Digital department store Freemans has unveiled a major rebrand and website overhaul as it doubles down on its focus on the “£92 billion 40+ market”.
The launch is backed by a multi-million-pound marketing campaign led by radio favourites Zoe Ball, Kate Thornton, Gaby Roslin and Nicki Chapman.
Ditching the traditional approach of reading standard advertising scripts, the presenters will deliver pre-recorded host endorsements across major national networks including Greatest Hits Radio and Magic Radio.
The activity is heavily weighted towards evening and weekend ‘second-screening’ hours, reaching the audience precisely when they are browsing on secondary devices.
The campaign also includes targeted advertorials in high-circulation women’s titles, as well as a video rollout across YouTube, Discovery, Channel 5, Pluto TV and Samsung Ads, as well as across all Freemans-owned channels.
Anchoring the launch is a new strapline: ‘Shopping is your department. And Freemans is your department store’.
The retailer has also retired its bold Freemans mango-coloured logo in favour of a more subtle palette of greens, plums and the occasional fluorescent highlight to celebrate special deals and sales.
A cleaner approach to its look and feel has materialised from Freemans delving back into its past for inspiration, while examining today’s behavioural patterns of what it calls “these confident consumers: money-smart women who skilfully juggle life’s to-do list while scouting, chatting to one another and curating their wardrobes and homes on a budget”.
As far back as the 1960s, such women were historically at the heart of both Freemans’ success and affection, when tens of thousands were the face of the brand.
Affectionately called “Catalogue Ladies”, they took orders and payments from friends, families and neighbours while earning commission, all at a time when women could not get credit, loans or even mortgages in their own names without a male guarantor.
Customers will see a revitalised look and feel when visiting the Freemans website, now “easier to navigate, easier to shop and more inspirational”, with the retailer’s famed handwritten ‘F’ signature being brought back for the first time since the 1950s.
Ann Steer, Chief Executive at Freemans, said: “While much of the retail sector is focused on attracting the next generation of shoppers, we’ve remained steadfast in our commitment to a customer we know exceptionally well: women over 40, one of the most influential consumer groups in the UK.
“The modern 40+ female shopper has significant purchasing power, yet she is often underserved or portrayed through outdated stereotypes. Too often she’s labelled with terms like ‘Queenager’ or ‘Midster’, when the reality is that she’s confident, discerning and highly informed.
“I am one of these women, and I know she doesn’t need to be told who she is or how to shop. We’ve built relationships with this customer for more than 60 years and continue to learn from her every day. Today’s shopper researches carefully, compares options and understands value. She makes considered decisions and expects brands to respect her knowledge and experience.
“So serious is this commitment that all key business functions across buying, merchandising, beauty, home, creative and marketing are headed up by women of exactly the same age as the customer we serve.”
The website overhaul includes using “applied colour psychology” to ease screen fatigue and make its new digital department store work for the way modern women actually browse.
Moving away from the cold, white, clinical grids used by most online retailers, the company has built its entire user interface around a calculated three-part colour system of signature green, ‘chocolate plum’ and ‘fluorescent highlights’ to bring a pop of energy.
The shift also allows a more elevated editorial style of photography, with age-appropriate models showcasing both own-brand and third-party ranges.
The launch marks a major business milestone following a successful six-year structural migration, moving Freemans away from its old mail order paper catalogues to become a thriving “digital pure-play powerhouse” serving an active base of more than one million customers across the UK.
Last month, Freemans revealed plans to add at least another 120 brands to its marketplace in 2027, after sales of its third-party offering doubled year-on-year.
The expansion would take the retailer’s marketplace from 150 brands to almost 300, widening the online store’s assortment alongside its own-bought fashion, footwear, beauty and home ranges.
The planned additions will bring more than 22,000 third-party products to Freemans.com.