Tuesday, February 10th, 2009...6:11 pm
The Northern Echo: Sales hot up thanks to Bond girl’s vest
A BOND girl’s preferred underwear is helping a small familyrun lingerie firm’s sales rocket, according to The Northern Echo.
Thermal underwear, including a style of vest Bella di Notte provided for actress Olga Kurylenko in Quantum of Solace, has been in demand, resulting in sales increasing by a third for the North Yorkshire firm.
And although the celebrity endorsement has been partly accounted for the rise, the firm’s founder, Susan Johnson, who last year won Government praise for the company’s attitude to flexible working for mothers, also put a 35 per cent increase in sales of its thermal lines down to the harsh winter.
Ms Johnson said: “In this continuing cold weather, customers are wearing vests every day, rather than just once or twice over the winter.
“There is a definite move to warmer styles, such as long sleeves and long johns.
“The fact that women can keep warm and look glamorous is the key reason our sales are going so well.
“Our Italian suppliers have suspended production of our spring collection to make more thermals for us.”
She said that the Bond vest had also contributed to sales.
“We provided 40 pieces for the film, because she wears one vest on top of the other and there were a lot of action scenes and rolling on the floor,”
said Mrs Johnson.
“We are really delighted, and relieved, in this economic situation that things are working for us. There has been a lot of fear in the economy with people scared to spend money, so it has been a relief the weather has brought such good business,” Ms Johnson added.
Ms Johnson, who has two children under five, employs 16 people at her shop and offices in Helmsley.
She was praised by Deputy Minister for Women and Equalities Barbara Follett as an example for offering flexible contracts.
Fourteen of her staff are working mums, 11 of whom are on flexible contracts.
She drew up the contracts to enable them to balance quality jobs with home and family life.
Ms Johnson, who started the mail order company with a Prince’s Trust loan ten years ago, designs the majority of the lingerie for the company, which has a turnover of £2m.
