Three iconic British fashion retailers to open 100 new high street stores in months – is your town getting one?

THREE iconic British fashion retailers will open 100 new high street stores over the next 18 months.

The parent of Bonmarché, Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) and Peacocks is looking to open 100 new UK stores across the UK.

The new store openings are expected to create over 500 jobs.

It comes just three years after the investment consortium, Purepay Retail Limited, bought all three brands out of administration.

But Purepay Retail opened 50 new stores among the three brands last year and more are on the way.

Peacocks is eying new store locations within the M25, as first reported by .

The clothing brand has noted a preference to open new sites in Brixton, Elephant & Castle, Tottenham, Uxbridge and Woolwhich, according to company reports.

It’s also shown an interest in opening new stores in Scarborough, Whitby, Chirstchurch and Hunstanton.

Peacocks operates out of 330 stores and is the largest retailer of the three owned by Purepay Retail.

In 2023, the brand opened new stores in:

• Sidmouth
• Oban
• Saffron Walden
• Brighouse
• Inverurie
• Penarth
• Marple
• Ripon

Bonmarché wants to open new stores in Bradford, Lincoln, Milton Keynes, Inverness and Stirling.

The retailer currently boasts 225 stores and opened new sites in the following locations last year:

• Middlesbrough
• St Helens
• Bridport
• Oban
• Paisley
• Thatcham
• Newton Mearns
• Chilton
• Tring
• Dalton Park

Edinburgh Woollen Mill has plans for new stores in town centres and tourist locations, including Barnstaple, Worcester, Lichfield and Clitheroe.

The clothing brand currently operates out of 200 stores and several new branches in the following locations last year:

• Glasgow
• St Andrews
• Newbury
• Sidmouth
• Keswick
• Bury St Edmunds
• Plymouth.

Purepay Retail Limited said in a statement: “The business strategy will be a lifeline to communities which have lost high street retailers such as Wilko, M&Co and M&S over the past year.

“The expansion plan is ever evolving and the search for local stores remains a priority for the business to ensure that local high streets remain a vibrant place that people want to visit.”

A spokesperson for the three brands added: “We are very excited to announce our store expansion plans to ensure local high streets remain a vibrant place for people to want to visit.”

Peacocks was established in 1884 as a Warrington-based family business.

It was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1999, and in 2006, following a £400million acquisition, it was taken private.

However, rapid expansion and falling sales saw the company collapse into administration in January 2012.

The business was saved a month later after being sold to the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group.

Bonmarché was founded in 1982, and the business was sold to the Peacock Group in July 2022.

However, the brand was sold again in January 2012, just before Peacocks collapsed into administration.

But in October 2019, Bonmarché collapsed into administration, only to be rescued by Edinburgh Woollen Mill shortly after.

Bonmarché once again became Peacocks’ sister brand.

Edinburgh Woollen Mill was founded by Drew Stevenson in 1946.

Several equity holdings owned the company before the newly formed EWM Group bought out the company in 2002.

But in November 2020, the EWM Group was placed into administration, blaming the impact of rolling store closures during the coronavirus pandemic.

Purepay Retail Limited bought Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Bonmarché out of administration in January 2021 and Peacocks in April 2021.

However, more than 300 shops had to close following the rescue of the group.

However, Purepay Retail Limited’s new sights on expansion come as several other retailers are looking to open more branches across the UK.

What other retailers are opening new stores?

Aldi announced that it will open 35 new UK stores in weeks yesterday.

The openings form part of Aldi‘s long-term target of 1,500 stores in the UK.

The supermarket is set to invest £550million in expanding its UK footprint this year alone.

Aldi said that each new store opening will create around 40 new jobs on average.

Screwfix is set to open 40 new stores nationwide as its owner, Kingfisher, seeks to expand the DIY brand’s national presence.

The brand opened two new stores this month and a further three new shops will open in April.

Asda has been opening hundreds of convenience stores in recent months as it looks to rival major players Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

Primark is also opening new branches and investing and renovating more than a dozen of its existing shops.

WHSmith has turned its focus to the travel side of its business, with plans to open new sites in airports, railway stations and hospitals.

Lidl is also looking to open 12 new stores across the UK as it bids to raise £91million in funding from investors.

Wilko, which collapsed into administration last year, has also reappeared on the high street.

It has opened branches in Plymouth and Exeter in recent months and plans to open two more in Rotherham and St Albans in the coming days.