Online fashion giant END has opened its fourth physical store with a shop in Manchester.
The North Shields-based firm is known for its online retail presence, with its website selling high-end trainers and other clothing around the world. But it also has shops in Newcastle, London and Glasgow, while the company has also announced plans to open its first overseas location with a shop in Milan, Italy.
END said opening the Manchester store had been a long-held ambition, driven by demand from customers in the North West. The two-storey shop on St Mary’s Gate includes familiar design features from its existing locations, including the use of marble, concrete, stainless steel, glass, mirror and indoor trees.
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Parker Gundersen, CEO for END, said: “Manchester has been high on our list for a long time. We have a very strong community here already who have been asking us to build a physical store for many years.
“When we finally found this building, we knew we had an amazing space that would allow us to create a concept that would match the high expectations of both our customers and brand partners. To finally see the finished product has been really thrilling for our team and I’m so proud of what they have achieved.”
END said the Manchster store would feature menswear and lifestyle items such as skincare products, fragrances and cosmetics. Its first floor includes the company’s largest collection of trainers, as well as streetwear and skate labels.
News of the European expansion comes a year after private equity group Carlyle became majority shareholders in the company in a £750m deal. END boasts sales of more than £170m, two thirds of which is overseas, and now has a workforce of more than 650 people.
END, which was founded in 2005 has featured on a number of national league tables for fast growing companies in recent years, said it would be opening its first dedicated womenswear shop in Newcastle later this month, followed by its store in Milan at the end of the year.
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