Polarn O. Pyret

Polarn O. Pyret is a Swedish operated under the RnB Retail and Brands ^[1] group based in Stockholm. Polarn O. Pyret designs, produces and distributes baby and childrenswear through its own shops, department stores, franchises and e-commerce in Europe and the USA. The name means ‘Buddy and The Little One’ in Swedish, although it is often known as and shortened to PO.P.

The brand gained media attention when one of their garments was worn by Prince George for his first official Christmas portrait taken by Ed Lane Fox in November 2014.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

History

Polarn O. Pyret began by selling a totally different product – condoms.^[7] In the early 1900s, Nils Adamsson travelled around Västergötland in Sweden selling sewing machines. He was struck by the size of families – and how poor they were. He wanted to help them have fewer children. In 1909, Adamsson bought a tobacco shop in Falköping, where he began selling condoms imported from Germany. Nils and Karin Adamsson sold medical products alongside tobacco, which gave their business a certain legitimacy. In the early 1940s, they began selling baby products under the name of “Pyret”, Swedish for "The Little One".

Their shops had two different departments – one for medical products, the other for baby products. The idea was that mothers would not have to pass through the “men’s department” – and that men would not have to be around women and children when they bought their products. The last restrictions on condom sales in Sweden were lifted in the 1970s. Condoms could now be sold in department stores, petrol stations and newsagents, which pushed down prices and reduced the profits. This led to a decision in 1976 that contraceptive sales would be phased out, and the company would change its name to Polarn & Pyret AB.^[8]

The driving force behind the creation of Polarn O. Pyret in the mid 70's were CEO Katarina af Klintberg and designer Gunilla Axen. They wanted to create clothing that was both timeless in design, yet easy to wear and care for. The brand celebrates 40 years as Polarn O. Pyret in 2016, and the brand's story is documented in a special anniversary website.

Products

Polarn O. Pyret makes quality clothing and outdoor wear for children aged 0 – 12 years.^[9][10] Over 25% of the clothing is eco labelled and carries GOTS certification for organic production. The brand has committed to producing all cotton garments in certified sustainable cotton by 2020 under the Better Cotton Initiative.^[11] As a brand Polarn O. Pyret produce uni-sex clothing for children without being gender specific, focusing rather on the quality and comfort of the product.^[12]

Brand Ethos

Polarn O. Pyret is renowned for making clothing for babies and children with a durable quality, often in unisex styles,^[13][14] driven by the philosophy that children’s clothing should be worn by more than one child, handed down and passed on.^[15]

UK Expansion

Master Franchise Partner Odin Retail Ltd won the rights to launch and distribute Polarn O. Pyret in the UK and Ireland in 2006. The original expansion started with the introduction of staffed concession stores in flagship House of Fraser stores. In the autumn of 2006 stores were opened in Brent Cross Shopping Centre in North London and King Edward Court, Windsor. The UK business has grown exponentially and introduced e-commerce sites www.polarnopyret.co.uk ^[16] and www.polarnopyret.ie^[17] in 2011. As well as being widely available online, by 2016 the brand is sold in 5 solus stores including locations in Westfield London Shopping Centre and Westfield Stratford and 15 department store concessions.^[18] The clothing is also available at John Lewis online and www.amazon.co.uk.

Charity Campaigns

The brand currently has a partnership with the World Childhood Foundation. A proportion of the sales from toy soft striped rabbits goes to the charity, supporting the right to a secure and loving childhood for all children. The brand has previously participated in fundraising for the Children in Need campaign by asking its customers to bring in their outgrown Polarn O. Pyret clothes in exchange for store credit to be resold at a lower price to the general public in order to raise money to be donated to the BBC Children In Need appeal.^[19] All proceeds from the sale of carrier bags in store are donated to UK charity Children In Need.

References