Borders outdoor clothing retailer Findra to drive international growth

Alex Feechan is focusing on turning Findra into a global brand. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

Findra, based in Innerleithen, is focusing on becoming a global brand, with more than a tenth of its sales currently coming from overseas. The firm sells across Europe, America, Australia and Canada and has experienced considerable sales growth online.

Founded in 2014 by Alex Feechan, who has worked on knitwear for fashion houses including Chanel, Calvin Klein and Escada, the business will also expand its offering by adding new styles next year, such as base layers and outdoor trousers. It now operates a second retail site, in Edinburgh, and has launched a men’s range.

Feechan said: “We’ve built some really strong foundations from which the business can grow. We can see where our strengths and weaknesses are, and we can see what works and what we want to build on.

Founder Alex Feechan has worked on knitwear for fashion houses including Chanel, Calvin Klein and Escada. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

"In some ways, it feels like ‘right, we’re just about to get going now’”.

She also said Findra, which now has a team of seven, is becoming “very much an outdoor lifestyle clothing brand”.

The firm uses natural and recycled raw materials for 90 per cent of its range - earlier this year launching its Stroma waterproof jacket that uses a fabric made from plastic bottles and recycled coffee grounds - and also offers repairs of its garments.

Findra also recently won the Small Business Scotland award at the Scottish Environment Business Awards (in November). Feechan said at the time: “We are committed to doing whatever we can to reduce our impact on the environment and deliver a sustainable future.”