Carpetright is to revamp its entire estate and remains committed to the high street as it looks for further expansion opportunities.
The floorings giant has designed a new logo and overhauled point-of-sale material as well as store interiors to give the shops a “completely different feel” and to make the buying process easier, according to Carpetright boss Lord Harris.
Harris said like-for-likes are “well up” in the 36 stores that have already been refitted. All stores will be refreshed within two years.
Harris said he remains committed to the high street, despite rising vacancy rates, and will open more shops in town.
“I believe in the high street,” said Harris. “But this is a retailing country and we’ve got to get more entrepreneurs on the high street.”
Harris rejected recent reports that he aims to take the business private. He told Retail Week that Carpetright will remain on the Stock Exchange. Harris failed in his last attempt to take the business private in 2007.
He said: “I said when it failed last time that I wouldn’t do it again. We have five or six big shareholders and I made a promise to them I wasn’t going to do it. I try not to break my promises.”
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