Matalan, the leading UK and international fashion and homeware retailer, today announces a £25m+ investment in its UK store estate as it accelerates its business transformation strategy, following the £25m of additional funding secured from its anchor investors last month.
The multimillion-pound investment will see Matalan upgrade 30 existing stores and open 10 new and relocated ones this year alone, expanding its footprint in key regions, including London, Essex, Hampshire and also Northern Ireland.
This marks the first phase of a long-term programme to modernise Matalan’s full estate over the next 3 to 5 years. Looking ahead, the retailer aims to open 10 new stores annually, focusing on new locations where it can bring its combination of style, quality, and value to customers for the first time.
In addition to new store openings, Matalan will invest in significant upgrades for 30 existing stores each year. This will involve improving layouts and elevating store design to allow for a more seamless shopping experience, for instance by creating greater definition between key departments and relocating all services like fitting rooms and tills to a single, more accessible area. New customer-focused technology, including faster and easier-to-use self-service tills in larger checkout areas, will also be rolled out across the refreshed locations.
Recently refurbished stores in Croydon, Linwood, Bristol Filton, and Dumfries have already seen a significant increase in sales, ahead of expectations.
James Dorling, Matalan’s property director, commented: “Matalan storefronts have been a fixture of UK communities for 40 years, so it is only right that bricks-and-mortar retail remains at the centre of our transformation programme. With ten exciting new store openings and extensive refurbishments across our estate, this investment marks a step-change in our strategy – creating a better, more seamless shopping experience for our loyal existing customers, while also introducing the Matalan brand to new consumers”.
