Fashion chain with approximately 150 locations will open 7 new stores after closure
A FASHION chain loved by the Princess of Wales is set to open in seven new locations after a wave of closures.
Women's clothing retailer Hobbs recently closed stores in London's Bloomsbury, Victoria and Islington.
The high-end fashion chain has plans for seven new stores, including Canary Wharf, Watford and Manchester.
The company not only wants to expand its offering in Great Britain, but also open branches in Hong Kong, Ireland, Germany and New York.
These new locations will bring the number of stores to approximately 80 The times.
The luxury retailer has 128 concessions in Britain and beyond and targets its clothing at the “average woman between the ages of 20 and 40”.
Hobbs was founded in London in 1981 and sold to RFG London in 2004 for £111 million.
TFG London also owns other brands such as Phase Eight and Whistles.
The Sun has contacted Hobbs for comment.
It comes as many retail chains across the country are closing high streets.
Big names such as Jack Wills, Co-op, Clintons and HMV all closed their stores for good in January.
The rising cost of living and rising rents have made it difficult for many to recover from Covid lockdowns.
There is also a shift towards more online shopping, meaning the high street is no longer attracting as many visitors as it used to.
Pharmacy chain Boots has been slimming down its branch portfolio since last year, which has left many shoppers upset.
Marks and Spencer has also closed some stores, but has also opened in new locations, so it's not all bad news.
We've got the full list of Marks and Spencer stores set to disappear from the high street. Is one of yours?
Not only retailers have disappeared from the shopping streets, banks have also closed locations.
One branch of Barclays is to close as it claims it has just 32 customers.
Others, such as Lloyds and Bank of Scotland, are also among the 189 branches set to close by 2024.
Pubs and restaurants are also affected; last year Wetherspoons announced the closure of one of its pubs.
The chain – which has 827 pubs across Britain – warned last September that it would put dozens of pubs up for sale.
It's not all bad news though, as in addition to Hobbs, some retailers also have plans to expand in 2024.
We have listed a few that we know of below.
What about store openings?
Despite collapsing in August last year, Wilko has delighted fans by already making a comeback.
Concept stores in Plymouth, Luton and Exeter have already opened with more to come.
We have a full list of cities where Wilko returns.
Rival discounter B&M agreed to buy 51 Wilko locations in September 2023.
The popular chain has already started opening branches in Sunderland, Wales and Nottinghamshire, among others.
Sephora, the cult beauty retailer, will open its third UK store in Manchester next summer.
The opening marks the first Sephora store in the north of England.
The new store will be a megastore and will open in the city's Trafford Centre.
Costco also plans to open fourteen new warehouses in the UK over the next two years.
The discount retailer is currently monitoring locations in the hope of opening the new stores there “as soon as possible”.