Charles Tyrwhitt is a high-end men's shirt retailer based in London known for its quality and customer service. It has expanded globally over the past five years. A SWOT analysis found its strengths include quality products, competitive pricing, and strong brand image. However, weaknesses include poor foreign culture integration and over-reliance on the UK market. Opportunities exist in further global expansion and new markets, while threats include increased competition and challenges of maintaining standards internationally.

1. MARKET RESEARCH

2. INTRODUCTION
Charles Tyrwhitt (CT) is a high-end shirt retailer whose origin is based in making “a shirt better than anywhere else”. It is
based in Jermyn street in London, the leading street for high-end bespoke clothing, particularly for men. The company
has evolved to include knitwear, shoes, suits, accessories, and even includes a women’s line.
CT uses a high-low sales model which allows it to price well on new products while quickly reducing prices on products
which don’t sell as well. It has gained a strong British following as evidenced by its huge market share increase in the
last five years. This has allowed CT to expand to the foreign market to the point that the company is opening around
six stores per annum globally.
As a specific direction in retail, they have some serious competition so they place a lot of value in traditional methods
as well as a very high standard, reflected in their approach to providing six-month completely refundable guarantees.
Considering their current ideologies in combination with their expansion, we’ve decided to do a Swot and PESTEL
analysis to further ascertain the viability of expansion while still seeing if the business is functioning well and where it
can improve.

3. SWOT - SUMMARY
• QUALITY AND VALUE CLOTHING
• COMPETITIVE PRICING
• EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE
• STRONG BRAND IMAGE
• GLOBAL PRESENCE TO FOREIGN MARKET HAS
REDUCED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO MATURE UK
MARKET
SWOT
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
THREATSOPPORTUNITY
WEAKNESS
• WEAK EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
• POOR FOREIGN COMPANY CULTURE
• LEGAL COMPLICATIONS
• PRIVATE COMPANY - DIFFICULTY ACQUIRING
FUNDING
• OVER-RELIANCE ON THE UK MARKET
• ONLINE SHOPPING CONTINUES TO FLOURISH IN
UK
• EXPANDING INTO MIDDLE EAST, STARTING WITH
UAE AS A ECONOMIC STRONG COUNTRY
• STRONG BRAND EQUITY AND HIGH QUALITY
PERCEPTION ALLOWS PRICING FLEXIBILITY
• COMPETITION FROM HIGH STREET LEADERS LIKE
H&M AND ZARA GAINS FAST MARKET SHARE
• NO DIVERSITY IN ADVERTS
• DEPRESSION OF THE RETAIL ENVIRONMENT
• RISING LABOUR COSTS

4. SWOT - STRENGTHS
Charles Tyrwhitt is a company whose core business strategy focusses on quality, tradition, reliability, timeless style and conservative
shirts. As Nicholas Wheeler says, “Quality, value and service is the bedrock on which Charles Tyrwhitt was founded”. These items carry a
six month guarantee regardless of the state of the item on its return. This bodes well for the company as it does not budge on these
aspects and allows for clientele who observe and expect this from the company.
The price-range for the shirt is in the moderate range and in spite of using a high-low pricing strategy, the high-end quality of the
product makes it hugely appealing as a possibility for purchase. The company also boasts excellent customer service as attested by
several polls online. This fits in well with the company’s concept of one customer at a time. Additionally, the company has overhauled its
website to cater for almost every country by including price-points in the local currency at appropriate prices.
Internally, there is clear communication throughout the UK part of the company and there is obviously input from everyone from the
top down throughout the product. Thus a confidence in the product is integrated into all employees. The expansion of the company
has allowed for various other fashion items in its range and has also expanded to include a women’s collection, something its
competitors don’t all necessarily boast. Due to online expansion the company has also successfully made use of The Specialist Works
(TSW) to further handle and progress its media planning. In effect, the company has shown consistently improved sales per annum as
well as increased profit, especially on its home turf in England.
Furthermore, the brand image is regarded as excellent by more than 80% of people polled, while 95% of clients review the company’s
products as good or better. This means that the company holds a strong influence on its appeal to clients and can further use that to
expand globally.
Lastly, one of their primary tenets is the “Made in Britain” slogan, by which they live. This could be seen as a strength as it continues to
expand.

