Which retailers are expanding on UK high streets?

Charles Tyrwhitt

In August, British menswear brand Charles Tyrwhitt opened its eighth new location in 18 months in Cheltenham.

The 2,787 sq ft retail unit, which was occupied by Cheltenham's local fashion brand Superdry, features omnichannel capabilities including shoppable touch screens.

The opening marks Charles Tyrwhitt's 44th store globally, which also includes a new Regent Street flagship which opened in April. The business plans to open six additional stores before the end of the year.

Mango

In 2024, Mango has opened stores in Glasgow, Sheffield, Plymouth, Windsor and Norwich as part of a plan to open 20 new UK stores this year. It also unveiled its first international store dedicated to teenagers, Mango Teen, in London in July.

As of December 2023, the Spanish fashion retailer has 60 locations (39 own stores and 21 franchises) within the UK. It also has 16 shop-in-shops including nine at John Lewis, four at House of Fraser and three at Fenwick.

Alexandra Jeanneau, international retail director at Mango, said: "Expanding is one of its [20.24-26 Strategic Plan] main pillars plan and the company will continue to focus on the growth of its stores, opening more than 500 stores by 2026, principally in the firm’s eight strategic markets."

Uniqlo

Japanese retailer Uniqlo opened its 20th UK store in Coal Drops Yard, measuring at 9,000 sq ft. It follows the Tottenham Court Road location which opened in April.

Across Europe, the retailer plans to open 10 new stores in 2024 including in the UK, Italy and France, followed by 15 in 2025, and 20 in 2026.

Uniqlo’s UK chief operating officer Alessandro Dudech told Drapers in April: "Store expansion has been the real engine of growth. I think it's a testament to the business growth that has taken place in Europe.

"It's also a testament to our store expansion strategy [which focuses on flagship stores] because flagship stores are where we believe that the full experience comes to light in."

Sosandar

British womenswear brand Sosandar opened stores in Chelmsford and Marlow in September.

The 1,700 sq ft unit at 88 Bond Street, Chelmsford, which opened in August, marked the brand's first physical store, followed by the 22 High Street store in Marlow.

The business will also open a store in Newcastle's Metrocentre shopping centre as it targets 50 locations over the next five years.

Seasalt

Last month, Cornish clothing and lifestyle brand Seasalt unveiled its fourth store in Scotland .

The 276 sq ft.store is situated in Glasgow's Silverburn shopping centre and joins the brand's portfolio of over 70 stores total within the UK and Ireland.

In the year to January, Seasalt opened new stores in the UK and Ireland including in Sheffield, Aberdeen, Trentham, Malvern, a pop-up store in Plymouth and a third Irish store in Kenmare.

Last November, Seasalt announced it will open its first North American store in New England, as part of its growth ambition to roll out 20 locations in the US in the next three years.

Go Outdoors

JD Sports-owned retailer Go Outdoors officially opened the doors to the biggest outdoor store in Europe, in York’s Vangarde Shopping Park in September.

The new 125,000 sq ft retail unit has taken Go Outdoors' total number of UK stores to 95, after openings in Newcastle’s Metrocentre shopping centre, Tamworth and Torquay so far this year. The retailer will open two more locations before Christmas.

Scamp & Dude

B Corp certified womenswear brand Scamp & Dude opened its largest store to date in St Ann's Square, Manchester, in September.

After launching in Marlow in 2016, the brand has expanded to locations in Cambridge, London and Edinburgh.

The brand's expansion is set to continue with a 1,464 sq ft store opening in Brighton in October, taking its total store number to seven in the UK.

French Connection

The brand has 19 standalone stores across the UK, including nine outlet locations, and is set to open another "four to five" fascias by the end of 2024, DTC managing director Simon Donoghue told Drapers in September. The upcoming openings will include full-price and outlet stores, with a combination of high street and shopping centre locations.

Earlier this year, French Connection returned to Guildford and Livingston Designer Outlet, and opened a new store in Clarks Village in Somerset. It has also opened concessions in three additional John Lewis locations and two Brown Thomas stores in Ireland.

Oliver Bonas

UK lifestyle brand Oliver Bonas opened a bigger Brighton store in early September, which measured 4,770 sq ft. Earlier this year, it launched a new 2,856 sq ft store in Islington, London.

Since is was founded in 1993, the brand now has more than 80 locations across the UK and Ireland.

Rodd & Gunn

New Zealand menswear brand Rodd & Gunn has opened stores in Edinburgh, Bath and Winchester as it targets as many as 40 sites in the next five years.

The 1,504 sq ft unit at 67 George Street, Edinburgh, is Rodd & Gunn's first store in Scotland, followed by New Bond Street in Bath and at The Square, Winchester.

Besides the three new sites, the brand also has a store on Conduit street in London's Mayfair, which opened in 2019 as its first UK store.

CEO Mike Beagley said: "Our strategic move to open further stores across the UK, initiated in late March, has already yielded success, with new locations in Edinburgh, Bath and Winchester launching within the last two weeks. The early performance of these stores reinforces our confidence in a bright future in the UK market."