Jacobson Group Home About Us Design Custom Developed Collections Marketing Brands Gola Classics Gola Frank Wright Lonsdale Ravel Babycham Dunlop Lotus Naturalizer Dolcis Ready-Made Collections Distribution Join Us Contact Details About Us With a history spanning over 80 years in footwear, Jacobson Group believes that success is built on a solid foundation and a commitment to deliver, our expertise spans all aspects of sourcing footwear, a skill set that is ever evolving to meet the changing needs of the marketplace. Offering a unique and colourful approach to footwear, Jacobson Group understands footwear at all levels and offers a perfectly balanced combination of design, sourcing, quality control, marketing and distribution, an essential skill set, imperative to deliver footwear solutions at various levels of retail. Design As a supplier of custom developed footwear to fashion retail, the design function is central to our business proposition. Teamed with our excellent sourcing ability and our wholly owned dedicated sample facility in China, we are at the front end of the fast paced world of footwear. Each of our brands and our custom developed footwear business has its own dedicated design team, meaning we can develop product quickly and effectively whilst it remains tailored to the specific market sector needs. This is complemented by our established and respected sourcing facilities, with audited factories across the globe, our long-standing supplier relations are a genuine asset to our business giving reliability, outstanding quality and superior buying influence. Custom Developed Collections Bespoke product design and commercial styling are central to our business function, it’s the way we do business and in our experience it’s the best way to give major customers a distinctive edge and resonance. In order to better facilitate our customer needs we operate a fabulous showroom and office facility in the heart of London, this, together with our Far East sample facility dramatically increases our speed to market, giving us the ability to turn samples around quickly, an ever prevalent issue in the world of fast fashion. This combination brings our customers the convenience of dealing with a UK company but offers the benefits of direct Far East sourcing. Marketing Our dedicated in-house marketing team allows Jacobson Group to draw on all elements of the marketing mix, from social media and experiential to in-store merchandising and media campaigns. With an extensive list of press and blogger contacts for all relevant market sectors, we hold regular press events at our London showrooms resulting in influential coverage for all our brands. Additionally we operate a wide variety of social media platforms to keep fans of the respective brands informed about the latest goings-on. Retailer support is a key priority for us and as such we invest significantly in the development of eye-catching and retail friendly point of sale, together with online imagery to assist sell through. To complement this we also produce a selection of supporting literature at both a trade and consumer level. We are also happy to work with the specific needs of major retailers, to develop bespoke promotional packages enabling us to address the individual requirements of our customers. Gola Classics Born in a small factory in England on 22nd May 1905, Gola holds a treasured place in British sporting history having been associated with some of the biggest names in sport from the worlds of football, rugby, tennis, athletics and boxing. Gola's unique and fascinating story has seen the brand conquer various trials and tribulations to become the number one British sportswear brand of the day in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Today, Gola’s quintessentially British personality and vast sporting heritage are creatively combined with today’s key fashion looks. This ethos has paved the way for many successful collections, cementing Gola's reputation for offering genuine styled merchandise to those who choose not to follow the crowd. Gola has a strong retail presence and in recent years has opened its own retail outlets across Europe, South America and the Far East. Gola has also invested heavily in a state of the art website, which features a responsive design, allowing the brand to engage with its audience on a global level. www.gola.co.uk Gola To ensure Gola merchandise caters for a wide audience, the brand has a strong twofold presence in the market. In addition to the premium ‘Classics’ collection, Gola also offers lifestyle product that is commercially designed and competitively priced. Footwear suitable for fitness, football and the great outdoors is addressed with Gola’s diffusion lines, Gola Active, Ativo 5 and Gola Outdoor. Styles from each collection champion design features and functional benefits to offer desirable products that will appeal to even the most discerning customer. As well as footwear, a comprehensive range of apparel, bags and accessories is available; appealing to men, women and children of all ages and tastes. Each collection is produced to exacting standards capturing Gola’s philosophy for offering exceptional quality and distinctive designs at realistic price points. www.gola.co.uk Frank Wright Frank Wright was established in a small workshop in Kettering, Northamptonshire, in 1885 and originally made peg sole boots for the British Armed Forces. Over the next few decades the brand continued to innovate and moved into offering more fashionable products, becoming a major part of the ‘Carnaby Street’ scene in London in the 1960s. During the late ‘70s and ‘80s Frank Wright became well known for its classic loafers and ‘Beatle’ boots, cementing its place amongst the youth culture of the day to become a wardrobe staple on the terrace scene. Today Frank Wright is at the forefront of men’s footwear offering a collection of trend led, classic designs with modern styling. Most recently, Frank Wright introduced the 2700 (pronounced two-seven-hundred) collection; developed to incorporate influences from Frank Wright’s rich cavalry heritage. 