Herschel Supply Company Ltd.

Is Herschel Supply a subsidiary of a larger company?
No. Herschel Supply is an independent, privately held company controlled by founders Jamie and Lyndon Cormack. It took a $60 million minority private equity investment in 2019, but no outside investor holds a controlling stake and the founders continue to run the business.

Is Herschel Supply publicly traded?
No. Herschel Supply Company Ltd. is private and has no stock listing. There is no way to buy Herschel shares on public markets. The company has not announced plans for an initial public offering.

When was Herschel founded?
Herschel Supply was founded in 2009 in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was named after Herschel, Saskatchewan, the small town where three generations of the Cormack family were raised.

Who founded Herschel?
Brothers Jamie Cormack and Lyndon Cormack founded Herschel. Lyndon serves as managing director and Jamie leads product and brand. Both remain active in the business and retain control of the private company.

What is Herschel's market position?
Herschel is one of the most popular backpack brands globally, ranked at or near the top of 2026 backpack popularity lists. It sells through about 9,000 wholesale accounts, nine Canadian stores, and e-commerce, with estimated annual revenue around $70 million.

Where are Herschel products made?
Herschel products are designed in Vancouver and manufactured by contract factories, primarily in Asia. The company operates a deliberately diversified manufacturing network across multiple countries to manage cost and supply risk.

Jamie and Lyndon Cormack founded Herschel Supply in 2009 in Vancouver. The brothers had worked in sales and marketing for other apparel and footwear companies, and they built the brand around a simple idea: well-designed, nostalgic-styled bags at accessible prices. They began by selling online and working trade shows to sign retailers, landing early placement with influential boutiques and department stores.

Growth was rapid. Within a few years Herschel backpacks became fixtures on college campuses and city streets, helped by celebrity visibility and collaborations. The Little America mountaineering-style rucksack became the signature silhouette, and the brand expanded its catalog into luggage, duffels, hip packs, and accessories. International distribution was built through regional distributors and subsidiaries, eventually covering most major markets.

In 2019, Herschel took a $60 million minority private equity investment to fund expansion. The capital supported category extensions into apparel and luggage and deeper international distribution. The company has stayed founder-led, with Lyndon Cormack serving as managing director and Jamie Cormack leading product and brand.

Through the early 2020s, Herschel continued to release high-visibility collaborations, including partnerships with LEGO in 2025 and earlier programs with entertainment and fashion properties. The company consolidated its US retail footprint, closing American stores while keeping nine Canadian locations, and leaned further into wholesale and e-commerce. In late 2025, leadership described 2026 priorities as continued investment in product innovation and flexible manufacturing as consumer demand shifted.

Herschel publishes a social and environmental responsibility framework covering materials, packaging, and supply chain standards. The company has introduced recycled fabrics across portions of its range and committed to reducing single-use plastics in packaging.

Herschel is a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and works within its facilities framework, and its contract factories are audited against the company's supplier code of conduct covering labor and environmental standards. No independently verified certifications such as B Corp status or Leaping Bunny have been confirmed for the company as of November 2026.