North East online retail giant END. has opened its first overseas store with a shop in the European fashion capital of Milan.
The North Shields-based firm has built up a strong following through its website, which sells rare, high-end trainers and other clothing around the world. END. was first launched 18 years ago in a shop on Newcastle’s High Bridge by university graduates Christiaan Ashworth and John Parker, but its footwear sales triggered rapid growth and an acquisition by Carlyle for £750m.
The firm, which employs more than 700 people, now has two Newcastle city centre stores – a flagship store opposite Newcastle’s Grey’s Monument and a womenswear shop near Grainger Market – as well as shops in London, Manchester and Glasgow, plus its successful website and OS and Android apps.
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Last year END. revealed plans to open its first overseas location with a shop in Milan, Italy, on the back of a long-standing online growth in the country. The company said the three-storey shop marks its most ambitious venture to date, selling a selection of brands, many making their debut in Milan.
The basement and ground floors specialise in menswear and trainers, as well as a lifestyle section selling skincare products, fragrances, cosmetics, homeware and books. It also has a triple-height atrium and a womenswear floor with a view of the Duomo di Milano.
CEO Parker Gundersen said: “Creating inspiring retail concepts is a key element of our strategy at END. and I’m so pleased with how well this project has come together in Milan. It’s a beautiful space located right in the heart of the city and we feel proud and privileged to have a space like this to welcome our existing community as well as new customers getting to know END. for the first time.”
At the end of last year the company posted results covering the year ended March 2022, detailing a year of strategic change and investment, during which revenues rose 9.9% from £199.2m to £218.9m. It said margins were affected by significant investments which saw operating profits fall from £44.9m to £38m. The company’s email subscribers had grown to 6.3m, it said, while its social media community had increased to over 3.2m followers. It had also created more than 100 jobs, with average headcount rising from 636 to 764.
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