Ann Summers: ‘A Destination Store for Discerning Shoppers’
“A destination store for all discerning shoppers” is how Ann Summers bills itself. Its product lines are in the adult genre, and are lingerie, sex toys, “dressing up,” “fun stuff,” lubes and aphrodisiacs, “hen and stag night,” bondage, books and DVDs.
Ann Summers has a chain of retail stores in England and Ireland, is headquartered in the UK, and is known for booking product parties for women only. Customers in the United States have access to the company’s full product line through the Web site at www.annsummers.com.
The story of company Chief Executive Jacqueline Gold is an interesting one, on the road to becoming one of Britain’s most successful businesswomen. She’s become known as the “woman responsible for bringing sex to the high street,” according to the company Web site.
Jacqueline’s had no formal business training, by her own admission, but it’s turned out to be her strength.
“The best piece of advice I could ever give is be true to yourself,” she is quoted as saying on the company Web site. “As a woman, you should never compromise your femininity or create an aggressive stereotype in order to emulate your male counterparts – it’s not necessary.”
At the age of 21, Jacqueline’s inspiring business journey began. She saw the potential in taking lingerie and sex toys to women in their homes, while working at her father’s business, and created the Ann Summers Party.
Learning the hard way, Jacqueline worked her way through the ranks before being made Chief Executive in 1987 and creating an empire run by women, for women.
Ann Summers now has more than 130 high street stores in the UK, Ireland, and the Channel Islands and one in Spain, and now boasts a sales force of more than 7,500 women as party organizers. 2008 saw the opening of a further five branches of Ann Summers across the UK.
Knickerbox had losses of £5m when Jacqueline bought it in February 2000, but it is now one of the highstreets most successful brands.
The takeover of Knickerbox added franchises in Ireland, Iceland and Denmark, along with another 26 stores to the Ann Summers group.
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