5. SWOT - WEAKNESS
Charles Tyrwhitt underwent a legal dispute in Australia over a high-low pricing scandal. Additionally, the company has several other
legal disputes which are freely accessible online. This means that online progress could easily be marred by potentially bad repute.
Generally the information has been kept under wraps.
Company expansion, though a potentially positive exploration, has led to a reduction in control of company culture. Employees have
shown less interest and loyalty to the brand the further one moves away from the UK. The implication is that the rigor and unflinching
stance toward quality control and employee representation is either not agreed upon in other countries, or is not being implemented
well, this is hard to tell, but it could be either.
This extends well into HR where, in the UK human resources are managed well, while in the US less so. The final offshoot of this is shown
by the quick turnaround of staff, especially on shop floors at foreign stores.
The acquisition of funds is also a challenge as CT is a private company, and in spite of their positive financial trend, this could hit
challenges when pushed in a global community. This is further evidenced by their portfolio which clearly indicates that their UK
branches still carry the most weight compared to international branches.

6. SWOT - OPPORTUNITIES
The company builds on its strength of quality by focusing on the customer ‘one at a time’ as said by Nicholas Wheeler the current
chairman of Charles Tyrwhitt, to further build opportunities. Their main strength is by laying the foundation throughout the company of
“what does the customer want?”
The consistency of the company’s shirts and quality allow for their own sizes and fits which cater for a particular client looking for high-
end quality at a moderate price-point. This gives the company an appeal which easily molds into a global environment, especially in the
corporate world. It allows for further development in countries to design shirts specifically tailored to suit the culture and country,
something it hasn’t quite tapped into yet. It can still keep the British flavor to it of stiffness and sleek, but perhaps attempt to alter its
direction according to the place it finds itself, especially since it is opening up to six stores per year globally.
The company has an adherence to old-fashioned principles of service and can further continue to overhaul its systems to enable it to
further preserve its core brand values. Their dedication to excellence means there are still many markets they can tap into, especially in
Europe where the formal shirt is extremely valued in the workplace. A further strength that could be included, is to value the quality
inherent in a culture or country, and combine that with British excellence.
Their online presence has dramatically improved over the last two years, and with a complete overhaul of their site in 2014, they have
increased shipping to most countries globally and also have a unique site that caters for most countries. This especially bodes well for
them considering the increased influx of British users shopping online.
This allows the online experience to thrive even though prior to 2014, a large portion of their sales came from in-store purchases. The
guarantee they offer of six months also ensures that people feel more confident about purchasing online and this can be then further
progressed by making more of this fact in marketing.
Lastly, an endeavour to expand to an economically strong country like the UAE could act as a strong pivot point to mete our further
development. This could further reduce the fiscal responsibility on the UK.

7. SWOT - THREATS
The global impact of the company is taking its toll on communication within the company, already there is a disparity between the
structure and functioning of the stores in the UK versus the US. This is evidenced by far more employees indicating work dissatisfaction
in the US rather than the UK. This means that core values and structures are hard to maintain the more the company expands. This
places stress on the founding principles of the company and makes it hard to maintain quality globally.
The online community also makes it hard to keep up-to-date globally, and although CT copes well with the strain of varying opinions
and customer reviews, the challenge of comparative analysis against companies who are similar (T.M. Lewin, Hawes & Curtis, Thomas Pink
etc.) Internally and externally.
Its primary competitors also have an edge in terms of heritage and history. This shirt brand is fairly new in terms of British tradition and
often has to fight against the traditional companies even if the product is potentially better. Here, the idea that new isn’t always better
is endemic to a large portion of traditional culture and a challenge for CT to work against.
Some competitors also have a much larger portion of the retail market and a more visible store presence, e.g. T.M. Lewin has over 100
stores throughout the UK compared to 27 stores for CT. This makes the competitors a serious threat in terms of maintaining market-
share, but potentially allows for a more exclusive promotional aspect to it.
CT’s current advertising campaign is somewhat similar throughout and this lacks interest for clients. This lack of diversity can easily be
trumped by other companies who have far more aggressive and interesting ad campaigns.
Furthermore, the current retail environment is under huge threat and this means companies have less to fight over. This is a challenge
when there are many companies in the same bracket.
And lastly, the rising costs of labour in the retail industry in lieu of Brexit and various unions, makes profit margins harder to achieve in
the long term, especially in the current volatile environment.

