A London formal-wear and suit retailer, founded in 1851 and rebranded from Moss Bros to Moss in 2023, with around 113 UK shops and a hire service.
Moss is a UK menswear retailer, best known for formal wear: suits, dresswear and accessories for weddings, work and special occasions. It sells and also hires outfits, which is a big part of its history. It offers a made-to-measure suiting service called Custom Made, which began in 2016, and the Moss Box monthly rental subscription, launched in 2021. It sells in its own shops and online.
Moses Moss started trading in London's West End in 1851, with two shops in Covent Garden selling second-hand clothing. His motto, which the company still quotes, was to sell only the best stuff and give only the best service. His sons Alfred and George took over, and the first hire department opened in 1897. By the 1960s Moss had grown into a national retailer with 100 shops, and it returned to King Street, Covent Garden, the site of its first shop, in 1991. In 2023 the name was shortened from Moss Bros to Moss.
In the UK, Wikipedia says Moss operates 113 shops across the country, and that its head office moved to Clapham in 1989. The company's history page does not say where the head office is now, so check the website for the current address. Its first concept shop opened at Canary Wharf in 2011 and its e-commerce site launched in the same year. The company was sold to private investors in 2020 and left the London Stock Exchange that June.
As for culture, the company's history page stresses heritage, craftsmanship and an individual approach to tailoring, and lists Fred Sirieix, the restaurant manager known from television, as a seasonal curator since 2021. The current leaders named on Wikipedia are Debbie Hewitt as chairman and Brian Brick as chief executive, but that page may be out of date. We found no headcount.
Moss employs a wide range of people. Shop staff measure, fit and advise customers, and good listening and people skills matter. Tailoring and alterations staff adjust garments. At head office there are buyers, designers and product developers, merchandisers, marketing and e-commerce teams, and finance, hire operations and distribution staff. A business that has lasted more than 170 years has seen many changes, from second-hand clothing to online rental, so it can suit someone interested in how a traditional brand keeps up with new ways of shopping.
Website: www.moss.co.uk
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