2700 is a historical reference to the service numbers of the cavalry personnel that served at Chelsea barracks in the year Frank Wright was established; 1885. 2700 offers vintage inspired and highly wearable footwear designs. The collection features a number of on-trend, traditional shoes and boots with a strong emphasis on intricate detailing and high quality leather and suedes to give a unique look and a superior product. www.frankwrightshoes.com Lonsdale Lonsdale London began as a boxing brand in 1960, but its origins go back to much earlier times. In 1891 the 5th Earl of Lonsdale, Hugh Lowther, organised the first boxing match with gloves following the deaths of three boxers in bare knuckle fights. In 1960 Lonsdale produced a range of boxing clothing and equipment which became an immediate success, the brand was sought-after by boxing champions of the day and over the years has been donned by big boxing names such as Muhammad Ali, Henry Cooper, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Joe Calzaghe and many more. In the sixties the Lonsdale shop on London’s Beak Street, in Soho, became a Mecca for celebrities of the day such as Paul McCartney, Gregory Peck, The Jam and Tony Curtis as well as the boxing fraternity and general public, business was booming. Lonsdale remains at the top of its game in both the sporting and fashion arenas, offering functional and lifestyle apparel and footwear. The current footwear collection is produced by Jacobson Group under license, taking inspiration from the world of boxing whilst incorporating current fashion looks to offer a unique range of footwear for men and women. Ravel The last 40 years have seen Ravel flourish into a household name. As a leading footwear brand in the fashion arena associated with high quality, stylised footwear and accessories for the fashion minded consumer, Ravel is a name with a colourful story to tell. Since the early 60s when the first ‘Chaussures Ravel’ shop opened its doors on London’s Oxford Street, many fashion icons have sought out shoes from this vibrant brand. So it’s no surprise that as the brand has continued to grow, fashion devotees and many shoeaholics have been seduced by Ravel’s ‘must-have’ styles. Season on season an abundance of high fashion looks are prevalent in the Ravel collection. These trend led styles continue to create shoe envy with the uber-stylish crowd, as divine fabrics, ornamental features, striking prints and stunning colour combinations grace the uppers giving a distinctive Ravel signature. www.ravel.co.uk Babycham Babycham, the much loved British brand, was founded in 1953 and was possibly the single most significant innovation in the drinks industry at the time. Developed specifically for women, the last fifty years has seen Babycham earn the love of countless fans who enjoy the light, sweet and sparkling drink. In more recent years, Babycham has diversified and today offers a footwear collection of choice. With vintage charm and lots of attitude, the collection features kitsch and quirky designs for the fashion conscious female who likes to make a statement with her style. A mix of clashing prints and colours make for a sweet and eclectic range of footwear and bags. Typical Babycham design elements include oversized bows, rosettes and cute ribbons with the addition of contrast print linings, all helping create a unique and distinctive look. You’ll be charmed! www.babychamfootwear.co.uk Dunlop Dunlop holds outstanding brand recognition within the consumer arena and is a name synonymous with high quality and dependability, this enviable reputation extends to the slipper and casual footwear range for which Jacobson Group owns the rights. Designed and manufactured to exacting standards, Dunlop offers an imaginative and creative range with emphasis placed on innovative fabrics, creative trims and exceptional comfort. To maintain Dunlop’s enviable position within the marketplace Jacobson Group believes in reinvestment in the brand. Incessant investment in research and development results in progressive and fresh products season on season, of which Dunlop is proud. Remaining true to Dunlop’s footwear roots, emphasis is placed on developing new casual collections for men and women, incorporating comfort sandals and a market leading slipper collection. Lotus Established in 1759, the Lotus brand holds an incredible heritage with a wonderful tale to tell. Over the years Lotus has prospered and has firmly cemented itself as a leader within the industry. Securing and continually attracting a loyal following of style minded women who appreciate good fitting shoes, exceptional styling and high quality footwear. Signature Lotus styling