Sosandar plans 50 store openings over next five years

In light of a slowing in e-commerce sales among the wider fashion industry, the online retailer Sosandar is set to enter the brick and mortar market with an ambitious nationwide expansion plan.

Speaking to The Times, the retailer’s co-CEO, Julie Lavington, revealed that the company was “targeting around 50 [stores] in total” over the next three to five years.

Sosandar had already partially outlined its plans for physical retail in its FY24 financials, in which it reported a revenue increase of 9 percent to 46.3 million pounds.

In the publication, the company revealed that it had appointed a head of retail, head of retail operations and visual merchandiser to help build on the retail concept.

It further announced the locations of its first two stores, Marlow and Chelmsford, both of which are expected to open in September, with more to follow within the current calendar year.

Mirroring the mission set out in the financial report, Lavington noted that Sosandar was eyeing affluent market towns and cities where its customers over-index, bolstering the company’s goal of becoming a “true multi-channel retailer”.

The transition to physical retail comes as a response to demand from customers, Lavington noted, with “virtually 100 percent of them” wanting the retailer to exist both in-person and online because “they like to be able to do both”.