A DALES based clothing brand has launched an online retail store as it seeks to develop consumer sales with the help of Manchester-based digital agency.

Family-run Glencroft Countrywear, which was established in 1987, specialises in the production of luxury handcrafted sheepskin, tweed and wool clothing from a 300 year-old converted cow barn in Clapham. These range from Yorkshire-style flat caps and jumpers, to 100 per cent British hand finished sheepskin rugs.

Having spent more than 30 years focusing on national and international wholesale trade, which has seen the firm sell over 75,000 jumpers worldwide, the business now hopes to drive more direct to consumer sales, with the launch of its new ecommerce website with the help of Huddle Digital.

The new site will support Glencroft’s wider digital strategy which will also see the firm continue to develop its online consumer brand.

“Given our long history as a business operating in the production of high-quality British clothing, we knew there was strong consumer demand the world over," said Edward Sexton, a partner at Glencroft Countrywear. "But, having previously focused our business on wholesale retail, we knew we didn’t have the website infrastructure needed to support a move into consumer sales."

Since Glencroft began trading, the business has used the wool from more than 25,000 sheep in its trademark woollen jumpers.

It has also used over 12,500 m2 of Harris Tweed to make over 8,800 traditional flat caps since 1987 – all from its 300 year-old converted cow barn HQ in Clapham, Yorkshire Dales.