Aligning five teams around its next growth opportunities.

The challenge

Retail, technology and how people shop were all shifting faster. Ahead of its next strategic plan, Carhartt, a brand with more than 130 years behind it, wanted to see what could reshape its business and where to grow.

forces shaping workwear

teams working from one plan

new business line

The situation

Planning for change that was speeding up

Carhartt was looking for ways to reduce risk and find new growth as retail, consumer, technology and operational shifts sped up. Before writing its three-year plan, it wanted a clear view of the disruption inside and outside the business.

How we did it

Step 1

Find the forces

A market scan, interviews with experts, and a look at where investors were putting money. The result was seven forces, each with what it could mean for Carhartt.

Step 2

Connect it to what Carhartt knew

We brought in Carhartt's own segmentation, customer experience study, brand tracker, and share and shopper data. This showed which future demand Carhartt was best placed to meet.

Step 3

Build the plan together

Workshops with Carhartt's teams set the vision, the strategic priorities, and the initiatives behind them, both revenue and operational.

What changed

From a forces study to a company-wide plan.

The seven forces and Carhartt's own research became one growth framework and a three-year plan, with growth and operational initiatives. Strategy, marketing, retail, direct to consumer and supply chain now work toward the same goals. One recommendation from the study became a new business vertical.

The work that followed

Women's strategy

New product concepts, messaging and channel strategy.

Sustainability roadmap

A plan the company could act on, built with its teams.

Innovation roadmap

Growth platforms built on consumer needs and the brand's strengths.

Updated forces study

The disruption work was refreshed three times in three years to keep the plan current.

"Upland has helped us across multiple projects. Their approach to exploring disruption was unbelievably comprehensive and thought-provoking. Their work went well beyond what was expected, allowing us to develop rich, actionable plans. We have a clear path to deliver against growth objectives."

Carhartt