A US clothing giant is set to open 10 new high street stores in the UK this year.
The retailer, which employs around 100 people at its London head office, wants to double the 10 stores it currently has based in Britain.
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It is understood Abercrombie & Fitch is planning to open “between eight and 10 new stores” in the UK this year, including a location on London’s Kensington High Street.
The lifestyle retailer is looking at both new high street and shopping centre locations for its upcoming stores, the company’s EMEA managing director Scott Clarke-Bryan told Drapers.
Abercrombie & Fitch, which also owns Hollister, opened the doors to its two latest London sites less than a month ago.
New stores on Oxford Street, near Bond Street station, and Long Acre, in Covent Garden, welcomed shoppers for the first time on January 31.
The chain also currently has stores on Edinburgh’s George Street, London’s Carnaby Street, and shops in Battersea Power Station, Westfield London, and Manchester’s Trafford Centre.
This is alongside outlets in both Ashford, Kent, and Cheshire Oaks in the Wirral.
Scott said: “We will accelerate our store expansion this year.
“We want to be in the very best locations [and] we are really excited that we’ll be coming to Kensington High Street.”
Outside the UK, the chain is also looking to expand its presence in Germany, where it currently has five stores.
The Middle East is also a target, with the retailer operating two locations in Kuwait, six in the UAE, two in Qatar, and four in Saudi Arabia at present.
This comes as its subsidiary Hollister announced late last month that its only store in Aberdeen, Scotland, would close in February.
The shop, located in Union Square, was the first site for the brand in Scotland when it opened in 2010.
However, the store, which occupies the ground floor unit will soon disappear.
The closure is set to take place at the end of February, but an exact date is yet to be confirmed.
A spokesperson for Abercrombie & Fitch, said: “We can confirm we will be closing our Union Square Hollister store at the end of February.
“We believe stores matter and we are exploring new store opportunities in the UK, including in Aberdeen, to provide a great shopping experience for our customers.”
Hollister’s nearest outlet is located at the popular Braehead Shopping Centre, in Glasgow.
With the closure of the unit in Aberdeen, there are only three remaining stores across the country.
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