pioneered the first telephone ordering service for agents in the UK, streamlining transactions and reducing reliance on postal orders, a move that enhanced customer accessibility amid shifting retail trends. Revenue growth accelerated through the via targeted marketing to younger demographics and catalogue updates emphasizing and family products, positioning Freemans as the third-largest firm with an 11–12% by 1979 and 15% by 1981, amid a sector that peaked at 5.3% of total retail sales that year. The company's workforce, predominantly female and supported by a dedicated social welfare officer since the , scaled to meet this demand, while annual print runs reached into the millions to sustain the extensive agent network. Efforts to build international agent networks in and beyond during the laid the groundwork for export success, culminating in the Queen's Award for Export Achievement in 1995.

Ownership and corporate structure

Acquisition by Sears PLC

In 1988, Sears PLC acquired the publicly listed Freemans for over £400 million in its largest deal of the late 1980s, integrating the mail-order retailer into a diversified group that included the British Shoe Corporation and other interests like bookmakers William Hill. This move significantly boosted ' share of the British mail-order market, positioning Freemans as a key component of the company's expanded retail operations and transforming the group into one of the nation's largest retail organizations. The acquisition enabled short-term operational synergies, including enhanced logistics and marketing capabilities through shared group resources, which supported Freemans' established customer base while complementing ' shoe retailing and other divisions. Freemans retained its core mail-order model under ' ownership, focusing on catalog-based sales of , home goods, and related products. However, these benefits were tempered by Sears PLC's broader financial challenges in the early , including mounting pressures from the retail sector's economic downturn and internal group restructuring, which strained resources and limited further strategic initiatives for Freemans.

Integration into Otto Group

In 1999, Sears plc sold Freemans to Otto Versand, the German parent company of the Grattan catalogue business, for approximately £150 million, marking the beginning of Freemans' integration into the . This acquisition allowed Otto to consolidate its UK operations, leveraging Grattan's established presence in to enhance efficiencies in mail-order retailing. By 2000, the administrative functions of Freemans and Grattan were merged under Freemans Grattan Holdings (FGH), a unified entity within that streamlined back-office operations and . This was followed by a major restructure in 2009, which reorganized FGH to focus on profitability amid economic challenges, including cost reductions and a shift toward online capabilities while retaining catalogue elements. As part of these changes, Freemans' headquarters were consolidated in , , aligning with Grattan's base and facilitating closer collaboration within the Otto ecosystem. Under Otto Group ownership, Freemans has benefited from ongoing synergies, such as shared European supply chains that provide access to centralized sourcing, logistics, and sustainability standards across the group's international network. These integrations have supported operational resilience, with FGH drawing on Otto's expertise in global procurement to optimize product ranges and reduce costs.

Business model and operations

Catalog retailing era

Freemans pioneered the agent-based distribution system in its early years, mailing catalogs directly to a network of independent agents starting from its founding in 1905. These agents, often local representatives, handled door-to-door sales by distributing the catalogs to households, taking orders, and collecting payments on behalf of the company. By the 1930s, this model propelled Freemans to dominance in the UK mail-order sector, with over 30,000 agents facilitating widespread access to goods in rural and urban areas alike. The system's efficiency peaked with the production of more than one billion catalog copies by 2023, underscoring its role as a cornerstone of British home shopping. The content of Freemans catalogs evolved significantly from modest beginnings to elaborate publications that catered to diverse family needs. Initially launched in 1905 as a 200-page booklet featuring black-and-white drawings of basic items, the catalog transitioned to include color photographs by the , enhancing visual appeal and product variety. By the , it had expanded to over 1,000 full-color pages, showcasing an extensive array of family-oriented products such as apparel, home goods, and accessories with options for inclusive sizing to accommodate various body types. This growth continued into the 1970s and 1980s, when editions routinely exceeded 1,000 pages, emphasizing practical, affordable items for households across income levels. A key innovation in the catalog era was the introduction of flexible and options, which made accessible to low-income families. From onward, the agent network enabled installment payments, where agents collected small weekly amounts directly from customers, functioning similarly to plans by allowing purchases without full upfront costs. By 1950, a significant portion of were conducted via accounts, further supporting this model during economic recovery. These arrangements not only built customer loyalty but also democratized retail access in an era before widespread consumer .

