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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Sarah Butler

Fiftysomethings in pink bobble jumpers: how White Stuff’s boss plans to tap midlife trends

Jo Jenkins poses for a photo in an office or studio featuring various White Stuff outfits on mannequins or on racks
Jo Jenkins: ‘What’s 50 today? It’s nothing, is it?’ Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

‘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.

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