Driving multi-brand growth for John Cotton

The challenge

John Cotton has been redefining fabrics and fibers since 1916. As the UK’s largest manufacturer of pillows, duvets, and protectors, they’re also the group behind well-known brands such as Snuggledown, Slumberdown, and EarthKind.

Historically, the business sold through third-party retailers like Amazon and John Lewis. But the team was ready for change – they wanted to control the customer experience with their own direct-to-consumer (DTC) sites.

They needed a solution that could support multiple brands and websites, offer more site management flexibility, and scale with the business.

Our approach

We dove in with a clear plan – get John Cotton set up on Shopify and equip them to control their online presence without constant developer help. Here's how we did it:

Creating the blueprint with Snuggledown

We started with Snuggledown – the first brand to launch DTC. Through UX workshops, persona mapping, and a design-focused approach, we delivered a clean, conversion-focused experience tailored to their audience. This first build created a solid framework: a robust, intuitive Shopify setup that became the foundation for all that followed.

Scaling across Slumberdown and Earthkind

From there, we extended the same structure to Slumberdown and Earthkind – adapting branding, content, and customer journeys to reflect each brand’s identity.

By reskinning the original site, we launched both new sites quickly, giving each brand its own space to grow without compromising functionality or design.

Built to scale, built to last

The different sites run from a single, central codebase – making future updates faster, simpler, and more cost-effective.

Whether launching a new feature, updating a collection, or expanding into new markets, the platform now easily adapts to the team’s needs.

The results

The proof is in the impact. With Shopify powering John Cotton’s DTC journey, the business is poised for serious growth. Here’s what we achieved:

Three fully-functional sites: Three distinct brands, each with its own identity, all running on the same smart platform.

One codebase, endless potential: Any new feature or update applied to one brand rolls out across all, saving time and resources.

Full control over the customer experience: No longer relying on third-party platforms; John Cotton now owns their customer relationships from start to finish.

With a solid Shopify setup, John Cotton Group is ready to scale – whether adding more brands or evolving existing ones. This is just the beginning of their DTC journey, and we'll continue supporting their growth, innovation, and success.