is applied to both timeless classic options and a wealth of contemporary, easy to wear footwear styles. Distinctive finishing touches, an alluring colour palette and exquisite upper fabrics are applied to every pair to ensure statement making shoes are created. To give a stunning finishing touch to the wearer’s look, many styles from the Lotus ladies’ footwear collection perfectly harmonise with a number of co-ordinating bag designs in key shapes for the season. Lotus also offers a stylish men’s collection. The collection is functional yet distinctive, options range from essential casuals to smart formals all featuring leather uppers and a quality standard for which Lotus is renowned. www.lotusshoes.co.uk Naturalizer With demand for Naturalizer footwear continuing to soar globally, the famous American brand was launched in the UK by the Lotus subsiduary of Jacobson Group in 2008. Naturalizer’s UK debut exceeded all expectations with superb sell through; retailers were delighted with the instant results of this ‘new brand on the block’, putting the success down to Naturalizer offering ‘product with no compromises’. Following this launch, Naturalizer has steadily grown, season on season, and now has distribution in a balance of high grade multiple and respected independent accounts throughout the UK. Launched in 1927, Naturalizer has continued to capitalize on its heritage, producing exceptionally styled comfort footwear designed to make women look good and feel great all day long. Naturalizer’s philosophy is to interpret key seasonal trends in a way that ensures each style is versatile, but more importantly wearable in everyday life. This is aided by the unsurpassed attention to detail that is injected into every pair of shoes, coupled with the brand’s innovative ‘N5 Comfort Elements’ system. Dolcis A fashion forward footwear brand, Dolcis was first brought to life on a street barrow on Woolwich Town Market in 1863. Business soon grew and Dolcis graduated to its first store trading under the name of The Great Boot Provider. By 1920 the company was a public success and the name Dolcis appeared above the shop doors. Dolcis went on to dominate the fashion scene throughout the 1950s, with bold and statement footwear designs that British fashion demanded. Film stars of the moment, Jean Simmons and Lana Morris were quick to get in on the action, featuring heavily on advertising campaigns to bring the brand even further into the mainstream. By 2007, Dolcis was represented on the high street with 65 stand alone stores in the UK and over 150 concessions. Dolcis was acquired by Jacobson Group in 2012 and re-launched for the spring/summer 2013 season, which marked the brand’s 150th anniversary. Today, the Dolcis brand continues to serve up stylish, cool and contemporary designs to appeal to style minded young women. Catwalk inspired styles are adopted each season, all incorporating trend relevant prints and intricate finishing touches to appeal to the avid follower of fashion. www.dolcis.co.uk Ready-Made Collections Jacobson Group holds an impressive portfolio of brands which cater for a broad cross section of market sectors with varying price points. These ranges are suited to a diverse mix of retailers from traditional, service led outlets and self selection, value for money ventures to ecommerce operations. Whether you’re looking for a comfort footwear brand or to follow fashion trends, our in-stock range gives the opportunity to offer increased value at a consumer level with our range of recognised and respected in-stock brands. This, in turn, encourages consumer loyalty, a desirable on every retailer’s wish list. Our in-stock service is supported by our highly skilled customer service team who strive to develop strong relationships with all our customers, satisfying their needs in an efficient and timely manner. To complement this we have a highly experienced sales team committed to supporting our retailers’ every need and happy to share their comprehensive knowledge of the ever evolving footwear market. Distribution Regardless of how good we are at designing and sourcing product and no matter how great our brand portfolio is, we appreciate that we must be able to deliver to our customers in a professional, fast and efficient manner. That’s why, at Jacobson Group we prioritise the distribution function in our business model, we have over 685,000 sq ft (63,000sqm) of modern warehouse space allowing us to ensure the timely and accurate delivery of goods. We distribute to all corners of the globe and we’re able to quickly and effortlessly handle both small and large volumes of merchandise. Distribution from our various warehouses across the UK is carried out by our own fleet of vehicles and contracted hauliers. This essential element of the supply chain has a fully committed team dedicated to providing a service that is second to none. Join Us We're always on the look out for energetic and talented people to join our team; if working for Jacobson Group is something that appeals to you please forward your CV via the link as we’d like to hear from you. jobs@jacobsongroup.co.uk Back to Vacancies Apply today: jobs@jacobsongroup.co.uk Contact Details General enquiries +44 (0)1706 219444 admin@jacobsongroup.co.uk Press enquiries +44 (0)1706 212512 press@jacobsongroup.co.uk Sales enquiries +44 (0)1706 212512 sales@jacobsongroup.co.uk Get in touch