JD Sports has decided to shutter its recently launched 11-store menswear fascia Open and will focus on its sports offer.
A spokesperson for the retailer confirmed that it would close the chain, which opened its first store in August last year.
The 11 stores will continue to trade under the Open fascia while JD looks for alternative uses for the sites, Drapers reported.
JD reportedly lost confidence in the fashion side of the business after experiencing difficulties in its Bank fashion fascia, which it offloaded to Hilco in November last year. JD now plans to focus on the sports side of the business.
Open has stores in Manchester Arndale, Bristol, Brighton, Bury, Hanley, Trinity Leeds, Leicester, Merry Hill, Northampton, Glasgow Silverburn and Stevenage.
Open is a private-label menswear operator that offers value fashion basics. JD had ambitious plans for the brand, which was headed by former Blue Inc buying and design director Stephen Galea. At the time of launch, Galea said that if the trial was successful, it planned to open 20-30 stores a year.
JD said there will be a “small number” of head office job losses. The fascia’s stores “will continue to trade at this time and the group is currently looking for alternative uses for the sites and store-based employees,” the retailer added.
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