Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Australian housewares retailer, HOUSE has confirmed that it will launch in the UK by mid-April.
HOUSE will open four stores in the UK later this month, which will be joined by a further two before the end of June.
The first branch will open at Westgate shopping centre in Oxford on April 16, followed by Bracknell in Berkshire on April 23 and Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield on April 30. The location and opening date of the fourth store has not been confirmed. But online store www.houseuk.com also goes live this month.
Steven Lew, founder and executive chairman of Global Retail Brands, owner of HOUSE, said: “HOUSE is a specialty homewares retailer carrying up to 4,000 curated products in-store and up to 10,000 products online, including cookware, glassware, kitchen gadgets, small electrical appliances, knives and linens.
“We are excited to reveal that we have won the exclusive rights to launch a number of international brands into the UK that are not yet available here. We love launching new brands and being the first to market for our loyal customers.”
He continued: “Visiting a HOUSE store will not be a ‘me-too’ experience. We have a strong store presence, with both favourite brands and so much ‘never seen before’ product launches.
“We are committed to showing our fresh approach to customer interaction: we want our customers to feel right at home when they come in to see us for cooking, dining and entertaining tips.”
Steven added: “We are extraordinary advocates of training our store-teams, and have already secured our first training kitchen & learning facility. Our teams must know our products ‘inside and out’ before they can interact in our stores with our customers.
“Our team members love to put good food on the table, and love to entertain their family and friends. What better endorsement is there than a team member who uses the very product they are demonstrating to you? The entire HOUSE team is super excited and can’t wait to be cooking in UK kitchens very soon”.
MMX Retail is the sole property adviser to Global Retail Brands. Nick Symons, partner at MMX Retail, said: “The HOUSE concept has been exceptionally well received since we announced the intended UK launch last Autumn (https://housewareslive.net/australian-housewares-chain-set-to-launch-in-uk/).
“The quality of their store fit-out and product ranges, combined with the strength of the staff, has impressed all the major shopping centre owners and their advisers. Landlords have realised that HOUSE provides a very different proposition for the customer, with a true omni-channel experience – demonstrating that physical stores, combined with a quality online presence, can enhance the overall customer experience and the success of the business.”
Established in Australia in 1978, HOUSE bills itself as Australia’s largest specialty homewares retailer. It has ambitious plans to open 75 stores across the UK within three years, creating 1,000 jobs,
Along with sister retail chain Robins Kitchen in Australia, House is part of Global Retail Brands, which has more than 170 stores reaching across all states and territories. In addition to a physical presence Australia-wide, Global Retail Brands also operate the online ecommerce websites for House, Robins Kitchen, Pet House and Your Home Depot.
