Cath Kidston
Cath Kidston is a privately held British lifestyle brand founded in 1993, selling womenswear, childrenswear, bags, homeware and gifting through Next's UK retail platform and via US licensing partnerships launched spring 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cath Kidston does
Cath Kidston is a privately held British lifestyle brand founded in 1993, headquartered in London, with 501–1,000 employees. The company sells a multi-category lifestyle product portfolio — womenswear (including clothing, nightwear and swimwear), childrenswear, bags and purses, homeware (sofas, lighting, home accessories, bedding), and gifting — unified by its signature hand-painted British prints (Spot, Raspberry Gardens, Islands, Hackney Rose, London). The brand extends its reach through licensed collaborations including Paddington Bear and Tokidoki, and operates a recurring seasonal print cycle that drives repeat consumer engagement.
The company's go-to-market is hybrid: in the United Kingdom it sells direct-to-consumer through Next's online platform (next.co.uk/cathkidston) and through Next's physical store network, with Next functioning as the primary UK retail channel. Internationally, Cath Kidston is pursuing an asset-light, licensing-led expansion model, having signed a coordinated set of US licensing partnerships — Britannica Home Fashions (bedding, throws, utility, bath), Dreamwear Inc (sleepwear), Eccolo (stationery and party supplies), and Riley Blake Designs (fabric and quilting) — facilitated by agency Beanstalk, with initial US product rollout scheduled for spring 2026 and planned category extension into bath, body, home fragrance, and accent furniture in subsequent years.
Revenue is generated through direct retail sales (via Next) and licensing royalties from partners. Next's financials should not be confused with Cath Kidston's, as they are separate entities; Cath Kidston's own revenue, ownership structure, and management team beyond founder Cath Kidston and CFO Selim Baraz are not disclosed in the available data.
Cath Kidston firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cath Kidston
- Website
- https://cathkidston.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Cath Kidston is a privately held British lifestyle brand founded in 1993, selling womenswear, childrenswear, bags, homeware and gifting through Next's UK retail platform and via US licensing partnerships launched spring 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cath Kidston industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Lifestyle Homeware and Fashion
- NAICS
- Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110), Home Furnishings Retailers (44912)
- SIC
- Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651), Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Kids’ & Baby Apparel Retail (CRAAABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Toddler Apparel (2T–5T) (CRAAAHAB), Kids & Baby Sleep Products Retail (Cribs, Toddler Mattresses, Sleep Aids) (CRAIABAG)
Keywords
Where Cath Kidston is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Cath Kidston business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel
Revenue model
- Licensing Royalties: Cath Kidston generates revenue through licensing agreements with partners in the US market. Partners such as Britannica Home Fashions design, develop, and distribute Cath Kidston-branded products in exchange for licensing fees or royalties.
- Retail Sales: Revenue from direct retail sales through Next's platform and physical stores, selling Cath Kidston branded products including womenswear, childrenswear, bags, home accessories, and gifting items.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Cath Kidston product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cath Kidston designs and sells lifestyle products featuring signature hand-painted British prints, including womenswear, childrenswear, bags, homeware, and gifting items. In the UK, products are sold through the Next retail platform, while in the US, the brand extends through licensing partnerships covering bedding, sleepwear, footwear, bags, and fabric.
Product overview
Cath Kidston is a British lifestyle brand offering a diverse range of products centered around its signature hand-painted British prints. The portfolio spans multiple categories including women's fashion (clothing, bags, purses, nightwear, swimwear), children's clothing, homeware (furniture, lighting, bedding, decorative accessories), and gifting. The brand extends its reach through licensed collaborations such as Paddington Bear and Tokidoki, and its signature print collections (Spot, Raspberry Gardens, Islands, Hackney Rose, London) appear across various product lines. Products are primarily sold through Next as the main UK retailer, with expansion into North and South America through multiple US licensing partnerships covering sleepwear (Dreamwear Inc), stationery and party supplies (Eccolo), bedding and home textiles (Britannica Home Fashions), and fabric and quilting products (Riley Blake Designs), with all initial product rollouts scheduled for spring 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Womenswear
- Childrenswear
- Bags & Purses
- Homeware
- Gifting
Companies that use Cath Kidston
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cath Kidston technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Cath Kidston partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Britannica Home FashionscoreBritannica Home Fashions (BHF) serves as the licensing partner for Cath Kidston home textiles in North and South America. Under the agreement, BHF will design, develop, and distribute Cath Kidston home textiles across bedding, throws, utility, and bath categories. The inaugural collection debuted at the spring New York Home Fashions Market. BHF plans to expand to additional categories and strategic retail partners over time, leveraging its existing portfolio of lifestyle brands including Ugg, Pendleton, and Bearpaw.
