Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
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| Public | |
| Traded as | : WSM S&P 400 Component |
| Industry | Retail, e-commerce |
| Founded | 1956 in Sonoma, California, U.S. |
| Founder | Charles E. Williams |
| Headquarters | 3250 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, California, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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612 (October 2015) |
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Key people
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| Products | Home furnishings, Specialty cookware |
| Revenue |
 $4.4 billion (2014) |
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$452.1 million (2014) |
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| Profit |
$278.9 million (2014) |
| Total assets |
$2.34 billion (2014) |
| Total equity |
 $1.36 billion (2014) |
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Number of employees
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26,800 (2015) |
| Website | www |
Williams-Sonoma, Inc., is an American publicly traded consumer retail company that sells kitchenwares and home furnishings. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States. It is one of the largest e-commerce retailers in the U.S., and one of the biggest multi-channel specialty retailers in the world.
Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma Inc. operates more than 600 retail stores internationally under a portfolio of brands including Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, Williams-Sonoma, Williams-Sonoma Home, West Elm, Mark and Graham, and Rejuvenation. Williams-Sonoma Inc. also operates through eight corresponding websites and gift registries.
In 1947, Charles E. (Chuck) Williams settled in Sonoma, California, and opened his first shop as a hardware store. In 1953, Williams took his first trip to France. He quickly fell in love with French kitchenware such as copper cookware, and is quoted as saying, "I knew this was something that wasn’t found in America, but thought people would want." Shortly after returning home, he formulated a plan to import French cooking and serving equipment into America and converted his store into a cookware shop in 1956. Williams-Sonoma was founded, selling professional and restaurant-quality kitchenware for home use, leading to founder Chuck Williams being recognized as one of the titans of the American food revolution.
In 1958, at the suggestion of customers, Williams relocated the store to San Francisco. The store quickly became a destination with culinary figures such as Julia Child and James Beard becoming customers of the flagship location. In 1972, along with—and at the suggestion of—regular customer Jackie Mallorca, Williams began publishing a mail order catalog to expand his business beyond the San Francisco Bay Area. At the suggestion of customer and friend Edward Marcus, of Dallas-based Neiman Marcus, Williams decided to expand the company and formed the corporation, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. in 1972.
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