Retailer View – Weird Fish

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Lifestyle retailer Weird Fish was established in 1993 with a simple mission: to produce well priced, well made and distinctive clothes that became instant feel-good favourites.

Airbrushing techniques saw Weird Fish create its first t-shirt collection in 2003 – unique, funny Artist T-shirts that still appeal to today’s customer. And in 1994, the iconic Weird Fish Macaroni™ was created using slow-spun, triple-twist fabric, that looks like its namesake. Weird Fish sold its millionth Macaroni product in 2013.

Having primarily operated as a mail-order business and in independent retailers since its inception, Weird Fish launched online in 2005 and 2006 saw the opening of the first Weird Fish shop. Today there are over 1,400 Weird Fish clothing stockists across the UK including the likes of Debenhams, Cotswold Outdoor and Blacks. Additionally, there are 15 dedicated Weird Fish stores with many situated in popular holiday destinations in counties such as Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Yorkshire.

2017 saw Weird Fish open a new design concept in Scarborough. In keeping with Weird Fish’s coastal-inspired roots, the design of the store featured a fun nautical theme and tranquil colours and formed the beginning of a planned series of store re-designs for Weird Fish. The new format aimed to bring Weird Fish’s physical presence up to the same level as its online operation. Data from online buying behaviour is used for positioning ‘buy the look’ displays in store, which use the current top-rated items from the online shop and is updated on a monthly rolling basis.

Having reported continual gains in annual sales since Pragma started monitoring Weird Fish in 2007, the advance of the business in 2017 was recognised by the industry with Weird Fish winning the Drapers award for ‘Best UK Multichannel Business Under £25m’.

April 2017 saw the company undergo a management buyout and has since seen Weird Fish continue to invest in its product ranges and expansion of the retail estate. This continual investment and unique offering is what makes Weird Fish stand out from the crowd, and should help it on its way to continued growth in the forthcoming year.