C&J Clark
Encyclopedia
C. and J. Clark International Ltd, trading as Clarks, is a British, international shoe
manufacturer and retailer based in Street, Somerset
, England. For the year ending January 2010, the company made a profit of £125 million on sales of £1,174m,
making it the 33rd largest private company in the UK.
It is 81% owned by the Clark family, with the remaining 19% held by employees and related institutions.
For much of the life of the business, the company manufactured its own shoes in Somerset, building several factories in the area. The company's Quaker ethos made provision for workers' housing, education and leisure activities, while its keen social conscience kept Street 'dry' for many years. Rising costs and low productivity prompted the company to move production abroad, and while shoe design is still predominantly done in the United Kingdom, all manufacturing has now moved to India, Brazil, Cambodia, China and Vietnam. In 1993, redundant buildings at its Street site were opened as Clarks Village
, which includes more than 90 shops. There are also coffee shops, refreshment stalls and a dining area shared by fast food chains, mostly selling goods at a discount to high street prices.
Clarks has created a number of iconic styles during its history, including the Clarks "Wallabee", the Clarks "Desert Boot", and the Clarks "Playdeck" sandal.
The "Playdeck" sandal was made for men, women and children, from the 1950s to the early 1990s. A popular style of sandal, it consisted of a flat crepe sole unit, a leather insole, a plain ankle strap and two buckling straps, one at the instep and the other at the toes. It came in a variety of colours, but most popular were bamboo(tan), navy blue and white. Clarks reintroduced an almost exact copy of the original Playdeck style in their Spring 2010 Originals range, with a style called Kestral Soar, which is virtually identical to Playdeck save for a very small wedge in the heel.
Clarks Companies North America's logistic centre is based in Hanover, Pennsylvania
, near the Maryland line. In the recent years of growth, this facility was deemed a Federal Trade Zone, and has expanded its warehousing locations across town.
Clarks shoe brands has become a hit in Jamaica — thanks to Jamaican dancehall artist Vybz Kartel
. Clarks shoes are now popular on the Caribbean
island with prices soaring, shops selling out and thieves targeting them. (This is not new, Clarks shoe has always been popular with Jamaicans and extremely popular with Jamaican Rastafarians). Local music star Vybz Kartel released a single called Clarks earlier this year, with the cover carrying pictures of his favourite styles — Wallabees, Desert Boots and Desert Treks. The dancehall track features the catchy chorus line: "Everybody haffi ask weh mi get mi Clarks". And it even has lyrics about Elizabeth II wearing them.
Over years and now decades Clarks have become more and more known for their ranges of children's shoes and advertisement campaigns based upon the "Back to School" time of year.
C & J Clark brands include Clarks; Pr!vo ; Indigo; Bostonian; K Shoes; and Ravel Shoes.
1828: Joined by brother James, Clark begins producing sheepskin slippers, called the Brown Peter.
1833: James becomes a full partner; business is renamed C&J Clark Ltd.
1863: William Clark, son of James Clark, takes over the company.
1893: The introduction of the "Hygienic" line of shoes begins the company's focus as a "comfort" shoemaker.
1937: The company acquires a retail shoe store chain and renames it Peter Lord.
1950: The company launches the successful Desert Boot.
1965: The first Clark Wallabee model is launched.
1978: The company acquires the Hanover Shoe
manufacturing and retail business in the United States.
1979: The company acquires the Bostonian shoe manufacturing and retail business in the United States.
1981: The company acquires K Shoes Ltd., a U.K.-based shoe manufacturer and retailer.
1988: C&J Clark abandons its plans to go public.
1993: The company puts itself up for sale, then rejects an offer to buy from Berisford.
1996: The company begins restructuring, transforming itself from a manufacturing-oriented business to a consumer-driven, design-oriented branded products group.
2000: The company announces that it has decided not to go public for the near future.
2001: The company acquires Elefanten, a children's shoe manufacturer in Germany.
2005: Clarks ends shoe manufacturing in Somerset.
Shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...
manufacturer and retailer based in Street, Somerset
Street, Somerset
Street is a small village and civil parish in the county of Somerset, England. It is situated on a dry spot in the Somerset Levels, at the end of the Polden Hills, south-west of Glastonbury. The 2001 census records the village as having a population of 11,066...
, England. For the year ending January 2010, the company made a profit of £125 million on sales of £1,174m,
making it the 33rd largest private company in the UK.
It is 81% owned by the Clark family, with the remaining 19% held by employees and related institutions.
