L'Occitane aims for upmarket sites in UK push

French beauty retailer L’Occitane en Provence is gaining momentum in the UK and will open five to six stores a year until its achieves national coverage.

The niche brand, which has more than 400 shops worldwide, opened a 700 sq ft (65 sq m) standalone store in Canary Wharf, London, last week to take its UK store tally to 16.

Privately-owned L’Occitane UK managing director Kit Braden said: ’We have a lot of scope to open more stores. We would like to stay as an aspirational niche brand but have to get nationwide distribution - we owe that to our customers.’

The retailer carries a 600-strong range of toiletries and cosmetics and is increasingly the preserve of male punters.

Braden said the retailer would continue to ‘expand quite fast’, but would only target outlets in ‘A1’ locations.