Fiftysomethings in pink bobble jumpers: how White Stuff’s

Jo Jenkins is making a play for the mature shoppers left bereft after the loss of so many of Britain’s department stores

‘I’m just getting going,” says Jo Jenkins, the 55-year-old boss of casual clothing brand White Stuff. Founded by two ski bums selling T-shirts door-to-door in the Alps, it has grown up with its customers and is now a supplier of floral tunics, utility jackets and other everyday staples to mums and dads.

Jenkins, a polished retail industry veteran, was poached from Marks & Spencer in 2017 to help get White Stuff back on piste. Known for its colourful prints and comfy fits, the retailer had slumped to a loss amid the rise of online shopping and some fashion faux pas.