Russell & Bromley looks to suburbs as demand for 'local' stores rises

Footwear retailer Russell & Bromley has turned its attention away from city centres and has instead set its sights on the suburbs in order to cater to the demand for more local shopping options.

Speaking to The Times, the brand’s chief executive officer Andrew Bromley said that the company was looking to open new stores in “neighbourhood” locations, a decision that was made after he noticed trading in shopping centres and city streets had “fallen off” during the pandemic.

Bromley added that contrasted locations like Chelsea, for example, which he said “has gotten stronger as people are shopping closer to home and more locally”.

In light of this shift in consumer behaviour, the family-owned retailer is now targeting affluent suburbs across London and elsewhere, with its latest opening situated in Canary Wharf, a financial district in the capital.

The chain has also opened its first overseas branch on Grafton Street in Dublin this year, with other cities in Europe and America possibly set to follow.

Its plan moves Russell & Bromley away from the type of locations it has so favoured in the past, with the retailer having previously built up a network of 30 stores on some of the UK’s prime shopping streets, including Oxford Street and Regent Street.