8. PESTLE - SUMMARY
P
Politics
E
Economy
S
Social
T
Technology
E
Environment
L
Legal
• High stability
• Focused on development
• Strong international relationships
• High GPD per Capita
• Low unemployment rate
• Trade Free Zones
• Strong Foreign trade
• Religion is very important
• Classist culture
• Most liberal country in Middle East
• Tech savvy population
• High internet penetration
• State of art technology
implementation
• Hot & dry climate
• Low drinkable water
• Ocean pollution due to desalination plants.
• Good consumer protection law
• 0% Crime Rate
• Setting up a business in UAE
would require UAE national.

9. PESTLE – POLITICAL FACTORS
The UAE is a very stable country with major political reforms. It consists of seven Emirates that have individual
governmental organizations that allows for a great deal of flexibility when it comes to managing the country. The
governments together have been focusing on the overall development of its economy to become less dependent on
oil. The dynamic market-oriented policies have resulted in major economic reform that has boosted and propelled the
UAE forward at a massive rate. The increased support of the hydrocarbon sector as well as the trade and retail sectors
has been the key mechanism that drove this economic growth.
Furthermore, the UAE has pushed for constant progression over the last 20 years or so, and has emerged as a
powerful and significant global player in both the political and economic area. The country has had its strongest
growth spurts prior to 2008, just before the global oil price crash, mainly due to the steady demand for oil and the
country’s shift into investing into non-oil sectors, especially retail. Post 2008 the growth has slowed down quite a lot
due to the oil prices as mentioned, which has in turn also slowed down the growth in retail. Today the economy is
driven by estate and tourism.
The UAE keeps good relations and active diplomatic ties with over more than 60 countries, primarily in Europe and
Asia. There is slight friction with Iran due to the high oil and lithium availability within this country. The UAE is part of
the gulf cooperation council (GCC), the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and additionally is
considered globally to be the leading political force in the Middle East.

10. PESTLE – ECONOMIC FACTORS
The country has one of the most highly developed economies in Western Asia. The economy of UAE is the second
largest in the Arabian world with the KSA currently leading. The country has an extremely high GDP per capita of 38,6k
USD and a total GDP of 370,3 (in billion) USD in 2015. The country also has a very low unemployment rate, however
inflation is projected to drop. Tourism is the main sector that fuels the economy, but real-estate and construction are
progressively playing a larger part in economy.
There is also a consistent increase in investment going into the private sector, especially retail. A key reason for this is
the lucrative trade free zones and no barriers or exchange control policies. Foreign trade has grown by average of 11%
for the last 25 years.
The growth of tourism and other industry sectors mentioned earlier has made the UAE less dependent on natural
resources as a source of revenue, but petroleum and natural gas still play a significant role in exports. The strong
demand in construction, manufacturing and thriving services sector has helped the UAE diversify its economy. As an
example, there is currently 350m USD worth of active construction projects within the UAE.
To further increase the robustness of the economy and continuously increase revenue and reduce their reliance on
fluctuation petroleum prices, the UAE announced in February 2016 the introduction of a 5% value added tax (VAT)
from January 2018 with the exception of selected food, healthcare and education goods. The revenue that would be
generated from the VAT is expected to be 3.3 Billion USD.

