Lakeland launches new-look store in Stratford-upon-Avon

Designed by Calum Lumsden, a director at design consultancy Small Back Room, the 5,715 sq ft store is a move on from the pilot store that the retailer opened in Durham in April.

The Stratford-upon-Avon branch is located in a former Argos unit and represents a lower-cost version of the Durham prototype that is likely to be rolled out across the chain over the next year, with a programme of refurbishments already in place.

Lakeland estates director Julian Rayner said that the revised format is around 30 per cent cheaper to install than the Durham store.

Lumsden said: “The reduction has been achieved by taking out certain elements, such as the chandelier [created from 397 Lakeland utensils] and by putting out store fixtures and shopfitting to tender.” 

He added that the Tunbridge Wells store, due to be refurbished in the early autumn, would take the development a stage further in terms of cost.

Lakeland trades from 40 outlets. The Durham store was followed by another branch opening at Beverley in East Yorkshire. In the year to December 31, 2007, Lakeland sales rose 24 per cent to £125.6m and pre-tax profit was flat at £6.3m.