To ‘cotton on' to something means to understand or discover the potential of a great idea. In 1991 our first retail store opened in Geelong, Australia. From these humble beginnings, we've taken ...
To ‘cotton on' to something means to understand or discover the potential of a great idea. In 1991 our first retail store opened in Geelong, Australia. From these humble beginnings, we've taken our big ideas and Aussie spirit to the globe. And in 25 short years, we've grown to become Australia's largest fashion value retailer, with 7 brands, 1400 stores, across 17 countries, all powered by an energetic, optimistic global family in excess of 20,000 people. Today the Cotton On Group family has expanded to seven brands including, Cotton On, Cotton On Kids, Cotton On Body, Rubi, Typo, Factorie and Supre. It all started in the late eighties, when acid wash and lycra ruled the fashion world. Nigel Austin, our founder, grew up in Geelong with strong family ties to the rag trade. He spent school holidays learning the ropes with his dad's manufacturing and importing business – building the confidence and hands-on approach that would still ring true decades later. At age 18, Nigel headed to the local Beckley Market in Geelong, armed with a pile of acid wash denim jackets. It was the start of something big. People are our passion. We put them first in everything we do; every day. We draw in people we love and who love us, and we focus on creating amazing experiences for everyone we meet. We're a fun, energetic team. We do work that inspires us, gets the best out of ourselves and makes a positive difference to others. Ultimately, that's why we're here. And true to Nigel's solutions-focused mindset from back in the day, we always strive to be better at everything we do, every day – whether that's for our customers, our people or the community. Central to this is the lifeblood of our organization; our philanthropic arm, the Cotton On Foundation. Every day can be a great day at the Cotton On Group and all great days start with great people. When you become one of our people, you really can start here and go anywhere!