11. PESTLE – SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS
In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is the biggest of the 7 Emirates with 36% of the total population of 9.9 million
people. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is at 31%, meaning that over two-thirds of the population on over 26,000 square
miles, which is 87% of the countries total area is from these two Emirates. This allows for easier logistics and delivery
for e-commerce. In Dubai the average household size is 4.2 and 51.27% of the population is between the ages of 25-44.
The crime rate in the UAE is basically 0%, and is voted as the second safest country in the world by The World
Economic Forum.
Religion is still very important to the country and directly affects the society, but unlike KSA the UAE has more liberal
ideals. A example is that women are seen as equal and have equal rights. Additionally, drinking alcohol is allowed,
where is it strictly prohibited in KSA and other Gulf countries.
The demographics of the country consists largely of Asian expats, followed by local Emirates and lastly Western
expats. Globlilization has resulted in a very diverse country with a good mix of cultures. Expats from Third-World
countries are solely in the UAE to acquire money to support their families in their home countries.
The high demand for construction workers in the UAE has resulted in a massive influx of a male-dominated blue-collar
labor force from India and Pakistan. This has created a somewhat gender imbalance in the country. Also, the domestic
workforce is mainly sourced from South-East Asian (Philippines women) and its not uncommon for an Emirate family
to have two or three nannies per household. This has resulted in a complex class-system within the UAE.

12. PESTLE – TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS
Due to the UAE’s strong economy and middle aged population, technology has become a key component of every
day life. The population is young and very tech-savvy which allows companies to leverage technology. The UAE
consumer-internet penetration is even higher than the USA. Additionally, the UAE has the fastest internet in the Gulf
with an average speed of 5.7 Mbps which has facilitated smartphone penetration in the region.
This allows for the perfect solid infrastructure for setting up e-commerce companies. Big players in the market have
already realized this as sites such as Noon.com acquired by Emaar, as well as Amazon.com acquiring Souq.com, the
largest online company in UAE.
The wealth of the country has allowed it to purchase state of the art technology and easily be one of the first to
implement technological development. The country is also heavily investing into infrastructure and the so called
“Dubai smart City” where all governmental administration and processes will be online and accessible for users. RFID’s
are placed all over the city and driverless Dubai Metros are all ahead of the times.
The UAE has also heavily invested in to improving education and research. Enterprises include CERT Research Centers
and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.
As revenue and profit earned increases through commerce and tourism grows, more investment into technology for
this sector has been made. A example of this is that Fly Dubai and Emirates have the world’s latest technology
equipped on aircrafts.

13. PESTLE – ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
UAE is has a very hot and dry climate which results in lower productivity. The UAE is between a few key coastal areas
that allows for easier trade by sea than most countries with an international harbor to accommodate this.
The city is extremely clean, but most people in Dubai are not aware of the population and the environmental issues of
the country.
UAE has a major issue in the availability of clean drinking water. Although an abundance of water is made available via
desalination, in order to make water drinkable, people do not drink tap water, but only bottled water. The continuous
oil drilling exploration activities in Dubai has also impacted the salinity content of water over the years.
Lastly, high carbon-dioxide is being created from the multiple desalination plants as well as the waste of these plants
are dumped into the ocean. The government is trying to counter the carbon-dioxide impact by planting large scale
manual forests where Ghantoot is a prime example of this.

14. PESTLE – LEGAL FACTORS
The UAE has laws to protect consumers. Consumers are protected under the Federal Law (24) of 2006 by the
Consumer Protection Department of the Ministry of Economic Development and this is further supplemented by an
executive regulation of 2007. The law states that goods must meet a level of quality and performance given its
specifications and price.
It is important to know that a commercial or industry-type sole proprietorship can only be owned by a UAE national or
GCC national. In a simple limited partnership, a UAE national must be a general partner. Entering this marketing could
be a lot easier via eCommerce and global shipment as it reduces the legal complication.
As mentioned earlier, Dubai is considered to be one of the safest cities in the world with a 0% crime rate. Law breakers
are severely punished and swiftly deported. Dressing in Western clothing is considered acceptable, but high visibility of
skin in public as well as public affection are strictly prohibited. You also require a license to buy alcohol for private use
in Dubai. You are only allowed to buy alcohol from a licensed bar, restaurant, or the duty free section within the Dubai
airport.
Although Dubai focusses on tourism, taking random pictures of locals or government buildings could lead to
punishment and permission to take photos needs to be acquired.

