Assignment Case Study Essay

Submitted By timispan
Words: 1701
Pages: 7

Rohan Case Study
History
Rohan is a British designer and supplier of outdoor clothing and footwear that has 61 stores and an annual turnover of £30 million. Their products are designed in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and manufactured internationally
The company was founded by husband and wife team Paul and Sarah Howcroft. They lost control of the company in the stock market decline of the 1980’s and the company was owned for a period by Clarks, until a management buyout.
In 1993 Paul Howcroft was killed aged 42 in a car accident and the Cann Trust and Colin Fisher took control of the company in 2007 and set about enhancing the product range and simplifying the management structure. In the 2009 recession the company made an operating loss of £400,000, but two years later operating profit stood at £384,000 with a turnover of £17.9m. Sarah Howcroft continues to run a website called 'Rohantime' for fans of the company and its products.
Products
The company has introduced fabrics not previously used for clothing tailored to Rohans own designs. Products include trousers and shirts made from mosquito repellent and UV protection fabrics, thermal fleeces, hats, socks and shoes. The company has also introduced a system for rating the suitability of their clothing for different Climate Zones. The clothing has been rated for its practicality rather than stylishness.

The Rohan Website: http://www.rohan.co.uk/Content/AboutUs/Home
Rohan Marketing
Rohan make clothingfor protection and comfort in the world’s wildest places. From performance clothing to shoes and luggage there is a full range. Everything is built on the original Rohan design principles that were conceived around a kitchen table in North Yorkshire nearly forty years ago and that remains unique.
Light but durable, highly packable and fast drying clothing means you can take less, travel lighter and get more done. And because technical benefits are hidden rather than overt our clothing is much more versatile.
It excels on trails and mountains but fits in, in a much wider range of settings – bringing the technical virtues of performance gear to the everyday.
Rohan is designed and constructed to last. Subtle styles and bomb-proof build mean we have an enviable reputation for longevity. Our gear will look good ten years after the latest designer creations have become obsolete.
Rohan appeals most to those that have chosen not to run in the latest consumer race. We aren’t aiming to raise the bar of aspiration and ostentation higher and higher through false promises and nonsense. We just make gear that delights our customers and delivers on our promise.

Rohan Ethical Trading
As a business and as individuals we take ethical trading very seriously.Rohan has been a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) since 2005.
This is an alliance of companies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and trade union organisations working together to improve the conditions for overseas workers producing for the UK market. We chose to join the ETI as it seems to us the most effective and responsible way of getting things done.
We have adopted the ETI Base Code as our code of conduct. The Base Code clearly sets out standards for the treatment of factory workers in all areas such as wages, working hours, conditions, forced and child labour.
All our garment suppliers have formally agreed with us to abide by this code.
Our aim is to build proper partnerships with our factories so that we can maintain high quality standards and together work on all ethical issues.
Rohan works with a relatively small number of partner factories and our product teams regularly visit them throughout the year. However, we feel that a further level of inspection and audit will help things improve further and quicker.
Rohan Designs has worked closely with the ETI to develop a strategy for working with suppliers in Bangladesh. Since April 2013, Rohan has worked with one well established factory to produce some men’s