Who Owns cottontraders.com?

Based on the publicly available WHOIS information, cottontraders.com is registered with Tucows Domains Inc. as the registrar. However, Tucows is a domain registrar service, not the owner of the website itself. The WHOIS data provides crucial insights into the technical aspects of the domain registration, but it does not directly state the organizational owner. Typically, the actual owning entity or company details are masked for privacy reasons or listed under a corporate name that isn’t immediately identifiable as a public-facing brand name in the WHOIS output.

Deciphering Domain Ownership

• Registrar: Tucows Domains Inc. is a widely recognized domain name registrar. Their role is to manage the registration of domain names. Think of them like the land registry for websites. they keep records of who registers a particular web address. They are not the content creators or business operators of the website.
• Domain ID and Dates: The “Registry Domain ID: 79677269_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN” is a unique identifier within the registry. The “Updated Date: 2024-10-15T03:51:05Z” and “Creation Date: 2001-11-13T19:20:48Z” confirm the longevity of the domain and its recent administrative activity. The “Registry Expiry Date: 2025-11-13T19:20:48Z” indicates the next renewal date, confirming active management.
• Name Servers: The name servers listed as “DNS0.STAR.CO.UK” and “DNS1.STAR.CO.UK” suggest that the website’s hosting and DNS management are handled by a UK-based service provider, “Star.” This aligns with the fact that the website primarily operates with GBP pricing and features UK-centric contact numbers and store locations.
  • Geographic Clue: The “.CO.UK” in the name servers points strongly to a UK operational base.

Publicly Available Information on Cotton Traders

While the WHOIS data doesn’t explicitly name the beneficial owner, common knowledge and a quick search reveal that Cotton Traders Ltd. is the company behind cottontraders.com. Cotton Traders is a well-established retail company based in the United Kingdom, known for its casual clothing and footwear.

• Company Foundation: Cotton Traders was founded in 1987 by former England rugby captains Fran Cotton and Steve Smith. This historical context underscores its deep roots and long-standing presence in the retail industry.
• Business Model: They operate through various channels, including their online store (cottontraders.com), mail-order catalogs, and physical retail stores across the UK. The “Store Locator” on their website is a direct reflection of this multi-channel approach.
• Headquarters: The company’s headquarters are located in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, UK. The customer service phone number provided on the website (0161, which is a Manchester area code) further corroborates this.

Therefore, while the WHOIS data provides technical registration details, the actual owner and operator of cottontraders.com is Cotton Traders Ltd., a long-established and reputable UK-based apparel and home goods retailer. This level of corporate structure and public history further reinforces the legitimacy and reliability of the website.