Crew Clothing has announced that it plans to open 20 new stores.
High street fashion retailers have had a challenging two years due to the effects of the pandemic. Many customers shopped online during Covid lockdowns and the continuing success of online shopping has affected many fashion retailers. Crew Clothing has met this challenge by expanding its online operations and reorganizing its warehouse with new heavy duty guarantee rails to hold its growing inventory.
The CEO of Crew Clothing, David Butler said that:
“The strategy to open more (stores) is in part due to a belief in a retail model that requires online and offline presence… Crew still believes in the strength of the British high street and is firmly optimistic about its future.”
Now that restrictions have eased, Crew Clothing is opening 20 new stores to expand its portfolio of around 100 stores. The retailer is concentrating on market and coastal towns for the new stores, and plans to open between 8 and 10 stores in 2022 with the rest added later.
There are no plans to open more stores in larger cities. Instead, the company is focussing on partnerships with other retailers including John Lewis and Next. It will soon be offering the Crew Clothing range on the high profile website Very.co.uk.
David Butler said that high business rates prevent the company from opening more stores. He said that Crew Clothing is committed to investing in the UK but business rates are slowing down the process.
Crew Clothing is also expanding its business with retail partnerships in the Far East and Middle East. They are also opening new stores in Ireland.
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