October 26, 2012
Women’s lifestyle fashion retailer Gerry Weber, advised by Kitchen LaFrenais Morgan, is to more than double its store presence next year following its successful shift to market towns.
The retailer, which now has 11 standalone stores in the UK, has opened four new stores so far during 2012 in Epsom, Bishop Stortford, Oxford and Ringwood. The year before saw it open in Horsham, Chichester and Eastbourne. The new stores followed a shift in strategy to concentrate on openings in market town locations to complement the retailer’s flagship stores in locations such as Westfield White City and Westfield Stratford.
Klaus Friedrich, head of European expansion for Gerry Weber, said: “Gerry Weber have opened 3 stores in Ringwood, Bishops Stortford, and Oxford over summer 2012. We have opened successfully in 7 market towns in the last 3 years, taking the portfolio of standalone stores to 11 in the UK, including the flagships in Westfield White City and Westfield Stratford. Based on the positive trading of the new market town stores we will be seeking to open 15 new stores in 2013. This has been achieved in a challenging economic climate and we have learnt what position our brand reflects within the UK market in the past 5 years.’
Matt Taylor of Kitchen La Frenais Morgan, which represents Gerry Weber in the UK, said: “Gerry Weber’s considered expansion has seen it successfully identify the correct store opening strategy for the brand in the UK and as such it’s now time for the retailer to ramp up its expansion to offer the Gerry Weber range to a wider number of customers.”
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