Shift to digital and online platform

Freemans pioneered its entry into with the launch of its online store, freemans.com, in 1997, marking one of the earliest adoptions of digital shopping among British retailers. The company continued to evolve its digital presence through subsequent enhancements. By , Freemans fully rebranded as a digital , emphasizing exclusive online collections and a streamlined . In 2023, Freemans announced the discontinuation of its printed catalogs after 118 years, aligning with a surge in digital engagement that drove a 13% year-on-year sales increase in the first half of the year, alongside a 34% expansion in its customer base to over one million users. This shift eliminated the need for physical distribution of over one billion catalogs historically produced, redirecting resources toward online channels where customer response had become predominant. As of 2025, Freemans operates exclusively as a digital , focusing on and homewares through its platform. In August 2025, the retailer partnered with to modernize and scale its dropshipping strategy, onboarding over 70 new third-party brands to broaden its assortment and enable direct supplier-to-customer fulfillment. This collaboration accelerates supplier integration and enhances merchandising efficiency, supporting Freemans' goal of delivering a wider range of products without expanding physical inventory. Freemans' customer base has grown to over 2 million by 2025, bolstered by integration launched to facilitate account management, , and purchases on mobile devices. Features such as personalized recommendations, drawn from user preferences and , have contributed to a 12% sales uplift in the first half of 2025 (25 weeks ending June 27), reflecting the effectiveness of data-driven enhancements in engaging its core 40+ demographic.

Innovations and technological advancements

Early operational innovations

In the early 1960s, Freemans pioneered the adoption of computer technology in the UK mail-order sector by installing its first computer system in 1963, becoming one of the earliest retailers to leverage computing for operational efficiency. This initiative, utilizing the LEO computer, automated key processes including order fulfillment, despatch notes, invoicing, and stock control, with the system becoming fully operational by summer 1965 and handling 20% of invoicing by Christmas that year. The computerization fundamentally transformed the company's operations, enabling real-time data processing that enhanced warehouse management, customer relations, and overall order turnaround, marking a shift from manual methods to more streamlined digital-assisted workflows. By 1969, Freemans further advanced its logistics through the opening of an automated in , which was Europe's largest at the time and incorporated innovative solutions. The company became the first in the UK to post goods using plastic , a move that accelerated packing processes, minimized transit damage, and reduced material costs compared to traditional paper wrappers. In 1979, Freemans introduced the UK's first telephone ordering service dedicated to home shopping agents, revolutionizing customer interactions by allowing direct voice-based placements that bypassed slower postal methods. This innovation streamlined order verification, reduced errors, and improved response times, enabling agents to confirm stock availability in real-time and fostering greater accessibility for its growing network of representatives. Toward the end of the decade, in , Freemans experimented with early by launching catalogs, providing interactive browsing capabilities for agents well before widespread . These discs offered searchable product views and elements, representing a bridge from print to digital formats, though the initiative achieved only marginal in scaling . Freemans launched its website, freemans.com, in 1997, marking an early step toward online retailing.

Modern digital and sustainability initiatives

A significant advancement in 2025 was Freemans' partnership with to integrate its marketplace platform, enabling seamless dropshipping operations. This collaboration allows Freemans to onboard over 70 new third-party suppliers efficiently, expanding product assortment without increasing inventory holdings and accelerating delivery times through automated supplier management. The integration supports Freemans' goal of scaling its digital department store model by modernizing dropship capabilities, with Mirakl's technology facilitating real-time and assortment growth. On the sustainability front, Freemans Grattan Holdings (FGH), the parent company, committed to achieving carbon-neutral supply chains by 2030, embedding across operations in alignment with Group's global standards. This includes rigorous assessment of the from raw materials to delivery, prioritizing reduced environmental impacts in sourcing and . Efforts also encompass high rates, with 99.72% of 933 tonnes of diverted from in 2021 through sorting of materials like , plastics, and . The decision to end printed catalogs in 2023 after 118 years further advanced by eliminating paper production and distribution emissions, previously involving over one billion copies. This shift to fully digital channels not only cut print-related carbon outputs but also supported FGH's broader waste reduction strategies, contributing to minimized operational footprints. Data analytics shared via technologies have optimized inventory management, enabling predictive stocking and efficient coordination, though exact delivery metrics remain proprietary.

Marketing and endorsements

Sponsorship activities

Freemans served as the kit sponsor for from 1991 to 1993, featuring the company's branding on the team's home and away shirts during their campaigns in the English Football League's lower divisions. This partnership enhanced local brand visibility in the area, aligning with the retailer's regional roots. In 2006, Freemans sponsored the Celebrity Mum of the Year awards, a high-profile event recognizing notable mothers in the public eye, with receiving the honor at a ceremony in . The sponsorship underscored the company's focus on family-oriented marketing and community engagement through celebratory events. In the digital era, Freemans has emphasized initiatives, reflecting a strategic focus on environmental responsibility.

