British lingerie, swimwear and womenswear brand Pour Moi has opened a new 2,465 sq ft store at 32-33 Market Place in Kingston Upon Thames, set over two floors in a unit which was previously occupied by Joules.
Pour Moi has two stores in Chester and one at Victoria Gate in Leeds, but Kingston marks the brand’s first in the south as it looks to expand its retail footprint in the UK – particularly where it sees strong online sales.
Michael Thomson, Founder and CEO of Pour Moi, told TheIndustry.fashion: “I love the location of Kingston as it serves so much of the south where we know we have amazing online sales. It also happens to be a town I know lots about as I grew up in Surrey, so I am very proud to have opened in this location.
“We are looking to expand our physical space across the country through our own stores, concessions and through our wholesale partners. Stores are an important part of the brand, you cannot beat the personal service they can provide through fitting and advice. We know where we want to be, it’s just a case of finding the right stores.
“We don’t have one in Brighton yet, but with our HQ being based there we’d absolutely love to have one there in the future.”
While Pour Moi in-store sales only currently represent around 5% of its overall sales, with the majority coming from its own online business as well as through Brands at M&S online and other wholesale accounts (which will soon include John Lewis online), the plan is to grow that to 10% over the next two years as it increases its own retail footprint.
Thomson added: “Continuing to invest in bricks and mortar retail is so important. We need to be where our customer wants us and one of the top questions into customer service is always ‘where can I try Pour Moi on?’ Stores help us enrich the brand experience, promote our offer and convert new customers.”
The new Kingston store is offering a selection of Pour Moi’s lingerie and swimwear collections, along with bestsellers from the brand’s nightwear, sportswear and clothing ranges. It also has in-house bra fitters, emphasising the brand’s ethos of providing “the perfect fit”.
