The Eclectic Lifestyle Company

Established in 1998, the business was taken over by John and Debra Pattinson in 2012. Over the past decade, it has evolved into a true family enterprise, with their children - Matt (Managing Director), Ed (Sales Director), and Laura (HR and Production Director) - joining the team, along with son-in-law Steven (Warehouse and Logistics) and daughter-in-law Lavinia (Manufacturing). 

Five years ago, Eclectic made a major shift, transitioning from distributing other brands to designing and manufacturing its own: WXY and Maegen. 

The company has set an ambitious goal: to double its turnover to £5 million within the next three years by expanding into new international markets.  

However, several operational hurdles stand in the way of this growth. Inaccurate inventory data across thousands of products creates stock management issues, forcing frequent manual checks and complicating production planning. Fragmented systems make it difficult to analyse performance or respond to customers efficiently. Batch quality issues go under-recorded, making root cause analysis difficult. Staff coordination is slowed by physical order sheets, and the absence of a central CRM burdens the sales team with excessive admin. Compounding these issues are frequent component shortages caused by poor supplier tracking, leading to delays and lost sales. 

Eclectic began looking for support with its digital transformation - and found it in Made Smarter. 

Eclectic was paired with Ian Marshall, a Technology Adoption Specialist, who led a Digital Transformation Workshop - a deep dive into its products, processes, and people. Together, they developed a tailored digital roadmap for growth. 

Ian recommended investing in a comprehensive stock and operations management system to centralise data, streamline workflows, and enable scalable, sustainable growth. 

Eclectic chose to invest £55,000 in Khaos Control, an advanced ERP and business management platform, supported by a £20,000 grant from Made Smarter. The system is designed to streamline operations, provide real-time visibility, and enhance decision-making across departments. 

Once implemented, it will replace manual processes with digital workflows - eliminating physical order sheets, improving coordination, and enabling more efficient production planning. Warehouse teams will benefit from clearer scheduling and the use of handheld scanners, which will boost order accuracy and reduce rework. 

On the sales side, integrated CRM capabilities will automate communication and provide valuable behavioural analytics, freeing the team to focus on building relationships and driving growth. Supply chain functions will also improve, with automated stock monitoring, predictive reordering, and better supplier performance tracking, helping avoid stockouts and delays. 

The company aims to achieve full operational visibility by winter 2025, coinciding with the launch of its new US-based warehouse. 

In preparation, Managing Director Matt Pattinson and Sourcing Manager Rachel Moore have also completed Made Smarter’s Leading Change for Digital Champions programme to support the people's side of digital transformation. 

With its digital transformation underway, Eclectic is already seeing the foundations for stronger market positioning, greater supply chain efficiency, and more reliable fulfillment. 

Automation is expected to save significant time and reduce human error. Staff will be able to focus on higher-value tasks, boosting productivity. Cost savings of up to £50,000 per year are projected, thanks to lower labour demands, fewer inventory losses, and a reduction in refunds or returns caused by fulfilment errors. 

Access to real-time data on sales, inventory, and supplier performance will enable smarter, faster decisions, supporting better forecasting, inventory planning, and cost control. With accurate insights replacing guesswork, Eclectic can reduce stockouts, respond more quickly to trends, and maintain higher levels of customer satisfaction. 

With stronger digital infrastructure, Eclectic is ready to scale, building on domestic partnerships with brands like the National Trust, Bloom & Wild, ASOS, Home Sense, Anthropologie and TK Maxx, while expanding internationally. 

Despite uncertainty in the US market, the company is actively diversifying, entering new territories across Europe, Japan, Australia, the Middle East, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Scandinavia. 

This growth is expected to create at least five new roles across management, warehousing, and the back office.  

The investment also supports Eclectic’s sustainability goals. Smarter planning will reduce air freight, while digital systems will cut paper usage. Improved batch coding reduces waste and rework, and a better warehouse layout lowers reliance on forklifts and order pickers. 

The company has already upgraded to plug-in hybrid vehicles and is now exploring solar energy options. It has also engaged with Race to Zero as part of its broader environmental commitment. 

Eclectic is forecasting a turnover of £3.5 million over the next 12 months, a 50% increase from 2024, and aims to reach £5 million by 2026. 

John Pattinson said: “While it's still early days, we’re confident the long - term benefits will be transformative. Full integration will take 12 months, but we’re committed.”