Global brands choose London retail scene

Reporting on two key store openings in the British Capital, which has been described as one of Europe’s key markets.

Performance footwear and apparel producer Hoka has selected London for the opening of its first EMEA retail location. Situated in the city’s prestigious Covent Garden, the new concept store showcases the brand’s full line of footwear, apparel and accessories over a 1,750 square foot floor space.

Within the shop’s lower ground floor, customers can access equipment repair services, a wellness area and yoga classes, in what is described as a ‘dedicated community area’. Various events such as educational talks, panel discussions and workshops are also planned to be held in this facility.

According to Stefano Caroti, chief commercial officer of Deckers Brands, which owns Hoka and several other well-known companies, London is arguably the most influential athletic lifestyle footwear market in the world and is a critically important market for the company. Marco Ellerker, senior vice president and general manager of EMEA, Japan and Asia Pacific at Deckers, added: “We are thrilled to open our first store in the EMEA region, in one of Europe’s key markets. At Hoka, our goal is to inspire people to move, and it was important to us to create a space that can connect our community, with an accessible run club for fans of the brand.”

Covent Garden is viewed as one of the most diverse shopping and dining destinations in the Capital, with a strong presence by global, British and independent brands.

New Balance opens concept store in the Capital

New Balance is another well-known company which has recently opened a new retail concept store in London. The US-based athletic footwear and apparel producer has taken space in the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre in east London, with the facility designed to target a younger market.

The company states that this concept store has been designed in order to ‘put people, not products’ at the forefront of the consumer experience. Central seating areas are hoped to encourage consumers to linger so that they can ‘draw inspiration from each other and find their authentic style’. This London Stratford store is the first of its kind, with a second store of the same concept planned to open in Boston, US later this year.

The London store is said to offer a selection of footwear and apparel which is particularly geared towards younger consumers, and aims to target both elite athletes and fashion influencers.

“This store represents a big step forward in the way we think about our retail environment, featuring a much tighter, more focused collection built specifically for the younger consumer,” remarked Ian Fitzpatrick, senior director of global brand strategy and operations at New Balance. “The space is not built to tell all our stories, just those most relevant to our consumers – a shift that reflects our intention to invite new audiences to discover the brand, maybe for the first time,” he added.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 4 of the October 2023 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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