The warm autumn and winter has caused havoc for retailers who have been trying to sell their winter coats, knitwear, and wellies, with clothing retailer Joules becoming the latest casualty. But in Cumbria, The Warm Welly Company based at Walton, is still on track, bracing itself for a burst of Christmas orders and a flurry of activity when the really cold weather hits.   

 Simon Wood, known as the Warm Wellies Farmer, diversified his farming enterprise fifteen years ago, swapping a life of farming livestock for one designing and stocking Warm Wellies. It was when his four children were crying over frozen toes at lambing time that he spotted a gap in the market for super comfy, very warm neoprene-lined wellies for kids. Since then, their range has developed to include neoprene-lined Warm Wellies for adults that don’t cost the earth but do keep feet warm and comfy.   

 During the icy cold weather of January 2021, The Warm Welly Company was almost overwhelmed with orders. Commenting on the growth of the business Simon said “That January was the perfect storm, we had some of the coldest weather for years and we’d just received a new container load of wellies. We’re very lucky because that spell of cold weather introduced a lot more families to our brand. 

 “Once people try our Warm Wellies, they tend to stay with us year after year. We think that’s because we offer great value for wellies that are neoprene lined – that’s definitely the case with our kid's wellies. Younger ones often get hand-me-downs and because we have wellies for toddlers to juniors and adults, our customers are very loyal and stay with us.   

 “Until now we’ve struggled to keep up with demand, so we are very thankful that customers were very loyal - preferring to wait and invest in wellies that do the job properly. It’s not just farming families who wear our wellies, they suit any family that loves the outdoors and they are a big hit with forest schools who include us on their kit lists.   

 “This year we’ve more barns full of wellies to ensure we don’t run out of stock at critical times. We once ran critically short of wellies in the weeks running up to Christmas and we said we never want that to happen again.  At the same time, we are conscious that the current retail environment is a tricky one.”      

Warm Wellies for a winter wonderland still on track

For retailers, margins have been squeezed because of the increased costs of freight and the strength of the dollar has had a major impact too. Consumer spend has been very cautious this autumn as concerns over the cost of living grow and families are faced with making harder choices and spending cuts.    

 Autumn/winter sales have also been hampered because the UK has had exceptionally mild weather which has dampened early spend on winter coats, knitwear and wellies, with Joules being the latest high street/on-line retailer casualty.   

 Whilst the Warm Welly Company saw early autumn sales dip, they are still very positive about the winter ahead. Simon said “Whilst there is a cost of living crisis and we’ve had much warmer autumn weather, we are still selling wellies and November is tracking the same as last year. This is a very good indicator that we are still on the right lines with our customers because we haven’t had any cold weather yet.   

 “We are always watching our competitors and this year they seem to have had price reductions and sales since the start of autumn. It may be a quick fix for generating sales, but it doesn’t help businesses remain sustainable. It’s a real shame to see an iconic country brand like Joules in trouble. A high street presence is very costly these days and we are just glad our whole operation is on-line.     

“Warm Welly customers are located right across the UK. Many are farmers and they are all keen on family adventures in the fresh air. Not afraid of getting muddy, they appreciate the value of keeping feet warm and they know the outdoors can be fun all year round if you wear the right gear.   

 “We believe this winter, more and more families will be looking for cheap (or better still, free) days out, and going for a walk in the woods, along a beach or just out for an adventure doesn’t cost the earth. Our families value  having wellies that allow them to stay warm and cosy outdoors for longer, after all, no one wants kids crying over frozen toes, cutting days out short because of the cold.”   

 Two years ago, Royal Mail was collecting welly orders from the farm in a van, today, they collect on a daily basis with a lorry.  Christmas planning is already in place to accommodate the extra orders as people place Christmas present orders right up until the last minute. And whilst Santa hasn’t yet confirmed his order, he has been giving the reindeer extra carrots to pull his sleigh this winter.  

The Warm Welly Company is a family farming business based in the heart of Cumbria.