Seraphine, the widely known one-stop-shop for royal maternity couture, has gone into administration. This is a major embarrassment for the upscale brand, which has outfitted royals such as Catherine, the Princess of Wales. Founded in 2002, Seraphine quickly established itself as a leader in fashionable, flattering, and functional maternity wear. The brand received an extra boost when the Princess favored it through her three pregnancies. The exposure created an unprecedented backorder situation, with items often selling out within just a few minutes of being worn by her.
It swiftly became a hit, becoming an immediate must-stop location for expecting moms searching for fashionable alternatives. In addition to her storefront, Seraphine’s clothing were carried by big box retailers like John Lewis and Next. In its most recent shows, even the well-respected brand was up against too great a challenge.
In April 2023, Seraphine made some impressive moves to refresh its brand image. TrueForm Sports In 2019, they rebranded TrueForm sports around their brand manifesto, which focuses on form, function, and fit. This clever promotional effort intended to reach a younger, growing demographic and boost stagnant ticket sales. 2021 saw Seraphine become the first UK SME to list on the London Stock Exchange. Just two years later, it went back into private ownership and subsequently went into administration.
For the retailer, economic pressures proved too much. Soaring inflation and shaky consumer sentiment hit them hard. Consequently, Seraphine’s business was no longer viable, closing the door to the sad redundancy of most of Seraphine’s 95 employees.
Interpath Advisory manages the administration process. They’re still figuring out what opportunities exist for Seraphine’s business, assets—including the brand identity itself.
“The economic challenges were simply too challenging to overcome,” – Will Wright, UK chief executive of Interpath.
On its last day of sales before announcing its closing administration, Seraphine’s website discounted up to 60% on certain stock. This savvy maneuver was intended to empty dealerships of inventory and draw in consumers. Unfortunately for the retailer, their innovations weren’t enough to cut through the brutal retail environment and market headwinds. Operational challenges further compounded the challenge, making success seem like a pipe dream.