Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
The German homewares retailer Butlers is reported to be planning to set up a new ecommerce website in the UK next year.
The move follows on from its launch in September of sites for Germany and Austria, and underlines its Europe-wide ecommerce ambitions.
Butlers has over 150 stores in Germany and overseas, selling 3,000 lines of kitchenware and tabletop products along with general home accessories, furniture and gifts. Its stores attract over 30m customers annually.
Butlers first entered the UK market in 2005 with a promise to invest £12m and plans to open 80 stores. However, higher-than-expected retail costs forced it effectively to withdraw from the market in 2008, closing five of its six stores and leaving only the Islington, London outlet trading.
The following year it made a cautious return to the UK, and now operates from four stores here.
