British heritage menswear brand Marc Darcy is celebrating a successful year with a 57% rise in revenue year-on-year, a 66% growth in average monthly customer spend and a 120% rise in visitors to the site since its launch in 2015.
The brand’s success has been officially recognised by industry peers, with the business being accredited as this year’s Draper’s Menswear Brand of the Year, beating off competition from the likes of huge brands Ted Baker, Gym King, Bugatti, Farah and Remus Uomo.
The Manchester-based business, which has been designing and manufacturing old English style formal wear with a modern twist since 1989, credits its growth to increased online marketing efforts. It has also adopted the use of high-profile influencers such as Coronation Street, Emmerdale and The Only Way is Essex stars to raise brand awareness among its target audience and portray the quality of Marc Darcy’s products.
Karen Johal, e-commerce and creative director at Marc Darcy, said: “The past few years have been ambitious for Marc Darcy as we expand our offering from manufacturing and B2B retailing to become an e-tailer. We have launched a brand new website, increased our online presence and undertaken rigorous influencer marketing, working with the likes of Coronation Street’s Shayne Ward, Emmerdale’s Danny Miller, TOWIE stars Tommy Mallet and James Locke, Celtic FC’s Kieran Tierney, and ex-footballers David May and Lee Sharpe, who regularly wear Marc Darcy clothing while on MUTV.
“All of the hard work we have put in has paid off and we are incredibly proud of the success we have seen, in particular, the phenomenal achievement of winning a Drapers award. Over the past year, we have hired in five new permanent roles to help with the increase in business and support our continued efforts to get the Marc Darcy name out there. We are incredibly proud of the Drapers award win and it is a phenomenal achievement for 2017.”
This year also saw Marc Darcy become an official partner with Cheshire Football Association. Stuart Manifould, business and operations manager at Cheshire FA, said: “Marc Darcy is a perfect fit for Cheshire FA (pun intended!) as we both share a unique passion for football and excellence.
“I have a longstanding relationship with the Johal family that has centred around football, and the Marc Darcy brand is one that has grown and developed over recent years. At Cheshire FA, we want to work with brands that share our vision of ‘Changing Lives Through Football’ and our network can benefit from discount on all Marc Darcy products, simply by being involved in the sport. This is a wonderful partnership that we value highly and we would like to maintain well into the future and beyond.”
Marc Darcy is also the official supplier of professional football clubs Coventry City, Falkirk, Oldham, and Bury, and has a pending collaboration with men’s footwear retailer, Goodwin Smith.
Karen said: “It is extremely exciting to think about what the future might hold for Marc Darcy. Next year, we will launch a children’s range, renovate our Manchester showroom and have a number of special celebrity collaborations in the pipeline for 2018. We are confident we will continue to see successes into our 30th year and beyond.”
