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Dr. Martens planning to use recycled leather by early 2024 following investment

Tom Shearsmith
03 April 2023

British footwear retailer Dr. Martens is set to begin using recycled leather at its Northampton factory for some of its boots by early 2024, following the company's investment in an alternative materials business.

The footwear retailer is one of a group of investors set to inject $18 million into Gen Phoenix. The company, previously named ELeather, is undergoing a rebrand to coincide with the cash injection from its recent funding round.

The new name was inspired by the cyclical regeneration of the phoenix, as it looks to give new life to leather waste by transforming it into sustainable alternatives. Other investors included Tapestry Inc., the owner of Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman.

Dr Martens plans to start using the recycled leather, produced in Gen Phoenix’s facility in Peterborough, by early next year. Gen Phoenix already makes recycled leather for the transport industry, which has been used on more than four million seat covers worldwide and has saved over 8,000 tonnes of leather waste from going to landfill.

Earlier this year, Dr. Martens reported small global revenue growth in Q3 due to 'operational issues' at its new distribution centre in LA. Q3, which ended 31 December 2022, saw total revenue rise by 9%, largely driven by an 11% growth in DTC trading. Dr. Martens confirmed that sales in Europe, Middle East and Africa, as well as Asia-Pacific, matched expectations.

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