| General info : | | Church's is the brand name used by Church & Co Ltd., a high-end footwear manufacturer that was founded in 1873, by Thomas Church, in Northampton, England.
In 1999 the company came under the control of Italian luxury fashion house Prada in a US$170 million deal.
Between the two world wars, Church's became actively involved in the development of the footwear industry in general. In 1919, the British Boot, Shoe and Allied Trades Research Association was created with Church's as a founder-member. As a result of this partnership, the Northampton Technical College was established in 1925. This went on to become the University of Northampton in 2005.
The family business was taken over by Prada in 1999, in a US$170 million deal, and has since expanded its outlets overseas. In 2014 the company employed 650 people. The same year, Church's took over adjacent premises in St James Road, formerly a tram and later a bus depot, in anticipation of further expansion which was expected to create up to 140 more jobs.
Some have criticized Prada's management of Church's, citing a shift towards a fashion company moving away from traditional designs and workmanship resulting in gradual decrease of quality.
In 2016, the Company appointed a new CEO. Despite the openings of new luxury boutiques and the uplift of retail price, Church & Co reported losses and reduced the workforce in its plant in Northampton.
Its main installations are located in the St James area of Northampton, with an estimated production capacity of 5,000 pairs per week, 70% of which are exported all over the world. Besides products sold to resellers and individual customers, the company also has several of its own retail stores, including ones in Jermyn Street, London, George Street, Edinburgh, Pacific Place, Hong Kong, and County Arcade, Leeds. In 2014 it had 50 stores across central and northern Europe, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Japan. | |
| Contact info | | | |
| Source : | | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church%27s (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church%27s) | |
| Websites | | www.church-footwear.com (www.church-footwear.com) | |
| Relations : | | Brand name used by : Church & Co Ltd. | |
| Relations : | | Brand name used by : Prada SpA1999 - | |
| Relations : | | Founded by : Thomas Church1873 | |
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