Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Steamer Trading Cookshop is to open a new store, at WestQuay shopping centre in the Hampshire town of Southampton, next month.
The chain is scheduled to open the single-storey 2,500 sq ft outlet at the end of November. It will be alongside brands such as Jack Wills, White Stuff, Fat Face, Paperchase and Cath Kidston. Located in the heart of Southampton city centre, WestQuay boasts over 100 stores spread over three shopping levels. Major names include John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Apple.
Meanwhile, the housewares specialist opened the doors to its first out-of-town store, at Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, at midday on Friday October 10. Steamer Trading Cookshop has taken a 3,900 sq ft two-level store on Bluewater’s Upper Thames Walk, on the stretch between anchor tenants Marks & Spencer and House of Fraser. It houses over 7,000 products, and includes a live demonstration kitchen alongside a dedicated coffee station.
Commenting on the addition of the Steamer Trading Cookshop to Bluewater, Russell Loveland – portfolio director at commercial property company Land Securities which manages the shopping centre – said: “Steamer Trading is another great addition to Bluewater’s line-up of premium brands. They are a point of difference for Bluewater, and join existing brands, such as Cath Kidston and John Lewis, in appealing to the large numbers of affluent consumers living in the south east for whom Bluewater is the destination of choice.”
Steamer Trading Cookshop managing director Ben Phillips added: “From our very first site in Sussex, we have considered each store location for the Steamer Trading Cookshop very carefully. Bluewater is an important step for the brand, being our first non-high street location, and meets our requirements perfectly. Bluewater is a high quality location, we are in great company and, as a brand, its loyalty amongst consumers in the catchment is second to none. Bluewater will be a flagship store, from which we can fully showcase our fantastic range of the very best kitchenware.”
Steamer Trading Cookshop now operates 32 stores nationwide, varying in size from 800sq ft to 7,000sq ft, and stocks a total of 10,000 products from 300 suppliers. Key brands include KitchenAid, Le Creuset, Kitchen Craft, Robert Welch Designs, De’Longhi, Magimix, LSA, Cole & Mason and Tala.
