Smythson of Bond Street Brand Positioning

Smythson of Bond Street is a British luxury leather goods and personalized stationery brand. It is a synonym of exclusivity, discreet good taste, elegance, and British heritage. It was founded in 1887 in London and ever since, the brand has received clients such as the Queen Victoria, the Royal Family, Grace Kelly, and Madonna. Besides that, Smythson is positioned as the “British Hermès” according to its current CEO Andy Janowski; whom along with the new Design Director Rory O’ Honlon wants to consolidate the brand as an “iconic British luxury leather goods brand”. They want to raise their global awareness and the brand’s image by highlighting Smythson’s expression of contemporary classicism, its 125 year heritage, and unique craftsmanship.
Smythson offers a variety of luxury leather goods such as handbags, clutches, wallets, travel accessories, books and diaries, home accessories, covers for high-tech tools, and high-end stationery; all products with minimalist designs that fit Smythson’s aesthetics. Plus, customers customizing and engraving options go from gold stamped initials to personalized motifs and monograms. Furthermore, the brand appeals to high-end customers both men and women looking for exclusive, high quality, detailed leather accessories, who value first class stationery and paper goods. On the other hand, possible competitors for Smythson are Luxury brands such as Burberry and Gucci. First, Burberry is also a British luxury brand that wants to penetrate the market by highlighting their British Heritage. Unlike Smythson, Burberry has a ready-to-wear line and it does not carry stationery goods. Second, another competitor could be the Italian brand Gucci, because it also sells luxury leather goods but the brand images are different. Gucci appeals more to customers looking for sexy, glamorous, and extravagant goods, while Smythson is targeted towards a more conservative, classic, yet fashionable