- Dreamwear InccoreDreamwear Inc is a licensing partner for Cath Kidston sleepwear products in the US market. The partnership is part of Cath Kidston's strategic move to bring its signature hand-painted British prints to American consumers through established market partners.
- EccolocoreEccolo is a licensing partner for Cath Kidston stationery and party supplies in the US market. The partnership enables distribution of Cath Kidston-branded stationery and party products through US retailers as part of the brand's expansion strategy.
- Riley Blake DesignscoreRiley Blake Designs is a licensing partner for Cath Kidston fabric and quilting products in the US market. This partnership allows the brand to reach craft and quilting enthusiasts with its signature British prints through the fabric and quilting retail channel.
- BeanstalksupportingBeanstalk is a licensing agency that facilitated Cath Kidston's US licensing partnerships with Dreamwear Inc, Eccolo, Britannica Home Fashions, and Riley Blake Designs. The agency enabled the brand's strategic move to bring its signature hand-painted British prints to American consumers through established market partners.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cath Kidston competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- John Lewis: Major UK department store with curated fashion, home, and gifting ranges including heritage British brands. Comparable as a UK retail channel and brand showcase for premium heritage lifestyle brands in similar categories to Cath Kidston.
- Marks & Spencer: One of the UK's largest multi-category retailers spanning womenswear, childrenswear, home, and gifting. Overlaps with Cath Kidston on the full lifestyle category set but at much greater scale and with a broader, less print-led assortment.
Direct peers
- Joules: British heritage lifestyle brand offering women's, children's, and home products with a distinctive countryside-inspired print and colour aesthetic. Highly comparable to Cath Kidston on multi-category lifestyle positioning, UK-centric heritage, and a similar transition toward digital and wholesale-led distribution.
- Laura Ashley: Iconic British heritage lifestyle brand selling floral-print apparel, homeware, and accessories. Closely comparable to Cath Kidston on signature-print-driven design language, multi-category home/fashion breadth, and UK heritage positioning.
- White Stuff: British lifestyle brand offering womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, and homeware with a distinctive quirky, print-led British design point of view. Highly comparable to Cath Kidston on multi-category scope, signature design-led differentiation, and UK mid-market positioning.
- Boden: British multi-category lifestyle brand selling women's, men's, children's, and home products with a colourful, print-led British design sensibility. Comparable to Cath Kidston on broad lifestyle remit, print-driven aesthetic, and direct-to-consumer distribution model.
- Orla Kiely: British designer-led lifestyle brand built around signature mid-century-inspired prints applied to fashion, home, and accessories. Comparable to Cath Kidston on print-IP-led design heritage, multi-category application, and British heritage positioning.
- Marimekko: Finnish print-design lifestyle brand selling apparel, bags, and home textiles built around iconic original prints. Comparable to Cath Kidston as a globally licensed, print-IP-led lifestyle brand with category extension through licensing partnerships.
- Seasalt: Cornish-rooted British lifestyle brand known for original artist-designed prints across women's, children's, and homeware. Comparable to Cath Kidston on signature hand-designed print IP, multi-category breadth, and British heritage positioning.
Emerging players
- Anokhi: India-based heritage lifestyle brand built around original block-printed textiles spanning apparel, home, and accessories. Comparable to Cath Kidston as a smaller, print-IP-led lifestyle brand pursuing category extension through licensing and collaborations.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Cath Kidston social profiles
Digital presenceCath Kidston financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cath Kidston leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Cath Kidston funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cath Kidston M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cath Kidston
What does Cath Kidston do?
Cath Kidston designs and sells lifestyle products featuring signature hand-painted British prints, including womenswear, childrenswear, bags, homeware, and gifting items. In the UK, products are sold through the Next retail platform, while in the US, the brand extends through licensing partnerships covering bedding, sleepwear, footwear, bags, and fabric.
When was Cath Kidston founded?
Cath Kidston was founded in 1993. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Cath Kidston based?
Cath Kidston is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Cath Kidston make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Licensing Royalties are the primary driver. The others are retail Sales.
Who are Cath Kidston's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are John Lewis and Marks & Spencer. Direct peers are Joules, Laura Ashley, White Stuff, Boden, Orla Kiely, Marimekko and Seasalt. Anokhi is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cath Kidston have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cath Kidston.
What industry is Cath Kidston in?
Cath Kidston's product category is Lifestyle Homeware and Fashion. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAABAD, Kids’ & Baby Apparel Retail, with a secondary code of CRAAAHAB, Toddler Apparel (2T–5T). Its NAICS code is 458110 and its SIC code is 5651.