Hollands is a long established family firm based in the north-west of England, with strong roots in the British countryside and a forward looking approach to retailing.
Heritage and tradition are important to us, we understand good value and good service, it's something we have striven for and achieved for nearly 45 years, something we are proud to ally with the very best of modern convenience and choice.
The Story So Far
We all have roots in the countryside, it's where we all originally came from, where some of us stayed, where some of us go back to. For most of us, we can say our relationship with the country begins in childhood, or perhaps even before we were born, for Hollands you could say it was part of our DNA.
Roots
As far back as it is possible to see, the Hollands have been farmers, farming the land on the Cheshire/Derbyshire border just where it starts to get hilly, on a farm where oral tradition claims the curious honour of a visit from the Black Prince, hero of the battle of Crecy, lost in a snow storm on a visit to the Leighs at nearby Lyme Hall.
Change
Farming is a tough way to make a living, sometimes you have to diversify. Back in 1978, Malcolm Holland, the then leading light of the Holland family, decided he might be able to supplement the income from selling hay at Chelford Agricultural centre by selling a few pairs of wellingtons. So began Hollands Country Clothing. Overalls and wax coats followed, things went from strength to strength via a few detours (notably the purchase of a job lot of army surplus shirts – which turned out to be skirts – always take your reading glasses to an auction!). Until eventually the farm clothing sales eclipsed the income from the actual farming.
Crisis
When written in Chinese the word crisis is composed of two characters, one represents danger and the other represents opportunity. The foot-and-mouth outbreak of 2001 devastated the British countryside, and in turn Hollands Country Clothing. It was in every sense of the word, a crisis. Faced with the cancellation of all country shows and agricultural markets, the route of opportunity was taken, the simplest of simple homemade websites was put together, which to everybody’s surprise, thrived. The very first sale? A pair of pink wellingtons.
Technology, Convenience, Choice
Today Hollands is one of the UK's leading online country clothing brands, employing cutting edge technology to make your shopping experience one of ease, convenience and exciting choices. It can all seem a little far removed from Tommy the cart horse and loading hay with pitch forks, but underpinning the whole enterprise is a commitment to hard work, good service and good value, things we are sure our ancestors back on the farm would be proud of, something they would appreciate and expect.
