Williams-Sonoma is an upscale American kitchenware & premium baking supplies store and also
the flagship brand of Williams-Sonoma Inc. which operates the brands
Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West
Elm and Williams-Sonoma Home which offers goods for the whole home (bedding, tables, rugs and so on). Williams-Sonoma Home has higher price points than that of Pottery Barn so the two sister brands don’t compete dead on.
Williams-Sonoma was founded in 1956 in San Francisco, California by
Charles E. (Chuck) Williams.
The company sells high quality kitchenware to people who are serious about cooking. The W-S website also offers a feature where costumers who have purchased an item can comment on it or any given product and give it a review. It is also popular for its hand
soaps and hand lotions, which are available in many different scents and also in holiday scents like Pumpkin Spice for Thanksgiving and Peppermint Snow and
Winter Forest for Christmas.
Most locations are found inside of upscale shopping centers throughout the United States and Canada. You will usually find a Pottery Barn where you will find a Williams-Sonoma.
The Company largely competes with Crate & Barrel through its Pottery Barn brands.