15. SWOT & PESTLE CONCLUSION
It is evident from the SWOT and PESTLE research that is necessary for the company to expand its digital and global
presence.
UAE with its strong GDP and Economic growth would be an ideal target market. Together with the ability to uplift
pricing by 15% in the market and the tax benefit of 20% will greatly strengthen margins. Expanding into the market via
e-commerce will reduce financial risk as setup costs will be low and will nullify the need to find a local Emirate to
operate as a partner.
We recommend the company invest into a Chief Digital Officer to drive our global digital and ecommerce strategy as
well as improve the conveyance of the company culture globally.

16. JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title : Chief Digital Officer
Reports Into : Chief Executive Officer
Direct Reports : 5
Department : eCommerce
JOB PURPOSE
CDO is responsible for the global e-commerce business planning and strategy of Charles Tyrwhitt. She/he leads a
team of online trade managers, merchandisers to deliver the KPIS with a strong focus on customer experience
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
Description: Performance Metric
BUSINESS PLAN
• Align and oversee processes are working across
multiple stakeholders, teams and divisions within the
company.
• Drive quick actions based on customer behavior
which may require quick approvals to seize the
opportunities
• Sales, Cash Margin, Margin%, Customer Satisfaction

17. JOB DESCRIPTION
Description: Performance Metric
PLANNING THE RANGE
Build an eCommerce range strategy with Head of Buying
and Merchandising which will deliver the annual targets
• Maximize the range for each region with extended
ranges, online exclusives
• Optimize the flow products and seasonal /fashion
products to have a vital and attractive trading
platform
• 100% availability of the allocated range on site
CUSTOMER JOURNEY & EXPERIENCE
• Review competitors to ensure best practices are
maintained
• Build a structured communication and strong
relations with store operations to promote a solid
multichannel business
• Customer Feedback
• 100% accuracy of product content and assets.
• Products in stock versus not online

18. JOB DESCRIPTION
Description: Performance Metric
TRADE
• Coordinate trading of the e-store across multiple
categories and drive the range daily /weekly/
seasonally
• Drive overall range launch alignment with stores
based on stock drops in coordination with
Merchandising. Build out overall trade planning to
enable key launches in coordination with
Merchandising, Design & Content and Marketing
• Ensure activations/promotions are executed in line
with Trade and Marketing Plan
• Coordinate daily/weekly management of products
going live ensuring 100% accuracy of product content
and assets.
• Drive Stock
• Tactical Decision Making
• Stock Levels & Availability%
• Traffic, Conversion, AOV, IPO
• Customer Feedback
• Promotion %

19. JOB DESCRIPTION
Description: Performance Metric
ANALYSIS AND REPORTING
• Deliver a weekly, monthly, quarterly report to
management and principal highlighting opportunities
and risks.
• Deliver a weekly/monthly competitor/market analysis
highlighting opportunities and risks
• Observe customer satisfaction to ensure a positive
experience
• Review and take action on operational reports (fraud,
fulfilment etc.)
• Sales, Margin, average basket, conversion rate
• Opportunities/Risks
WEB DEVELOPMENT
• Continuously review process and business efficiency
and ensure systems are optimized and manual
intervention is minimized
• Raise issues and technical problems with relevant
teams and follow up until resolved
• 360 Feedback (internal/external)