Celebrity partnerships

Freemans has long leveraged celebrity endorsements to enhance its appeal, particularly targeting fashion-conscious consumers through catalog and advertising campaigns. In the 1960s, supermodel was enlisted to promote the brand's youth-oriented fashion lines, helping to position Freemans as a modern retailer amid the Swinging London era. Pop singer Lulu modeled for Freemans catalogs throughout the 1970s and into the early 1980s, capturing a youthful and vibrant demographic as the company expanded its apparel offerings. Similarly, actress and model featured prominently in the 1980s, promoting the "Lorraine Chase Collection" in catalogs with a focus on accessible British style and everyday appeal. By the late 2000s, Freemans shifted toward targeted product endorsements with established entertainers. was featured in Freemans campaigns in the late 2000s, promoting lifestyle items. In a more recent development, in 2025, Freemans appointed MBE as its ambassador for women's fashion, particularly the Lascana swimwear and holiday lines, which contributed to a 6% growth in total fashion sales during the first half of the year. Post-2010s, Freemans evolved its strategy to incorporate influencers and micro-campaigns, emphasizing inclusivity through diverse representations. Campaigns have featured models of varying ages, sizes, and ethnicities alongside celebrities like in 2024, who starred in the autumn/winter collection promotions across digital platforms, fostering a sense of community and accessibility. These efforts, including collaborations with content creators, have supported the brand's transition to online marketing while maintaining its tradition of aspirational yet relatable endorsements.

Cultural impact

Representations in media

Freemans has been depicted in as a symbol of everyday consumer habits and family life, often highlighting the quirky aspects of catalogue shopping. In comedian ' 2012 stand-up show Life Is All But a Dream, performed at the and later toured to theaters, he joked about browsing the Freemans catalogue during his youth, contrasting it with modern online content by quipping that "no one was ever trafficked against their will into the Freemans catalogue." This reference underscored the catalogue's role in nostalgic, lighthearted anecdotes about British domesticity.

Influence on British shopping culture

Freemans played a pivotal role in democratizing access to and goods for working-class families across the from its founding in 1905 until the cessation of its printed catalogs in 2023. Through an agent-based delivery system that relied on a network of over 30,000 agents by , the company enabled convenient without the need for physical store visits, particularly benefiting those in rural or underserved areas. Affordable options, such as coupon-based payments introduced in 1943 and later flexible financing, allowed families to spread costs over time, making items like clothing and household essentials more attainable for lower-income households that often faced barriers to traditional retail . By the 1970s, Freemans' catalogs had become cultural icons, functioning as "virtual department stores" that brought a vast array of products—over 1,000 pages at their peak—directly into homes, reaching more than 2 million households biannually and shaping everyday consumer habits. Additionally, Freemans contributed to greater inclusivity in British by launching Curvissa in , a dedicated plus-size line offering sizes 14 to 32, which helped normalize diverse body representations in mainstream catalogs long before such sizing became widespread in high-street retail. Following the 2023 shift away from print to a fully digital platform, Freemans has sustained its legacy in normalizing online , particularly among the 35+ demographic, by evolving into a comprehensive site that mirrors the catalog's breadth with flexible payment options like Flexi launched in 2024. In the first half of 2025, the company reported a 12% sales increase, driven by enhanced digital adoption among older consumers who previously relied on catalogs, with efforts targeting mid-40s and above to bridge generational gaps. This transition has reinforced 's role in consumer culture, maintaining accessibility for established demographics amid broader growth.

References

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  35. https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/news/end-of-an-era-as-freemans-brings-118-years-of-its-printed-catalogue-to-an-end/
  36. https://www.insidermedia.com/news/national/clear-momentum-for-freemans-after-strong-first-half-myleene-klass-announced-as-ambassador
  37. https://ww.fashionnetwork.com/news/Freemans-names-sophie-ellis-bextor-to-spearhead-aw24-reinvention-campaign%2C1663199.html
  38. https://creative.salon/articles/work/sophie-ellis-bextor-style-squad-freemans-mullen-lowe
  39. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2012/aug/13/alan-davies-edinburgh-comedy-review
  40. https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/23945005/freemans-catalogue-britain-home-shoppers/
  41. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227467487_Mail_Order_Retailing_in_Britain_A_Business_and_Social_History
  42. https://www.drapersonline.com/insight/analysis/how-freemans-is-starting-a-new-chapter
  43. https://www.forbes.com/sites/katehardcastle/2023/10/31/catalogues-of-change-reshaping-retail-reality-into-21st-century/
  44. https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/25530860.freemans-reports-12-per-cent-rise-sales-2025/
  45. https://creative.salon/articles/features/creative-partnerships-mullen-lowe-freemans-masterclass
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