History
Started in 1825, by Quaker brothers Cyrus and James Clark, as a business making sheepskin rugs and slippers, using out-workers in the village, it has expanded to become a global shoe brand, with operations in Europe, the United States and the Far East.For much of the life of the business, the company manufactured its own shoes in Somerset, building several factories in the area. The company's Quaker ethos made provision for workers' housing, education and leisure activities, while its keen social conscience kept Street 'dry' for many years. Rising costs and low productivity prompted the company to move production abroad, and while shoe design is still predominantly done in the United Kingdom, all manufacturing has now moved to India, Brazil, Cambodia, China and Vietnam. In 1993, redundant buildings at its Street site were opened as Clarks Village
Clarks Village
Clarks Village is a designer outlet shopping complex at Street in the English county of Somerset. The centre includes more than 90 shops. There are also coffee shops, refreshment stalls and a dining area shared by fast food chains , mostly selling goods at a discount to high street prices.It is...
, which includes more than 90 shops. There are also coffee shops, refreshment stalls and a dining area shared by fast food chains, mostly selling goods at a discount to high street prices.
The "Playdeck" sandal was made for men, women and children, from the 1950s to the early 1990s. A popular style of sandal, it consisted of a flat crepe sole unit, a leather insole, a plain ankle strap and two buckling straps, one at the instep and the other at the toes. It came in a variety of colours, but most popular were bamboo(tan), navy blue and white. Clarks reintroduced an almost exact copy of the original Playdeck style in their Spring 2010 Originals range, with a style called Kestral Soar, which is virtually identical to Playdeck save for a very small wedge in the heel.
Clarks Companies North America's logistic centre is based in Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland.The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 15,289 at the 2010 census. The borough is served by a 717 area code and the Zip Codes of 17331-34...
, near the Maryland line. In the recent years of growth, this facility was deemed a Federal Trade Zone, and has expanded its warehousing locations across town.
Clarks shoe brands has become a hit in Jamaica — thanks to Jamaican dancehall artist Vybz Kartel
Vybz Kartel
Adidja Palmer , better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames, including Addi Teacher and Gaza Emperor.-Biography:...
. Clarks shoes are now popular on the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
island with prices soaring, shops selling out and thieves targeting them. (This is not new, Clarks shoe has always been popular with Jamaicans and extremely popular with Jamaican Rastafarians). Local music star Vybz Kartel released a single called Clarks earlier this year, with the cover carrying pictures of his favourite styles — Wallabees, Desert Boots and Desert Treks. The dancehall track features the catchy chorus line: "Everybody haffi ask weh mi get mi Clarks". And it even has lyrics about Elizabeth II wearing them.
Over years and now decades Clarks have become more and more known for their ranges of children's shoes and advertisement campaigns based upon the "Back to School" time of year.
C & J Clark brands include Clarks; Pr!vo ; Indigo; Bostonian; K Shoes; and Ravel Shoes.
Clarks History At a Glance
1825: Cyrus Clark founds a tanning and wool stapling business in the village of Street, in Somerset, England.1828: Joined by brother James, Clark begins producing sheepskin slippers, called the Brown Peter.
1833: James becomes a full partner; business is renamed C&J Clark Ltd.
1863: William Clark, son of James Clark, takes over the company.
1893: The introduction of the "Hygienic" line of shoes begins the company's focus as a "comfort" shoemaker.
1937: The company acquires a retail shoe store chain and renames it Peter Lord.
1950: The company launches the successful Desert Boot.
1965: The first Clark Wallabee model is launched.
1978: The company acquires the Hanover Shoe
Hanover Shoe
Hanover Shoe in Hanover, Pennsylvania was once one of the largest and most successful shoe companies in York County, Pennsylvania.*Location: Hanover, Pennsylvania*Established: December 26th, 1899*Date Built: 1910*Building Type: Manufacturing...
manufacturing and retail business in the United States.
1979: The company acquires the Bostonian shoe manufacturing and retail business in the United States.
1981: The company acquires K Shoes Ltd., a U.K.-based shoe manufacturer and retailer.
1988: C&J Clark abandons its plans to go public.
1993: The company puts itself up for sale, then rejects an offer to buy from Berisford.
1996: The company begins restructuring, transforming itself from a manufacturing-oriented business to a consumer-driven, design-oriented branded products group.
2000: The company announces that it has decided not to go public for the near future.
2001: The company acquires Elefanten, a children's shoe manufacturer in Germany.
2005: Clarks ends shoe manufacturing in Somerset.