20. JOB DESCRIPTION
Description: Performance Metric
LEADING PEOPLE
• Engage team with relevant objectives, inclusion in the
bigger picture, continued feedback and development
• Provide coaching for development and grow
succession within the team working with HRBP on
Talent Management.
• Engagement Score
• Quality PDR process
• Succession Plan
JOB CONTEXT
This is a strategic division for Charles Tyrwhitt. The role requires building collaborative relationships with the different
stakeholders to align the product content, availability and promotional activity. Due to nature of ecommerce the job
requires flexibility to handle multiple tasks and take quick action to deal with possible hurdles as well seizing
opportunities. The role will require innovative and strategic thinking and awareness of the developments globally.
Job holder will need to review risks with regards to global expansion.
QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, & SKILLS:
Minimum Qualifications and Knowledge:
• Commercial experience and having held P&L responsibility in a fashion retail
• Highly operational, with an understanding of retail processes

21. JOB DESCRIPTION
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Graduate or Graduate calibre
• Good working knowledge of MS Office
• Experienced user of an eCommerce content management system CMS , WCS would be preferable
Minimum Experience:
• Minimum 10 years experience in fashion retail commercial
• At least 7 years exposure to eCommerce at a management level
Job-Specific Skills:
• Confident leader who is in touch with direct team, stakeholders and customers
• Proven track record of growing a business and making change happen
• Strong commercial skills (commercially astute)
• Good planning, organizational and prioritization skills
• Strong analytical and numerical skills
• Strong eye for product and for trading
• Strong attention to detail

22. JOB DESCRIPTION
Behavioural Competencies:
• Delighting Our Customers
• Collaboration
• Managing Complexity
• Influencing Others
• Taking Initiative
• Drive for Results
• Engaging Leadership
• Developing Talent

23. REFERENCE
Publisher, United Arab Emirates: Market Profile | HKTDC,
URL: http://emerging-markets-research.hktdc.com/business-news/article/Middle-East/United-Arab-Emirates-Market-Profile
Publisher, Market Research Reports® Inc.
URL http://www.marketresearchreports.com/countries/uae
Author, Thomas Bush, PESTLE Analysis: Everything You Need to Know,
URL: http://pestleanalysis.com/pestle-analysis-everything-you-need-know/
Author, Khalid Ameri, The economic class divide is no barrier to mutual respect | The National
URL: http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/the-economic-class-divide
Publisher, Gulf Business, Top 10 countries with the fastest internet speeds - Gulf Business
URL: http://gulfbusiness.com/top-10-countries-fastest-internet-connection/
Author, Keren Bobker, UAE laws in place to protect consumer rights | The National
URL: http://www.thenational.ae/business/personal-finance/uae-laws-in-place-to-protect-consumer-rights
Publisher, Charles Tyrwhitt, Working at Charles Tyrwhitt: Employee Reviews | Indeed.com
URL: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Charles-Tyrwhitt/reviews
Publisher, Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk, CHARLES TYRWHITT LLP - Charges (free information from Companies House)
URL: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/OC305896/charges
Author, Jonathan Wright, Charles Tyrwhitt: selling shirts to one customer at a time - InternetRetailing
http://internetretailing.net/2016/06/charles-tyrwhitt-selling-shirts-one-customer-time/
Publisher, Charles Tyrwhitt:
URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Tyrwhitt
Publisher, Ctshirts, Our history | Charles Tyrwhitt
URL: http://www.ctshirts.com/intl/our-history/
Publisher, Essential Retail, Interview: Charles Tyrwhitt maintains eye for tailor-made technology
URL: http://www.essentialretail.com/big-interviews/article/53eb47c149620-interview-charles-tyrwhitt-maintains-eye-for-tailor-made-technology
Publisher, K3 BTG | ERP Software Microsof, Charles Tyrwhitt collars global ambitions with International IT platform | K3 BTG | ERP Software Microsoft
URL: http://www.k3btg.com/charles-tyrwhitt-collars-global-ambitions-with-international-it-platform/
Publisher, Shirtdetective.com, Charles Tyrwhitt vs TM Lewin - a detailed review and comparison
URL: http://www.shirtdetective.com/charles-tyrwhitt-vs-tm-lewin/