S. COHEN IS REINVENTING ITS BUSINESS IN ITS 98TH YEAR

by Karen Alberg Grossman Jan 20, 2020

Timing is everything!  Just when specialty stores are looking to reduce inventory and boost ROI by putting more of their clothing dollars into made-to-measure, a fifth-generation Canadian clothing company is making it easy.

S. Cohen was founded in 1923 by Benjamin Cohen who emigrated from Russia to Montreal and founded an outerwear business there. His son, Saul (the S in S. Cohen) established the company in Canada. Saul’s son, David, was the one who focused on tailored clothing and grew the Montreal-based business into a tailored clothing mainstay.  

Fast forward to the present, current chairman Benjamin Cohen is now running the business with his son Daniel as CEO; Daniel joined the company in 2018 with degrees in both business and law and has practiced corporate law at an international firm.          

Benjamin and Daniel Cohen

“But I’ve always been an entrepreneur,” he maintains. “While in school, I started an advertising business and a tutoring company, which I ultimately sold to a top competitor. I arrived at S. Cohen when the industry was in a state of flux. By challenging the norms, we’re reinventing the business to compete in a new marketplace, while staying true to our core competencies dating now almost 100 years. One of my first moves was hiring a made-to-measure expert from Suit Supply.” (Made-to-measure is 25 percent of S. Cohen’s business and growing.)

According to Daniel, speed to market is among his company’s prime assets. “We can deliver a custom-made garment within 15 days, and an in-stock suit in 24 hours. Our made-to-measure process is foolproof, using algorithms that consider all body types and inconsistencies. What’s more, we never require minimums.” Prices on in-stock suits and sport coats (including classic, modern, slim and unconstructed models,) open at $395 for suits and $295 for sport coats; custom (half-canvas construction, using fine Italian fabrics) opens at $795. Our in-stock outerwear collection (Scandinavian-inspired styles, Italian-inspired recycled fabrics) combines innovation and performance, including unique items like a lightweight, hooded raincoat made from recycled water bottles. Suggested retails on the outerwear (tailored and casual) are $295-$495.

Another good move: this season the company has hired well-respected clothing veteran David Schuster to develop the independent retail partner business in the U.S. “We wanted to make ourselves more available to our retail partners and continue to enhance our sales efforts,” says Daniel.

Check out S. Cohen through Monday on the12th floor of the Park Lane hotel, at the Chicago Collective, the West Coast Trend Show (LAX), the Dallas Men’s Show, and at all other the regional shows. For more info: daniel@scoheninc.com.