Liverpool Store Starts Esprit Roll OutEsprit opened a flagship franchise store this week in Liverpool’s Metquarter as part of a UK roll out.
The 4,300 sq ft two-storey unit follows the opening or a franchise at the Whitewater shopping centre in Newbridge in the Republic of Ireland last month. The German retailer plans to open a series of new stores this year to increase its presence on the high street.
The Liverpool storefit is designed by JHP Design and Esprit’s in-house architects and includes a double-height façade, which increases the feeling of space and height. It sells Esprit’s Women Casual, Collection, edc by Esprit and ESP Esprit Sport ranges and accessories.
Esprit has about 20 stores in the UK and Ireland which have seen double-digit like-for-like growth for the year so far. Esprit president Thomas Grote is keen to rapidly add more stores via company-owned and franchise openings.
Esprit also has more than 350 wholesale accounts in a number of department stores and independents, which account for about half of its total UK revenue.
Parent company Esprit Holdings saw sales of €1.3 billion (£887 million) for the first half of the year, with net profit up 15.7%to €206m (£140m).