British pottery Designer, Emma Bridgewater, has reported a near £1.4 million loss for her homewares brand; she attributes the losses to heavy discounting and increased competition online. This follows a £1.1 million profit from the previous year.
It also experienced a 9% rise in sales to £36.2 million in the year ending May 2023, up from £33.1 million the previous year.
However, this was insufficient to counterbalance a nearly 20% increase in production costs to £21 million and a 15% rise in staffing and administrative expenses to £16 million.
To offset the downturn, the company has recently laid off dozens of staff from its 480-strong workforce.
It cut 40 jobs last summer and moved to a short-time working pattern of four days per week for two and a half months at the factory.
The group is now planning to review its level of pottery stocks until 2025 to prevent heavier discounting.
The brand carved out a niche in the market for quirky and colourful homewares, alongside brands such as Cath Kidston and Boden. It has also become known for its Royal-themed ceramics, with the then-Prince of Wales unveiling a plaque designed by Bridgewater in 2017 on a visit to Stoke-on-Trent.
All its ceramics are still manufactured at the Stoke-on-Trent foundry, and the group is one of the largest pottery makers in the UK.
The group still retains a cult following among fans, with around 30,000 visitors flocking to Emma Bridgwater factory tours every year.
